New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-01
NOTES OF WESTERN TRAVEL.
THE MAMMOTH CAVE FIRST TRIP
UNDERGROUND.

arrival ut this place, after our mishap in tho
woods, we were cordially welcomed by Mr..
Miller, the host. The hotel is long, strag-
Cling pile of wooden buildings, with stone chin
news attached 90 the exterior a. the gable ends.
A wing Of furnished apartments joins It's north
ern end, frontins upon lawn whore tall forest
trees have been allowed to stand in their natu-
raj attitudes and groupings. The main body of
the hotel, with this wing, furnishes az least six
hundred feet Of porticO, forming one Of the most
delightful promenades imaginable for summer
weather Around the place iuterenes narrow
eirdle Of cleared land. beyond which stand the
primitive woods wherein the deer aud Wild
turkey still make their habitation. We heard
the call Of the latter as we sat in the shaded
portico. Tie roCms are sufficiently large aud
comfortable. though their doors have the same in
sbli., to be closed which have already noticed
as characteristic OF Kentucky architecture.
Tie season for ,.ayel has hardly commenced,
and We found bat seven visitors on our arrival.
Two Of these had ust returned from trip be-
vor3 the rivers, under the charge of " Stephen,
tie famous cave guide, aud ;heis clothes, be-
the character of the trip. As our stay was
limited TO two days, we decided to yisi. the cis-
fuyal avs nues the same afternoon, rescryng
the grand Journey over the water for the next
dsv. The rivers had been gradually rising for
four days, ANA were then az precisely .hc most
incon, enieut stage, though not set impassable.
Mr. Miller iniou cd US tat they rarely rose
more than four days in succession, sad there
was no likelihood at present ihat we should not
be able to cross them. | engaged Stephen for
the next day, and took Alfred, one Of tho other
guides for our initatoy excursion
After dining on a noble hauach Of veniscn,
Alfred made his appearance with q bundle OF
lamps and announced that everything was in
readiness. Turning around the hotel to tho
MOI thward, We entered rocky rayine in the
forest, and in a few minutes wore made aware
by gust Of cold wind that We had reached mo
entrance to the undergIt lnd world. The scene
was Wild and picturesque in the extreme, yet
tie FIRST involuntary sensation was something
akin to terror. The falling in Of the roof of tho
main avenue OF the cave es IL approached the sur
face Of the earth has formed gap, or pit, about
fifty feet in depth, terminating in dark, yawning
portal. out of which steady current of cold air
was treathed in our faces. Trees grew around the
c1pcs OF the pit, almost roc Pr it with shades
ferns and tangled vines iringed its sides, and slen
der stream o. water falling from the cks which
arcled above the entrance dropped like a silver
veil leioIe the mysterious gloom. The temper
ature of the cave is 30 throughout the year, and
tiat Of the upper air being about 1oo, the colder
stratum was cbbng out When the inside and ont
DO 100, I'm
morning previous to cur visit, there Is no percep-
tihle current.
Taking each a lighted lamp, we descended some
rocky steps to the floor of the cavern, passed be-
hind the tnkling cascade, and plunged into the
darkness. The avenue rapidly contracts, and Is
closed by an artificial wall, with a door, which IL
sometimes locked H. exclude pilferers. Having
passed tbis, the daylight Disappeared bohiLi ~.
Our eyes, blinded by the sudden transition 20 COM
petc darkness, could barely ROOF VI solid rock
not far above our heads and masses of loose stones
piled en- either eide This part OF the avenue is
/ called "1he NarrOws" Tie space gradually cx-
handed; the arch Of the ceiling became more din
and lofty and the walls Only showed themselves by
a faint and uncertain gliumer The floor under
our feet was firm and welbeatep the air we
breathed pure and reiroshing and feeling OF per-
lect confidence and security replaced The shrink
ing sensation which think nearly every one must
feel ON frst'en'cring.
AS the pupils Of our eyes expanded and we began
to discern more clearly by tho light If our lamps
the dimensions OF tic grand avenue, We reached
SPACIOUS hail called The Nestbnle, which Is sail
TO be directly under the .vc Hotel lt Is ~ or
50 feet ia hight branching of on QUO side INTO
epaciOus cave called AudubOn's Avenue. Near II
is The Great Bathroom, which hundreds Of bats
have chosen as a place Of liberation. We were
now In the Main Cave, which extended for shrce
, or four miles before us with an average hight OF
about so aud an average bteadth OF AZ least -
feet. in some places expanding TO l5v icot. what
ARE The galleries OF the Vatican, tho Louvre, Yer
sailes and the Crystal Palaces OF London aud Paris
to this gigantic vault hcwn IN the living rock
Previous 10 the crossing Of the BtttOmless ut in
1898. and Subsequently Of the Rivers in 1910, all
the published accounts Of the Mammoth Cave
described Oul, this avenue and it, branches. The
sides are perpendicular walls with distinct and
sometimes bold c0rnice anc sli htly -arched cell
ing which often resembles groined vault. The
limestone lies in horizontal strata with scarcely a
fault, aud all the wonderful forms which it as
sunes are clearly troceable 10 the action OF water
Immediately on entering, you see The remains OF
the saltpeter works which were carried On here
from 1865 to lol4. The old bOI pers or teaching
watts, the sluices for carrying OH the water aud
many other appliance re still almost a. perfect
az If the manufacture had just been relinqnishei.
Tie woodwork remains perfectly sound and I'M
corrupted, ana even the rass moGe by car~~heels
ard the prints Of the oxens hoois IN TIE then
moist soil have not been efaced. H. IL SAIL that
6altpeter TO the value Of $4,000 was washed rom
the earth in one year and hat IN the course OF
tsree wears the same earth became a. richly I'M
prccnar,d az before THIS property Is also com
muiicated to the air, bat probably In lesser de-
c,ce an not av are tb.t 1t has ever been
snslszed: bur whether from the ab-ence Of yegeta-
HE cxLalations ard the consequent purity of its
-, =. .. ar f-nr, III, so.an of anna