Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1858-10-05
Thrilling Adventure III The Mammoth

ways besn considered the longest avenue
Of :he Mammoth Care. 81 Kentucky, nine
miles from itsl entrance, there Is q pit,
known as the Maistrol1. Tens Of thous-
ands have gazsd into it with avs, whilst
bengal lights vers thrown down Il. Is
makaiis fearful depths visible. but none
had the daring, ever to explore il. The
celebrated guide Stephens. who, Was
deemed insensible D fear. was offered
six hundred dollars BY the proprietors of
the Cave. if be would descend 10 the bot
tom oft. but he shrank from the peril
A few years ago aTennessee professor,
had himself lowered down BY q strong
rope hundred feet, but AZ chat point, his
courage failed him. and he, called aloud
t. be drawn out. No human power
could ever have induced him TO repeat
the appealing experiment The Louis
vile Journal has the following account Of
b suceessful attempt to fathon it. i
Fl. A couple of weeks ago. however. 4
young gentleman of Louisville, whose
nerves never trembled at mortal peril BET
ing at the Mamm6th Cave with PROBES
Isor Wright, Of our city. and others, de-
termined, no matter what the danger and
difficulty might be, to explore the depths
ofthe Melstrom. Mr.. Proctor, the enter
prising proprietor Of the Cave. sent 70
Nashville and procured long rope Of
great strength. expressly Tor the purpose.
The rope and some necessary timbers
were borne by the guides and others to
the proposed point Of exploration. The
arrangement being soon completed, the
rope. witha heavy fragment Of rock af-'
fixed TO Iii, twas let down and swung to-
and fro. 10 dislodge any loose rocks that
would belikely tol faIl Al the touch.
We have heard from his own5lips an
account Of dis descent. Occasionally
masses of earth and rock WentWhizzing
past, but none struck him. Thirty or
forty feet from the top be saw q ledge,
from which, as heIiudged BY appearances,
two Or three avenues led Of in different
directions. About hundred feet from
the top, cataract from the side OF the
pit went rushing down the abyss, and,
as he descended By the. side Of the falling
water and ID the midst Of the spray, he
felt some apprehension that his light
would be- exlinguished. but his care pre-
vented this. He was landed at the bot
tom Of the pit. a hundred and ninety feet.
from the top.
/ He found ii almost perfectly circular.
about 10 feet in#diametar, with small
Opening at one point, leading to a fine
chamber OF great extent. He found on
The floor beautiful specimens Of black ST.
lex of immense size. vastly larger than
were ever discovered in any other part Of
the Mammoth Cave, and also multitude
ofexquisite formations as pure and white
u virgin snow. Making himself heard,
with great effort, Rby his friends, be al
length asked them to pull him partly up,
intending to stop on the way and explore a
cave that he had observed opening about
forty feet above the bottom Of the pit.
Reaching The mouth OF that Cave, be |
swung himself with much exertion into
II. and, holding the end Of the rope in his
hard. he incautiously let it 60. and it
swung out apparently beyond his reach.
The situation was a fearful one, and his |
friends above could do nothing for him.
Soon. however, be made a hook Of the
end Of his lamp, and. BIZ extending HIM
self as farE overst the vergeas possible with
out falling. He succeeded in securing The
rope. Fasteningi it 10 afock, be followed
the avenue 15o1or 200 yards to point.
whore he found 1t blocked BY an i'm
passabla avalanche Of rock and earth.
Returning 70 the mouth Of the aVanue,
heIbeheld an almost exactly similar mouth
of another on the opposite side ofthe pit,
but, not being able to swing himself into
it. he rs-fastened the rope around his
body, suspended hinaselfagain over the
abyss, and, shouted to his friends to raise j
him to The top. The pull was an exceed
ingly severe one, and the rope being i'll
adjusted around his body gave him the
most excruciating pain. But soon his
pain was soon forgotten ID a new and
dreadful peril.
When he was 90 feet from the mouth Of
the pitIand 100 feet from the bottom.
saaying and swinging 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
Ere from the friction Of the timber over
which il 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 catas.
trophe seemed inevitable. II
But the fire was extingaished with .
bottle Of water belonging to-himself, and
then the party above, though exhausted
BY their labors, succseded in drawing
1 him to the top. He WAS as calm and
self possessed al upon his entrance inio
the pit, but all Of his companions, over
n come BY fatigue, sank down upon the
ground. and his friend,I Prof Wright.
from over exertion andy extreme excite
ment. fainted and remained for time in
sensible.l
The young adventurer left his name
carved i'd the depths Of the Malsirom
the name Sc the first and only person
that ever gazed upon its mysteries.
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