Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-04-15
A Visit TO the Mammoth Cave.

We take the following from the Willimantie
Medium, of October %. 1t may interest some Of
our readers to know that if was written by Ben
iamin c. Jillson, formerly assistant of Professor
Silliman, of Yale College, and now, Professor in
Cumberland University, Tennessee. The article
contains new things for those who suppose they
''know about" the Mammoth Caye.-Leb. Herald.
MAMMOTH CAVE HOUSE, (KY-) October, 1854.
DEAR CoUsIS:-
promised, in my last letter, to give you des-
cription of the Mammoth Cave in my next. l am
almost sorry did so, but I'll do my best.
In my last, you recollect, had just reached
Louisville, Kentucky. The next morning, at four
o'clock, | took the stage to Nashville Tennessee,
ria the cave.-Our road was finely macademzed,
and lay through quite a pleasant country. The
houses we passed were nearly all built of logs, with
the creyices filled with mud.-At half past eleven
p. IN. we reached Bells Hotel my stopping place
for the night, which lies midway between Louis
Vile and Nashville, being ninety miles from each
and seven miles from the cave. The next morning
we started for the cave; our company consisting
of a sugar planter and lady, from Louisiana, three
Young men from Mississippi, on their way to the
Kentucky Military Institute, and myself.
The rold was decidedly the worst | ever saw,
over which, it took us three hours to go seven
miles. and we had to walk up and down the hills at
that. The main roads of kentucky are generally
good. but this is a disgrace TO the State We
reached the Cave House at half past ten, and az
ter consulting the proprietor concluded not to en-
ter the cave until after dinner, which.we partook
of at one; the intervening time was spent in look
ing around, "seeing the hole" and examining The
Cave House, which, by the way, is truly curious
specimen, of architecture. II has so many add-
lions TO the original; some of brick, some of logs,
aud some framed, that it reminds one of an old
English manor house, where every owner for the
last three hundred years has built an addition
indeed, it is hard to tell which was the original
This house is capable of accommodating one hun
dred and fftv persons and during the visiting sea-
son is always full. Dinner being over we started
for the cave under the guidance OF "Old Nick,
| himself 1t would perhaps, be well to state that
there are, connected with this establishment, four
/ guides tal slaves who are well acquainted with
every part of the cave aud are as much at home
|
born and always lived there. Stephen, the very
prince of guides, has followed the business eighteen
wears; Matt and Albert sixteen, Nick fifteen. The
mouth of the cave is only few rods from the
! house We went partly down a hill and then turn
| ed suddenly to the right-To enter the cave, We
descended about tn rty stone steps, and passed be-
! hind thin sheet of water that is usually falling
| al IF 4ba Zach MANNER nf the
| PARTY was furnished with light, and wes.commen-
! ced our Journey Do not expect me to describe
! the whole Of the cave, fer there many, very
many avenues, dcmes and pits, that did not visit;
in fact, cannet tell you half saw, but may per-
/ haps give you an idea, a bare idea, of the cave
by feeble description of some of its parts. We
first passed along through the Narrows and en-.
tered the Great Vestibule. The light of the lamps
penetrate but a short distance, and the eyes try in
! vain to pierce the surrounding gloom.-fhe guide
ianites Bengal light and then the size of the ves-
| tibule can be plainly seen 1t is about two hun
| dr5d feet long and one hundred and fifty wide
with Hat level roof between sixty and seventy
feet high From this proceeds two large avenues
the one TO the right called Audubon avenue, TIT
5 Oiit u lHc itlG tiC uIaIiu oohSiy- AhS AAbtSA
down which we passed, is several miles in length
( gnd about fifty feet in width and height. In thi
I gallery for more than a mile, are the remains @
the old saltpetre works. Vast heaps of the nitrou
earth large watts, hoppers and water pipes are scat
tered around Here, too, are seen the ruts OF tn
cart tracks of the oxen as plainly as though the
were made but yesterday. About one quarter Q
a mile from the entrance is the church, which
sfytv-three feet in height and about one hundre
feet in diameter, in which there is a natural pulp
and large gallery for a choir Sermons haV
/ beeo preached here and wedding ceremony wa
once performed. Still further on is the Giant
| Coffin, which is Of stone and looks exactly like
| monsfrous coffin Over it is the ant-eater, a blac
ipcrustation on the white wall. Objects are qu
l common in some parts of the cave, resembling Q
. ten. beasts, birds men, trees, &c Near here IS
row of houses built for cOnsumptive patients wi
formerly resided in the cave, hoping to be ben
fi.tel by its pure invigorating air; but it prov
O. little avail We passed down the Steps
i Time through the Deserted Chamber and saw t
I Covered Pit, the Side Saddle Pit, and the Be
tcmess Pit. The last is rightly named. A FRI
bridge is thrown across this deep ravine, and o
fairly shuddefs as he stands the bridge and dro
/ a lighted paper to see it go down, down, down. in
= unknown depths below. Gorans Dome is W
" worthy Of notce-It is not wide but quite his
perhaps two hundred feet One side of the 70
ID resembles a curtain lying in fold, and so strlki
is tde illusion that one unconsciously looks upws
TO see TO what it is fastened. Just before reach
the dome, the guide and left the party, and goi
another way through very low, narrow passa
reached the opposite side. of the dome. He ligh
- a Bengal light and more beautiful sight, it see
10 me, never saw. The sides of the huted W.
and the yawning gulf; the first towering to an
O. definite height the other descending TO where
seemed no sounjings could be reached-while
,. one side this curtain with its exquisitly wrou
tie drapery and graceful folds reflected the vari
colors of the Bengal ligLt-mada an impress