Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-04-18

We take the following from the Will
mantle Iiection, of October %. 1t NAV
interest some of our readers to know that
it was written by Benjamin c. JilIon.
formerly assistant of Professor Silliman.
of Yale College, and now, though hardly
twenty-one years of age, Professor in
Cumberland University, Tennessee. The
article contains new things for those who
suppose they " know about" the Mammoth
Cave.
MAMMOTH CAVE House, (KY.,)2
October, 1854
Dear Cousin Il promised, in my last
letter, to give you description of the
Mammoth Cave in my next 7 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. gla the cave
Our road was finely macadamized. and
lay through quite pleasant country
The houses we passed were nearly all
built of logs, with the crevices filled with
mud. At half past eleven p m. we
reached Bells Hotel, my stopping place
for the night, which lies midway between
Louisville 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 Louisville
three young men from Mississippi on their
way to the Kentucky Military Institute,
and myself, Connecticut Yankee. The
road 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 after
consulting the proprietor concluded not
to enter the cave until after dinner, which
we partook of at one the intervening
time was spent in looking around, seeing
the hole" and examining the Cave House,
which, by the way, is truly curious speci-
men of architecture 1t has so many ad-
ditions to the original some of brick,
some of logs, and some framed, that it
reminds one of an old English manor
house, where every owner for the last
three hundred years has built op an ad
dition; indeed, it is hard to tell which
was the original This house is capable
of accommodating one hundred and fifty
persons, and during the visiting season is
always full Dinner being over, we start
ed 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 fall slaves)
who are we'll acquainted with every part
of the cave, and are as much at home in
its subterranean windings. as if they had
onA oil Gva1 fhora
phen, the very prince of guides, has fol-
lowed the business eighteen years Matt.
and Albert sixteen, and Nick fifteen
The mouth of the cave is only few rods
from the house. We went partly down a
hill and then turned suddenly to the right.
To enter the cave, we descended about
thirty stone steps, and passed behind
thin sheet of water that is usually falling
over the mouth of the cave Each mem
Der of the'party was furnished with light,
and we commenced our journey. Do not
expect me to describe the whole of the
cave for there are many, very many aven-
ues, domes and pits, that [ did net visit
in fact, | cannot tell you half [ saw, but
may, perhaps, give you an idea, bare
idea. of the cave by a feeble description
of some of its parts. We first passed
along through the Narrows and entered
the Great Vestibule. The light of the
lamps penetrates but short distance, and
the eve tries in vain to pierce the sur
rounding gloom. The stiffness and dark
ness are oppressive The guide ignites
Bengal light, and then the size of the yes
tibule can be plainly seen 1t is about
two hundred feet long and one hundred
and fifty wide, with fat level roof be-
tween sixty and seventy feet high. From
this proceed two large avenues, the one to
the right called Audubon avenue. the one
to the left the Grand Gallery. The lat
ter, down which we passed, is several miles
in length and about fifty feet in width and
height In this gallery, for more than a
mile, are the remains of the old saltpetre
works. Vast heaps of the nitrous earth,
large watts, hoppers and water pipes are
scattered around. Here, too, are seen the
ruts of the cart and tracks of the oxen
as plainly as though they were made but
yesterday. About one quarter of mile