The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-08-26
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
THE MAMMOTH CAVE OF KEN
TyTCKV

The subjoined interesting extract relating to
this grea, natural curiosity, is extracted from
Willis's letters in the New York Home Jour-
nal
Col. Croghan, to whose family il belongs,
was a resident Of Louisville, Kentucky. He
went to Europe twenty years ago, and, as an
American, found himselffrequenlly questioned
OF the wonders of the Mammoth Cave-a place
he had never visited, and of which, at home,
thong h living within ninety miles of it, he had
heard very little. He went there Immediately
on his return, and the idea struck him to pur-
chase and make it family inheritance. In Is
minutes bargaining he bough ght it for 1000,
though, shortly after, he was offered 100000
for his purchase. In bis will he tied II up in
such way that it must remain in his family
for two generations, thus appending lis celeb
rity to his name. There are nineteen hundred
acres in the estate-three square miles above
ground, though the cave probably runs under
the property of great number OF other land
owners. For fear Of those who might dig
down and establish an entrance to the cave on
their own property, ia mans farm extending
up TO zenith and down to the Dadir,) great Wig
lance is exercised 10 prevent such snbterrane.
an surveys and measurements as would enable
them to sink shaft with any certainty. The
cave extends ten or twelve miles in several d.
Fecti0nS, ana tHeTe is pIOUdDly UdUV DaCk-
woodsman sitting in his log hut within 10 miles
of the cave, quite unconscious that The most
fashionable ladies and gentlemen Of Europe and
America are walking, without leave, under his
corn and potatoes.
The equable air, and the good health of the
miners, who were at one time employed in
digging saltpetre from near the entrance. start
ed an idea, some time since, that hospital for
consumptive patients might be profitaby es-
tablished in the cave. Stone huts were accor-
dinghy constructed, in the dark halls beyond
the reach of external air, and, among those
who tried the experiment. were two consump-
tive gentlemen who, with their two healthy
wives, passed six weeks in hideous seciusion
from daylight. One of the gentlemen died
there, ard the other received no bene6t-but
the devotion of those voluntarily buried wives
should chronicle their names in the caves his
tory. Another patent, who went in and re-
mained some weeks. was attended by friends
and a seryant-but his end approaching, the
death scene in that dark and silent abyss be-
came so appalling, that they fed in terror
friends and servant-aEd left the dying man
alone. Nothing could induce them to return,
and when others went in, the poor man was
found dead with an expression OF indescribable
horror upon his Textures. Those who have
seen these drearv huts, miles away from the
sunshine-who have sInelt the grave like air,
barren of the pervadng vitality which vegeta
ton gives the atmosphere above ground-and
who have realised the intense silence and dark
ness that reign there like monsters whose pre-
sence is telt-can aporeciute the horror OF
being left alone at The last hour in such place.
The side avenues OF the cave, into which
visiters are not usually taken, are said TO be
labyrinths of interninab'e perplexity, ind. the
guides are instructed to let none enter them
alone. gentleman who left his party year
or two ago, and ventured to explore fer himself
lost his way, and was only found by Stephen,
after many long and vain searches. He had
stumbled and put out his lamp, and had been
forty.tkree hours alone in The darkness. When
discovered. he was lying on his face, benumb.
ed and insensble. Stephen brought him out,
several miles, upon his back, and he recovered
but he had the experience OF II death in dark.
ness and solitude.
The Mammoth Cave is as large as a county,
but, having another county on top of it, it is
not represented, believe. in the Kentucky
Legislature. La the country's literature it will
be strongly represented some day-for there is
scenery for magnificent poem-a new Dan.
te's lnferno-in its wondrous depths. Ii is a
western prairie of lima gination-s,ill wild anC
unOccupied,