New-York daily tribune., 1849-09-08

tnt r rrc 80. tNuiNec iur toNerNnr, ANl Nuo u 700
receive also strong support from the Westcru
Wings TIE 4 siama-00 Ners thinks thSt the
PLANK road " be speedily built WoLykRlNE
Description of salmon. Cave. In Tennessee.
Correspondence ot The Tribune.
wEox.vILLs. TALLADroA Co. Ala. Aug ls's
seAi sou a bref sketch OF the remarkable
phenomenon known Sslmons Cave situated
in Marion g. Tenueuee-not having seen a des
rrption oi it elsewhere. and considering worthy
passing notice
The Csveis situstcd in thst portion OF the Cum
her.ari Nluutsins AZ the head of Battle Cresk. iu
ths rorfhem par. OF Marion County and VAS iast
discovered in the Winter OF ls3s by hardy hunter
named John a. salmon Mh.e iu pursuito a
bear iu the month oi December oi that year, Dee
came suddenly upon the mouth o. ihe subtcrra-
/ uraa wonder, aud obtaining a light followed un
100 pursuit of his game, which had taken refuge
sl.h.n. By turns crawling 0r walk. = with ease
/ A. tle nature oi the ground permitted. Tor the
space eff iiOyards the cave wss a diihcu pass
but suddenly Mr. Ssmon c,me e. large open
space 500 feet wide ani about 30 high, with
smooth rock shove and bose dirt strongly lm-
pregnated sith ntre beneath
The pa. hrst discovered seemed to % a KIND
Of .ide-door. On careful survey another Gu
trance Was ouni near the foot Of the mountain
but this was almost entirely choked with earth,
which had probably from time % time descended
from the side Of the mountain. lhese sUperin-
cumbeut materials removed. larger snd more
convenient entrance % the Cave was formed 10
short time number Of hands were employed in
manufacturing sAtpetre. The explorer sud his
party conteuted them.evs. here-eoing no lr-
ther inward than a. 70 became necessary 10 ind
the requisite material ior the nitfe. TINS 10 lew
years failing. the operations ceased, and The Cave
mas been but rarely visited since.
II Vas vsi'ed and .0meUh hat extensively ex-
n'ored by the writer lew years ego, aud the sub
loiued rough notes are toe results oi his examina
/ r0ns.
AZ the lower entrance. the psss 3 narrow but
high, b, coming wider ~ distance o' about thrt,
/ fert 90 that you may travel with ease. The main
cave IS about 30 feet wide, aud 80 high. Entering.
you proceed about sixty yards when the fret
arm starts almost Othquely from the leit. lhls
arm 5 eight feet wide snd about ten high with
smooth ceiling of rock, and frequently ths same on
b tn sides aud the bottom. In this room as the
guide called itl were number Of subterraDssn
| curiOsites In smooth rock pr jectng from he
side. there were tracks OF men and dogs, and va
nOus auimals, appearing as though they had bern
Dlade "a The mud | will not stop 70 speculate on
their probable origin, but pass On-lesviog 10 the
geolOgist the determin alton OF the problem.
The next arm. leading of 70 the lett. Is that by
which Mr salmon first entered. The cave then
becomes wide bnt NOT high. We gradually
cended hil which has been much dug IN mskng
satpetre, and going down the other eide found
three forks leading oh 10 different directions, and
all nearly Of the same SIZE. One bearing south
seemed % ~ up the ridge that We had just cross
"a the middle prong bore nearly west This ~
took, aud Tor the hr-t bait mile there were indica
ti0us of the earth having been dug for inter-
Sometimes W. found holes fifteen Or twenty feet
deep, and for the space Of a quarter Oi an acre
large piles OF loose rocks were thrown up.
