The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-11-28
THE JOU r n AL.
THE GREAT CAVE OF KENTUCKY.
Correspondence Of the Tribune.
MAMMorH CAVE, Sept. 18th, 1874

have been spending a few days at this
place examining the most wonderful of ali
the wonders of Nature. | have spent four
days within the Mammoth Cave, and have
walked mole Tan seventy miles where the
light OF day has never yet penetrated; and
yeti have only entered The p%ortico of this
subterranean temple. This cave is situated
on the stage route from Louisville, Kentucky,
to Nashville, Tennessee, about ninety miles
from each place. The land for a great dis
lance around the mouth of The cave, is own
ed by pr.Johu Croghan, of Louisiana. DIR.
Cfoghan is a bmther of Col. George Crogh-
an, the hero of Fort Stephenson. Both the
DR.. aud the Col. (now Inspector Gen. in the
United States Army are THE Gave House
The Doctor is a bachelor of about 45-anl
accomplished scholar, and one of the most
perfect gentleman | have ever met. lie is
reported 10 be Immensely wealthy. The
Colonel is alniable and exceeding interesting
in his intercourse with society; but il is easy
at all times TO discover that he is endowed
with those powers of mind which show that
he was 'bcm to command" He has a bold.
manly appearances, and he carries in his eye
that spirit Of defance that could never quail
before any foe. | am not at all surprised
that such a man should be ready with his
one hundred and fifty 10 give battle 10 six
hundred regulars of the British army allied
10 more than three thousand Indians.
The Give House has been thronged with
visitors during the summer and large num-
bers have been compelled 10 sleep on mat
rasses through the dining hall aud plrlo's.-
The house will be enlarged during The win
ter. SO as 10 accommodate at least two hundred
persons more than can be accommodated now.
A ball room one hundred feet long and a
dining room OF The sane leuglh are to be
completed by the first Of My. The crowd
is not SO great now as it was u few weeks a
go, but still there are guests here from New
York and Philadelphia ON the Mouth. 10 New
Orleans ard Mobile on the South.
The plrties which enler the Gave usually
number from FIVE 10 fifty, and they walk ffou
ten 10 twenty-five miles per day. The
mouth of the Cave is about cue hundred
yards from the Gave House. At the mouiI
of The Cave we descended about twenty fee
over stone steps aud then walked on hoTi-
zonialiy for about one bundled and fl,
yards to The place called ihe Ro:unda. Eacl
of us walked with a lamp in our hands pre-
coded by our guide. At the Romnda VI
hailed for a few moments, aud our guide il
Illuminated the place with a Bengal light
There are large watts here used in our las
war in making sallpetre. The Cave her
branches off two avenues. We proceed
ed on in the main avenue to the Church; lh'
main avenue is about seventy feet wide; ih
Church is in the side of the avenue extend
ing iato the wall about $50 feet. The gal
lery is exceedingly natural. Sermons hav,
been preached in this Church. a siempl
made without hands, As we passed on be
yond the Church we saw the prints Of tn
oxen and of the c~aFt-wheels made Their
more than thirty years ago.
After walking nearly mile we came to
Gothic Avenue. This leads off from tn
main avenue at the right. We asceuded
fight of steps about twenty feet aud the
walked on about Two hundred yards whe
we came to the Registry Room. Thousant
of N have there been registered on III
ceiling over head. We passed on in this a
emu ill we came TO Hercules p liar. Fh
is an immense column standing midway b.
tween the walls of this avenue. 1t was CIV
denly formed by wafer dropping from III
ceiling. Ii must be at least ID feet in Ct
cumference. S%lalagmite Hall is a hundre
yards beyond in the same avenue. He
are seine len or fifteen similar columns
the one above mentioned, differing only
size. The next thing of importance v
passed was Bonlparte's breasi-woIk. A n
tural b%reastwork of rocks extending at ii
aide of the cave foriweniy yards. One hu
dred Yards from the breasiwarks is 'Ihe o
Arm Chair.n This is a very large cofum
extending from The ceiling 10 the floor, ha
s lug in its side a well formed arm chair. II
next object We noticed was an elepalni
head. The resemblance was exceeding pc
feet. A few yards further you come 10 /
Lorer's Leap. This is a precipice at Il
side OF the avenue so deep that but few Il
ers would dare 10 leap there even il, SO d.
ing, they should obtain the object of tht
affections. Directly above the Lovers LIE
on the ceiling is a representation of an
dian in the act Of fyiag, We now desce
ded a crevice called the Elbow Crew.
leading TO another aud another apartment
this immense cave. After passing throuj
Elbow Crevice we came 10 a magnihce
dome called Napoleon's dome. AS ii "
be impossible TO describe one half of wha
have seen, in this letter, | will not ailen
10 give any description of the dome. M
Napoleon's Dome is a large dining table
bout thirty feet by ten. 1t is one solid sto
shout four feet high. 1t was called Ga
woods Dining Table. 4 lille distance {
sher on we found an immense pile of cind'
like that thrown from a btacksmith's furna'
We then proceeded on some three hundr
yards 10 The end of The avenue. We th
rptraced mr. stens retlrnin1 fo the main