The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-09-28

longes ayCnuo of Mammoth Cave, nine miles
from its entrance, there is pit, dark ami Jeep
aud terrible, known a. the Mselstrom. Tens Of
thousands have gazed into II with awe whilst
Beagal-lights were thrown down it 70 MAKE its
fearful depths visible, but none ever had the
daring 10 explore It. The celebrated guide
Stepllrn, who was deemed in>ensible TO Tear,
vas offered six hundred dollars by the proprie-
tors Of the cave ii he would descend to the bot
tom OF it, but he shrank from the peril. few
years ago, a Tennessee professor, q learned and
bold man, received to do what no one before
him had dared to do, and making his arrange
msnts with great care and precsu;ion, he bad
himself lowered down BY strong rope hun
bred feet, but at that point, his courage failed
him, and ne called aloud to be drawn out. No
human power could have induced him TO repeat
that appalling experiment.
A couple Of weeks ago, however, q young
gentleman OF Louisville, whose nerves never
trembled at mortal peril, being at the Mammoth
Cave with professor Wright OF our city and
others, determined, no matter what the dangers
and difficulties might be, to explore the depths
of the Maelstrom. Mr Proctor, the enterprising
proprietor of the cave, sent to Nashville and
procured long rope oil great strength expressly
for the purpose. The rope and some necessary
timbers we're borne by the guides and Others to
the point of exploration. The arrangements
being soon completed, the rope, with heavy
fragment OF rock affixed to it, was let down and
swung to and fro TO dslodge any loose rocks
that would be likely to fall at the touch. Sew
eral we're thus dislodged, and the long contin-
ued reverberations, rising up like distant thun-
der, proclaimed the depth OF the borrd chasm.
Then the touns hero Of the occasion, with
several hats drawn over his head to protect il
as far as possible against any mas es falling from
and txif iiph f m his hapI and tho
fastened around his body, took his place over
the awful pit and directed the haf-dozen men
who held the end of the rope TO let him down
into the Cimmeran gloom.
We have heard from his own lips an account
of his descent. Occasionally masses OF earth
and rock went whizzing past, but none struck
him. Thirty or forty feet from the top be saw a
| ledge, from which he judged by appearance,
two or three avenues led off in different direc-
| tons. About hundred feet from the top, a
cararact from the side OF the pit went rushing
down the abyss, and as he descended by the
| side Of the falling water and in the mids. of the
spray, he felt some apprehension that his light
would be extinguished, but his care prevented
| this He was landed at the bottom OF the pit,
| hundred and riDety feet tom the top. He
| found IL almost perfectly circular, about eight
| cen feet in diameter, with small opening at
one point, leading.t to chamber OF grea; extent
! lie found on the floor beautiful specimens of
black slick of immense size, vastly larger than
were ever discovered in any other part Of the
Mammoth Cave, and also a multitude OF exquisite
| formations as pure sand white as virgin snow.
Making himself heard, with great effort, by his
friends, he hi length asked them to pull him
| partly up, intending to stop on the way and ex-
| plore cave that he had observed opening about
forty feet above the bottom oil the pit. Reach
| inc the mouth of hat hp him splf
with great exertioE into it, and, holding the end
| of the rope in his hand, he iucautiou-y let it
| go, and it swung Out apparently beyond his
| reach. The situation was fearful one, anc 5
friends could Go nothing Tor him. Soon how
| ever he made II hook Of the end OF his lamp,
and, by extending himself as Tor over the verge
as possible without falling, he succeeded III sc
curing the rope. Fastening it to rock, he
| followed the avenue $50 or zoo yards to point
where he found it blockaded BY an impossible
avalanche trock aud earth. Returning TO the
mouth of this avenue, he beheld an almost ex-
| actly similar mouth Of another on the opposite
side OF the pit, but not being able 10 swing him
| self into il, he refastened the rope around his
| body, suspended himself again over the abyss,
| and shouted to his friend to raise kim to the
top. The pull was an exceedingly severe one
and the rope being i'll adjusted around his body,
| gave him the most excruciating pain bu: soon
| his pain was forgotten in a new and dreadful
| peril. When he was 80 feet from the mouth
of the pit and 100 from the bottom, swaying
| and swinging in mid air, he heard rapid and
excited words OF horror and alarm above, and
soon learned that the rope by which he was
upheld had taken fire from the friction of the
timber over which it passed. Several moments
of awful suspense to those above, and still more
| awful TO him below, ensued. To them and him
a fatal and instant catastrephy seemed ineyita
| BILE. But the fire was extinguished with bottle
| of water belonging 10 himself, ard then the
| party above, though almost exhausted by their
| labor, succeeded in drawing him to tie top.
| He was az calm and self-possessed rs upon his
his entrance into the pit, but all of lis eompan-
| ions, overcome by fatigue, sank down upon the
| ground, and his friend, Professor Wright, from
over exertion and excitement, tainted, and re
NAMED for a time inseHsible. The young ad-
| venturer left his name carved in the depths of
| the Maeistrom,-tae name oil the Irst and only
| person that ever gazed upon its myste!ies.-
| Louisville journal.
That Twelfth. Case and it's Eorol;a.iy
| OF the twelve Criminal cases passed upon at
the last Term of the Supreme Court, eleven vi
the Judgments rendered b. Caggtt: were re
| versed. The twelfth case. which is reported as
| having been affirmed was that of Abrams oil
was rendered for one hundred dollars and on
application for all appeal, Claggett required
bail in the sum o! Fifty thousand dollars. This
order reversed by the Supreme Court and
| the bail reduced TO lie sum of FIVE hundred
dollars in place OF fifty thousand, though the
| final Jud gment was affirmed.
On occasion of the order of Judge ClagGest
fixing the enormous bail Of fifty thousand dol
lars to secure hundred dollar judgment, the
editor of the Ndpk-Epe made some comments
showing that the Constitution OF the State, which
iorbds the requirement. OF excessive bail, had
been violated. Whereuoon, Clagsett became
prosecutor, witness and Judge, and put the cd
itor Danham, through his machcfn. Danham
took the case to the Supreme Court, which re-
versed these proceedings, in consequence of
which the county OF Desmoincs was mulcted 10
the sum Of several hundred dollars costs. Now,
this bill of costs foisted on the county
by Claggctt without rhy me or reason, in a sense
less and despicsble effort TO wreak bis own pri.
vate malice by means OF his judicial position, it
is nothing more than just aad decent that be
should pay that bill OF costs himself. Il Gate
City.
Three rufians recently beat man senseless
and then laid him across the track OF the Detroit
and Milwaukee railway, just before train ap-
| preached. The man was seen by the engineer
| III tune 10 STOP We Taln before reaching the
pot, and tour men being discovered running
for the woods, the conductor and several pas.
sengcrs gavr chase, and captured three OF them.
! They proved 20 be the villains who had com.
mtted the outrage, and were lodged in jail
|
AN EDIroR TIGHr.-Wc neEteve it II rare
that editors indulge in drop, but when they
| do, their readers are sure To tind them uut A
Syracuse contemporary called upon to re-
cord g melancholy event" at a time when
his head was rather heavy, and did il up after
the following err" Yesterday motuing,
at O'Clock p.m., man with heel in the hop
| OF his stocking, committed arsenic by swallow.
ing desc OF suicide. The inquest OF the yer
diet returned a jury that the deceased cslue TO
| the facts in accordance with his DEATH He
leaves q child and \ small wivs. 10 lament tn
end OF his untimeiy loss. In death We sre in
| the midst Of life "
| NEGRO EXPEDITION TO rmE NICER RIyFr-