After We had proceeded about one mile from
. - ,.ff. auI
the cave became wet IN places, and generally
moist ln the OweC pats the sir vas strongly
Imyregnsted With cdrbOnic dcid 0ds. As
went on, saw great number Of small rooms
turn OF that mad neither time nor patience u
explore. Ny old guide informed me that some
oi them went great distance. When We bad
proceeded about Two miles We came - creek
running 10 easterly direction across the cave
where 10 rose on the side u seemed - b0tt from
u1ter the rick that Ormea the side val ~ the
Cave. On the east Il leit open space on each
side Tor ty Or sixty feet, aud then fell over pre-
cpics into dark kcha.m-prooably Of great depth,
Judging from the noise, which for some distance
quite deaiened -
The creek seemed % be- about twenty feet
vide aud four deep. How mUcn further the Cave
extended KNOW not. though on the opposite side
this stream 10 appeared OF the same size ss be
fore W. turned back. az tho creek, 10 the way
Ne csme-but a. many new wonders struck the
view as when prDgressin forward. Diamond Ike
incrusfstCns appeared apOn the Salis-sone
green otnes bge aud yellow, varying 10 color
snd appearance according ss the rsys Of light isll
upon the drops Of water 0E the rocks In other
q aces We observed numerous cOncretiOns that
lad been formed By the water dripping from
tne rock above and, varying in sze and
length. some were quite easily broken Of. They
were a.mOsr gnlsersaily hollow, and composed ~
a substance h.e rotten limestone when oroasb'
o. TIE isht tnsy appeared Ike iint We saw.
a g. pieces II hickCry-nufs With rock formed
sr1lld them aud a. distance Of more than
niIle from The mDgth Of the Cave. came upon
species ri crickrt
Turning mo an arm Leading Of from the West
side. In 4 nOuhEestery y direction, ws came. a.
-re distance Of about hgldrez and ifty PAGES .
a. elevation cy feet b zher Lhsn the main bed ~
Ine Cave Eere Ne iOgDd the rocks covered WITH
alum an1 the surrounding .OOse dirt hkexis-
sfangly mpresns,sc. o. the lOxer levels. xe
clscOssr-1 zlagOer s.lts where tie masses OF
rock were Ike sandstone. 10 other ysrts Oi tbs
srn ~ net Win grs, re and sand instead Of
Lm-st.De.
Being now weary, after a ten noars survey,
started axsin Ia q direct line 70 view the lisht
20 me sgn. bar, passing the mouth OF stlii sno-
tner arm, 70 presented 90 singular sypesfaIce
tla. urged the guide 70 accompany me 10. be
Tas .it.le agerse-" for, SAID be, IL 70 called
the bs.-hoon, and filed with the lesthef-singed
bats Segsrtne eess. 10 Ne went, snc. proceed
ing some sixty yarcs came 1pon 10 creatures
sgre enough, hsnxns about the walls 10 clusters
~ tue distance VI Two hundred yards, the rock
above "a. completely covsrsc-the sninsls hold.
inz 20 one another Ike bees s!ter sTumiDg. !
hst great desire % knock them Of Bat she guide
made ys-y strenuous objections. assuring O. tnst
they YOU'D kn.ck oct oar Aghr, and leave os %
/ ,rooe 8ur xay out 10 st,er darkDsss.-Ihis adyea.
,grs hl.shed. ~e reiraced COR steps, and came Out
7 W 0g- sgotersnean Vsndsnngs jsst 80 the sgn
bad dissppesrsd behind the p" esteru n lgntsirs.
returned - the hog.e Of irIe1d 10 u vicinity
isl oi ~0ndsr a, the origin Of these solitary haunt.
u csfkne,s. sod nssnted by az almost classical
superstition that bad been exploring 'ofDidiel
zroald. The visit u SALsOss CAyk vii away.
be one oi ny most gratifying rsco iect1on'' ana
wouc advise the ,oqrst OF The Southern states 70
.ass IBIS great natural wonder II hs way. There
is ye. much ron Tor Interesting Essssre6 s.Ta.