The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-08-06
OBSERVATIONS ON THE NAM
MOTH CAVE.
AN INDIANIAN.

The last number of SllimaD's Journal
contains an interesting account of the
Mammoth Cave, in letter addressed to
to Prof. Guyot by Prof Silliman, Jr.
who has recently made an exploration
of its mysteries; and also, in connection
of the animals found there. One atmos-
pheric phenomenon attracted the atten
tion of these gentlemen, and taxed their
ingenuity for a satisfactory explana tion,
viz: The blast of cool air blowing out
waId from the mouth of the cave, which
rendered it nearly impossible TO enter
with lighted lamp. If the external air
has temperature of 900 Fahr., the
blast amounts to gale; but if the air
without has temperature of 5000,
no current is observed and the flame of a
lamp held in favorable position, indi-
Gates none. 1t Immediately occurred to
me (said Prof. Silman) that there must
be two currents, one above of warmer
air, passing inward. and one below of
colder air passing outward, and the re-
verse; but experiment soon satisfied me
that this was not the case. Only one
current could be discovered, and on in
quiry of our intelligent guide, | had found
that this phenomenon had attracted his
attention, and that he was satisfied from
many observations that only one current
existed, and that this flared out when the
external air was above Goo and inward
when this was below Goo.
The phenomena is accounted for BY
Prof Silliman on scientific princi Piles,
as follows. The mouth of the cave is
the only communication between the ex-
ternal air and The vast labyrinth Of gall
leries and avenues which stretch away
for many miles in the solid limestone
The air in these underground excavations
is pure and eXhilarating. which may in
part be accounted for by the nitre beds
of incredible extent, as the nitrogen
which is consumed in the formation of
the nitrate of lime must have its proper
tion of tree oxygen disengaged, thus en-
ricling this stbterranean atmosphere
with larger portion OF the exhilerating
is uniformly $50, summer and winter
and this is probably very near to the an
ual meaning of the external air. The ex-
pansion which accomp panies an elevation
of temperature in the the outer air is i'm
mediately felt by the denser air of the
cave and it flows out in the obedience
to the law Of motion in fluids. and the
outward current continues without Ill
rerruption as long as the outer air has
higher TEN perature than the cave.
the phenomena of life within the cave
are comparatively few but interesting
There are several insects, the largest Of
which is sort of cricket, with enormous
ly long antenne. There are several spe-
cies. of Caleoptra, mostly burrowing IN
the nitre earth. There are some small
species of wathe insects, supposed 10 be
crustaceous. OF fish, there are two spe-
cies, one of which, as is well known. is
entirely eycless; the other has external
eyes, but is quite blind. The only mann
NAL, except the bats, is a rat, which is
very abundant. Prof. Siilman is of opin-
| ion that the excavations of the Mammoth
Cave have been formed by water, and by
no other cause.
/ introduce bill for the destruction OF
worms, as the Wood -pecker said in a
late stump Speech.