Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-08-11
A visit to the y1ammoth Case-its Ac-
feasibility and Surrounefngs-Iy
Sprinys, 6c.
TIE LONG ROUTE

The ReEd which is Brass and most excellent,
were already on the balcony above. pouring
out clear music greetings to the morn. 1t
was notified to attend us in the Cave. so
soon as we had broken fast. FRANK appeared
at the "Rotunda" with bushel basket OF
provisions swung upon his stalwart arm ana
signified his readiness The girls came trlp-
ping from their rooms, and the WORD went
round "all right" The Club was Joined by
an estimable lady and gentleman from South
Alabama, who were really an accession-so
we moved in double file, dozen just, and
with the guide a bakers A brief pause at
the entrauce-the musicians passed down,
then FRANK and then the Club How the
cool breeze struck the hot skin Our warm
breath came in rolling clouds from the nos
trils, like on a November morning when the
night-work of the frost-god CLEANS in the sun.
Our spirits are exuberant. and our souls fair
Iy leap as we, for the second time, step into
the pure bosom of Earth. We pass the Mar
rows" rapidly, and only few of our lamps
snuffed out. By then these were re-lit, our
front ranks were calling from the grand Ro-
tunda, and passing under the Kentucky Cliffs.
But bark! there comes floating up the great
arch. the notes of the deep-toned organ. 1t
was a holy and solemn strain; more powerful
and thrilling than ever swelled on the ears of
the congregation at Saint Pauls. The Band
had reached the Methodist Church, clamberrd
up the rocks fifteen feet above the floor, and
were PLAYING a sacred refrain. We entered
a. Cburob with cIoyu S,pnS and seated Our-
selves in silence as the worshippers were wont.
No one of us ever felt before, the power of
Jehovah so forcibly in music tone. The
strain ceased, and after brief pause the Band
ployed Home, Street Home. That simple song
which has ravished the hearts of millions, on
the lips of beauty. in the concert hall, and
at the hearth-stone, was here more majestic,
more touchingly tender, more beautifully pa
thetic than any of US had ever dreamed. The
ladies shed involuntary tears, the gentlemen
sighed and why they knew not, and each felt
relief as the last nOta died away up and down
the dark avenues. Here, as before, we dives
ted us of all extra clothing, and pursued our
journey. At the foot OF the Giants Coffin.
we turned from the main cave to the right,
and went rapidly forward through the Wood
en- Bowl Cave, Martha's Palace, by Side-Sad-
die Pit Minerals Dome, Shelby's Dome, the
Bottomess Pit, and across the Bridge of Signs.
The Band had preceded, and as We now APP
preached Reveller's Hall. HH Columbia rever-
berated grandly and patriotically along the
cavern When we arrived a cotilliOn was
suggested. and no sooner said that dOne-and
kept it up for fifteen or twenty minutes. Ia
ing up the line of march, we soon passed un-
sught under the Scotchman's Trap, and |
plump into Fat Mans Misery, an indescriba- |
bly, tortuous and torturing passage $50 yards |
long, and from two to five spans wide. Con |
trary to the general impression" says the dis
Greet writer of the guide-boOk, "there never |
was man too large to pass through Fat |
Mans Misery'-nevertheless, to our certain
knowledge there was lady who left the |
Cave after our arrival, who was prohibited |
the passage by her fair proportions '-besldes
some of us know of gentleman or two of
your city who may never enter that devious
and narrow way. We now came to the Dead
Sea, forty feet below us, dark and gloomy. |
The sheet of water is % feet wide, 80 long,
and 10 deep. We passed it on IA terrace lead
ing to the natural bridge across tine River |
Styx, which latter is Il dismal gulf. and when
lighted proved to be terribly grand. From
the Styx we descended to Lake Lethe which
is $50 yards long, 10 to 40 feet wide and in
depth 3 to 80 feet. Just as we entered the
boat to cross over; which is done by going its !
,bnI MI 40 hnp
upon us, along the high arch of the Great |
Walk. 1t was magnificent. The Great Walk |
separates Lake Lethe from Echo River, has a |
floor of sand, ceiling 40 feet high, polished |
and cOrniced sides and is 500 yards long To- |
day the water was high enough to form con-
nection all the way to the river, but not deep |
enough to ferry the whole Club. The gentle
men debarked and the guide rowed the ladies
from the lake to the river. As we were leav-
ing the boat, one of the party called for |
BobbiRg around, which vastly enjoyed. |
On reaching the river the gentlemen again
and we glided forward on the crys- |
tai bosom of the most delightful stream in |
world. 1t extends for half to three quar- |
tors of a mile, and varies in width from 20 to |
200 feet aud in depth from 10 to 40. As we |
pushed off, we passed under an arch only three |
feet above the water, but Immediately beyond /
the ceiling rises to the comfortable height of /
Is feet and maintains that average TO the end. |
This is the most remarkable passage in the |
Cave, and is celebrated by its beauty and its |
beauty and its wonderful echoes and rever-
berations The Band, now 800 yards in adj |
vance of US, played Then You'll Remember Ne, |
30 harkl hear how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer further going
sweet and far, from cliff and scar,
The horns Of Elhsnd family blowing
Our echoes roll from soul 10 soul,
And grow, forever and forever
Blow, bugle blow; set the wild echoes flying;
Blow, buglei answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying"
So sang England's Laureate in the most |
musical verse in the language; bufftnnyson |
never heard the wild echoes flying" answer |
ing ''echoes, dying, dying, dying" of this |
river. Its power aud beauty here are inefia- |
BILE. There is nothing anywhere on the face
OF the earth or above il nearer than the
Seraphim, that may approach ii. Our pas
sage was near half an hour aud not "A word
was spoken, to break the enhancing spell
that bound each heart and soul Il was ethe-
rial, altogether heavenly. We glided past
the musicians ms they concluded the last strain
aud gained the further shore The memory
of that half hour is already ehrystalized, and
can never be displaced till the current of life
shall cease its flow. We here Dismissed the
Band, and as it went slowly back, We stood at
the verge of the waters, and listened with r.