Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-04-15
NASHVILLE, TENN; SUNDAY, APRIL Is 1856.

magnificent long hall, with perpendicular arches
on either side and fiat ceiling. This last is Of
dark lime stone, studded with innumerable spark
ling substances resembling stars-The Illusion is
perfect lone can hardly realize that he is not look
ing into the blue vault of heaven Here the gui lie
takes our lights, and by little maneuyering,
produces quite an artistic effect The sky is over
cast with clouds, and the stars hid from view,
but as the clouds pass on, the stars again appear,
and the heavens are as bright as before. Now
comet appears with its long tail, and now the light
from the rising moon is seen from behind some
iuttng crag. The Gothic Chapel is rightly named.
1t is not as high but otherwise bears quite stri-
king resemblance to some of our cathedrals. Ii is
however much more beautiful when illuminated,
especially by Bengal light. The next object Of
interest was the Devils Arm Chair in which |
took a seat, of course; then comes Napoleon's
Breast Work, the Elephants Head, Lovers Leap,
Gatewood's Dining Table, the Cinder Banks, the
Crystal Pool, Napoleonis Dome, and an innumCr-
able number of other objects of interest, of which
time would fail me to speak more. We returned
to daylight Just in time for supper, having walked
expect to cross the river, and 60 to the other end
of the cave, which is nine miles from its mouth.
At half past seven o'clock next morning, We start
ed for another tramp under ground. We were
this day under the guidance of both Nick and Al
bert, and our company was increased BY gentle
man from the eastern part of the State. Our jour
ney this day, lay through the Winding Way or
Fat Mans Misery and it is difficult to conceive
any thing more distressing to fleshy man than
sight of this Winding Way. 1t is one hundred
and FIVE feet in length, eighteen inches in width,
and from FIVE to seven feet in depth, and so very
zig gag throughout its whole length, that II was
with difficulty that J. IA man you know of slender
proportons) could force my way through-Then
came the Tall Mans Misery, and the Vale OF HUI
mIity, and such it truly was to me, for it brought
me down almost on my knees; but Relief Hall
was soon reached, however, where after straight
ening my limbs and rubbing my joints, was ready
to 60 on The Bacon Chamber is aptly named
1t has low ceiling clustered with hams and
shoulders, looking for all the world, like the in
terror of well filed smoke-house. Near here are
a multitude Of domes, the largest of which is Man,
Moth Dome. This dome is of immense height, it
being more than four hundred feet, and is consid-
cred one of the most magnificent objects in the
world.-But we must hasten on to the river. In
River Hall on our left is the Dead Sea.-Looking
over steep precipice, broad sheet of water is
seen eighty feet below. The first river we come
to- the Styx, which our party crossed by the
Natural Bridge, several feet above the water.
This river is the smallest in the cave which, after
having crossed we walked over pile Of large
rocks and soon found ourselves on the shores of
the Lethe. We here took boat and descended
the river about one fourth of mile. Throughout
the whole distance the ceiling is about fifty feet
in height. On landing, lofty and level hall is en-
tered, which is called the Great Walk and extends
to the bank of the Echo, a distance of three or
four hundred yards. The Echo is a bonafied river,
wide and deep enough to float steamship. We
here took a boat and padded on this river three
fourths of a mile. The ceiling is not more than
eight or ten feet from the water and the echo
here is tremendous. The guide struck the Prov
ofthe boat with his paddle, and the echo through
the arches sounded like thunder, or the roar OF
niied here, and one voice is increased to many
In those rivers, fish are caught without eyes.
obtained two different kinds, which | hope you
will, some day, have the pleasure of seeing We
landed and passed throughout Silliman's avenue,
which is two miles in length then through the
Pass Of I'll Ghor, which is two more to the foot OF
ladder which leads to the Elysium of Mammoth
Cave Near the foot of this ladder is a sulphur
spring, whose waters both in point Of quality and
quantity are said to equal the celebrated White
Sulphur Springs of Virginia At the top of this
ladder, we found ourselves in Mary's Vineyard,
at the commencement of Cleveland's Cabinet, one
of the chief glories of this underground world.
Above and around us, were stalactites resembling
beautiful clusters ofgrapes, so plump, round and
polished, that they would even do credit to the
sculptors art. 81 exquisite and beautiful Is
Cleveland's Cabinet that it cannot be described
It must be seen 10 be realized. 1t is about two
miles in length and nearly in a straight Gne.-Ttt
ceiling is a perfect arch. 1t is encrusted, from
end to end with the most beautiful formations o
every variety of shape Some Of the crystals beai
striking resemblance to punches oil celery, on
are about the same length !. while others, loot o.
| more in length have the color of vanilla cream
candy. Others are set in suphate OF lime, IN thu
form ola rose, and Others still roll out from tn
| cave in shapes resembling ornaments on the capi
| fol Of a Corinthian column. Some oil the incrust
atoms are massive and splendid, and others are a
delicate as the lilly, or as fancy work OF shell
wood With general unity of form and appear
ance, there is considerable variety. The Sno7
Ball Room, for example, looks as if hundre'
school boys had just finished their sport OF snow
balling while the Fly Chamber looks as if all tn
flies in Christendom had collected here and wer
crawling over the ceiling. Lraving this beautifr
C,binet we come suddenly on the Rocky Mour
tain, whose rough sides present quite contFas
to the Cabinet we had just left.-Having climbe
+ the top we found ourselves in Transverse Cav'
about one hundred feet in height. Turning to ii
left we soon came to Croghans Hall, which
nine miles from the mouth to: the farthest poin
about fifty feet in diameter, and perhaps forty fe'
b;oh. Having remained in this beautiful place
short time, we began to retrace our steps. Dint
Of Washington Hall, recrossed the river, and /
four o'clock again emerged into daylight-havir
travelled under ground this day more than eng
teen miles. -
The temperature OF the cave, IN winter al
summer, is ffty-nine Fahrenheit, and IN no part
/ ,ho o;r ;mnure. There are two hundred and TIVE