Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-06-21
FoR tax TiMrs
FOR THE TiMES.
THE MAMMOTH CAVE OF KENTUCKY
CONTINUED

account oil all saw IN the Cave. should fill :
your columns to greater extent than you or
your readers would wish. Indeed a complete
description OF all the apartments of this sub
terranean labyrinth would be SO large as to re-
sembe..a "Malt, Bruins Geography of the In
fernal Regions You MAY however give Inc
space to-day for a brief description Of one or
two more scenes on this side Of the Syx. I |
shall not describe the course of our path, for |
who could give you any idea of a path pursued !
beneath the world, without star or sun, or COM
pass, without morn or noon, or night, without |
any thing to distinguish the east from the west,
or even the direction of the earths surface
and all this amid windings, and crossings,
lanes and valleys; stairs and pits, mingled i'm
sucha labyrinth that the clue of Ariadne would
have been OF no avail to guide us through it.
Let us descend here By this ladder. Its
rumSs are rotten and we must look out for
breakers. Ii leads down about ten or twelve
feet into a sort OF crevice not more than two
or three feet wid,, at the bottom of which we
walk along, with very little elbow room Tor
some distance, until we reach wider avenue.
This soon brings us to the 'Grcat Crossings"
Not seeing any ladies' there of the sam, equiv
ocal color which my guide rcjoiced in, infer
red that this is not the Crossings" from which
Old Tecum,eh halls. But this crossing is
formed bya pretty large avenue cutting the
one i'll which we walked at right angles, the
floor OF the one being eight or ten feet above
the floor OF the other. 1t forms therefore a
sort OF gallery running Off to either side and
havingits openings rather regularly cut in the
rock, could scarcely resist the fancy as gazcd
up into these chambers of the ''second story"
that all this wilderness of cavems had been
constructed with some definite plan to accom-
modate the wants of beings destined to in
habit them.
Beyond the Crossings we entered "Wild
Hall" name appropriate to lofty, rugged,
irregular cavern, from the sides of which, far
above our heads, rude mis- -shapen rocks jutted
out so that by the time the light of our lamps
reached the high roof, it filled the upper space
with dim, uncertain aud unsightly shadows.
Our steps were impeded by enormous heaps
of rock piled in wild confusion, and in such
loose disorder as to mike you fancy that they
have only recently Numbered down from the
walls around you, and you begin to wonder
whether the projecting crags over your head
are quite secure in their places. The lamp
light scarcely serves to reveal the dimensions
OF this 50 Hall" and yonr eye is soon lost in
peerins around among shadows that look grim
and lowering and which are thrown into fam
tastic shapes by the irregular rock. But pres
emily the guide draws forth nitrous prepare
ton Of some sort and laying it down on a
rock, sets fire to it. Itbcgins at once TO ''fi1'
and blaze, ana throws INTO every part Of the
"Wild Hall" strong light, but of most lurid
an sulphurous glare. The projecting masses
! vi rock s'ort cut in holder prominence, the
shadows are deeper and darker, and the whole
scene, being tinsed with the sort of unearthly
hue cast upon it by this light, impresses you
with feeling of wild grandeur, mingled with
awe. AT the same time this blush, CHASTITY
glare spread over every thing seems proper
enough fol the slower regions"
Stephen, being bit of a wag in his way,
and so familiar with all these avenues that he
felt no fear of being lost in them, here banter
ed me to put out our lights, by way of contrast
to the " fireworks which he had just exhibit
ed Being so far under ground he thought
would be afraid to doit-and so was How
ever as did not "like to be dared" by the grin
ming darkie, toll him to try his matches and
II they were good we would take peep into
the darkness visible" as he proposed. But
after scratching several of them over the rock.
it was with difficulty that he got one at last to
ignite, and concluded to omit his expert
ment. He then called my attention to the
appearance of the rocks here, indicating the
action oil running water-from which he infer
red mot being very accurate in the application
OF the terms which he picks up from visiters)
that this avenue OF the Cave is certainly "sub
terrdnean."
Near "Wild HalI' we assembled by ladder
into an avenue which is decorated with some
magnificent stal actites. They have the pre-
cl'e appearance OF immense pins-apples with
the sln, sort OF surface. They are tolerablv
white, differing in this respect from formations
in Gothic Avenue" Indeed nearly all these
ior'nltions OH this siie of the river are rather
dark, while bsyonl til, river they are not on
ly mT; abInimt, but mostly Of a brilliant
whltcness They often cover the walls and
ceiling with all unbroken coating Of dazzling
beauty, presenting to the eye, when infinitely
examined, the forms of roses and innumerabe
other plants. So that Nature, who seems in
freak TO have con stTucted here little world
III which the forms of her external creations
are initiated in stone, has not omitted to ad. |
om !, wltllllowcrs as solid as the rest. grow. |
ing out of the firm rock and watercd through |
the pores OF The limestone. have a rose that |
bIoomcd there. and imtgine it was hun.
drcd years in unfolding its leaves.
Nnnr illn IlPinn- n.,.In.v Z. -