New-York daily tribune., 1844-11-01
THE TRIBUNE
The Great Gave OF Kentucky
Correspondence Of the Tribune.


have been s9encing q few days a! tins place
examining the most wonderful of all the wonders
Of Nature. have spent four days within the
Mammoth Cave, end have walked more than
seventy miles where the lignt of day has never
yet penetrated and yet have only entered the
nortico of this subserranean temple This cave Is
situated on the stage route from Louisville, Ken
,ucky to Nashville, Tennessee, about ninety
miles from each place. The land for great dis
,snce around tAe-mouth of the cave, is owned by
Or. John Croghan, Of Louisville. Dr.. Croghan
is q brother OF Colonel George Croshan, the hero
Of Fort Stephenson. Both the DR.. and the Col.
(now Inspector General in the United States
Army) arc at the Cave House. The Doctor is
bachelor of about forty.6ve-an accomplished
scholar, and ono Of the most perfect gentlemen
have ever met. He is reported TO be immensely
va.,thy. The Col9nol is smiabe and exceed
inply interesting in his intercourse with society;
but it is easy at any and at all tines to discover
that he is endowed with those powers of mind
which show that he was g born to command."
He has a bold, manly appearance, and ne carries
in his eve that epirt Of defiance that could never
Quail before any foe. l am not ct all surprised
that sRch man should be ready with his one
Kindred and fifty to give battle to six hundred
regulars of the British army allied to more than
three thousand Indians.
The Cave House has been thronged with visitors
during the summer and large numbers have been
compelled to sleep on mattresses through the din.
inp hall and parlors. The house will be enlarged
during the winter, So as 10 accommodate at least
two hundred persons more than can be acconmo-
dated now. A ball room one hundred feet long
and d.nng room of the same length are to be
completed by the first of May. The crowd is
not 30 great here now as it was few weeks ago,
but still there are guests here from New York and
Philadelphia on the North to New-Orleans and
Mobile on The South.
The parties which enter the Cave usually num-
Der from five to fifty, and they walk from ten to
twenty.fi five mies per day. The mouth OF the Cave
is about one hundred yards from the Cave House.
At the mouth OF the Gave We descended about
twenty feet over stone steps and then walked on
horizontally for about one hundred and fifty yards
to the place called tho Rotunda. Each of us
walked with lamp in our hands preceded by our
guide. At the Rotunda we hailed Tor few mo
nents, and our guide illuminated the place with
Bengal light. There are large watts here used
in our last war in making saltpetre. Inc Cave
here branches off into two avenues. We pro.
ceedcd on in the main avenue to tho Church
the main avenue is about seventy feet wide the
Church is in The side of the avenue extending
into the wall about $50 feet. The gallery IS ex-
ceednely natural. Sermons have teen pre- ached
in this Church-a temple made without hands,
4 tha -hl,rr tya aptu
prints of the feet of the oxen and of the cart
wheels made there more than thirty years ago
Alter walking nearly mile We came TO the
Gothic Avenue This leads off from the main
avenue at the right. We assembled a flight Of
steps about twenty feet and then walked TN about
two hundred yards when we came 10 the Registry
Room. Thousands Of names have there been
registered On tho ceiling over head. We passed
on in this avenue till we came 10 Hercules plllar
Thisis an immense column standing about .Did-
way between the walls of this avenue. 1t was
evidenlly formed by water dropping from the
ceiling. 1t must be at least fifteen feet in cir
cumference, Stalagmte Hall is hundred yards
beyond in the same avenue Here are some ten
or fifteen similar columns TO the one above men,
ti,rcd, differing only in size. The next thing
Of importance we passed was Bonaparte's breast
woIk. natural breastwork of rocks extending
at the side of the cave for twenty yards One
hundred yards from the breast work is the old
Arm Char" This is a very large column. ex-
tending from the ceiling 10 the floor, having in its
side well-formed arm choir. The next object
We noticed was an elephants head. The resem
b!ance was exceeding perfect. A few wards far
tAer you come TO the Lovers Leap. This is a
precipca at the side of the avenue so deep that
but few lovers would dare to leap there even if so
daring, they could obtain the objects their affec.
tons. Directly above the Lovers Leap on the
ceiling 10 an accurate representation of an Indian
in the act of flying Wenow descended through
narrow crevlce called the Elbow Crevice lead.
ing to another and another apartment of this
immense cave. After passing through Elbow
Crevce we came 10 magnificent dome called
Napoleon's Dome. AS It will be impossible TO
dcscribeone half of what have seen, in thisletter,
will moi attempt to give any description of this
dome. Near Napoleen's Dome is large dining
table about thirty feet by ten 1t is one solid stone
about four feet high. 1t is called Gatewooo's
Dining Table. A little distance farther on we
found an immense pile OF cinoers like those
thrown from blacksmith's furnace. We then
proceeded on about three hundred yards to the end
of the avenue. We then retraced our steps re-
turning to the main avenue, having seen enough
already to compensate me for travelling from
your city to this place. But as yet had seen
but few of the wonders of this subterranean
abode.
We then proceeded on in the main avenue un.
til we came to the Giant's Co6Fa. This is a
large stone in the shape of a coffin, its hight is
about FIVE feet and its length about eighteen feet.
Directly over the cetin is large panther OR the
wall We then passed around the coffin and en-
tered the Deserted Chamber. In the main ave
nue. the ceiling is at least sixty feet high at the
entrance of the deserted chamber, but the cell
ing of the deserted chamber is not more than
four feet high. Wepassed on through this cham.
Der about ten yards, and We came 10 large dome
called the Wooden Bowl on account of a wooden
bowl being found there when it was first discey
cred. At one side of the woodcn bowl are the
Sleeps of Time.
This Is narrow pass down about twenty feet,
over natural stone steps. The passage is narrow
and dlhcult to pass, After descendinp o. the steens