Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1858-10-06
Daring Exploit IN the Mammsth
JOY Cave.

QaNps
The Louisville Journal gires the follow
ing description Of descent into hitherto
unsxplOrsd abyss Of fishtful depth, ct she
supposed termination Of the lOngsst ave
uus Of the Mammoth 0ave. The hero Of
the adventure, Mr. Wm. O Prentice sOc
Of .hysCniOr sdilOr Of the .JOnrnAl, deter
mined to solve the mystery, few weeks
since was lowered into the pit By means
Of q rope fastened arOund bis bOdy' a
|, We have heard from bis own lips an &C.
count Of his descent. Occasionally mass
Is Of earth asd rock went whizzing past
but none struck him. Thirty or forty lee
from the top, be saw ledge, from winch
as be Judged BY appearances two o. three
avsuues led off in difsfent difscaiom- =
About hundred &c. &c. from the TOP, catA>
raCt from the side Of the pit wei; Fusping
down to the abyss, aud, as he descended
by the side Of tie falling wateis and IN
the midst Of the spray, be felt SOME appTe-
hensiOn that HE light would be sxtinguish-
ID. but bis care prevented this. lie was
| LANDED at the bottom Of the pit, q hundred
and ninety feet from the top. he found
L almost perfectly circular, about eighteen
fact in diameter, with a email opening al
one pOipt, leading to q fne chamber Of no
Great extent. He found on the floor beau
| IIiful specimens Of black sick Of lmmenst
sa.ze vastly larger than was ever discovered
IN sny other point Of the Mammoth Cave
and aIsola nultitade Of exquisite fOrma'
lions as. pure and whit7 asyirgin snow
Making heard, With great effort, by hl
friends, he at length a aked them 70 P91l
him partly up, intending to stop on 'n'
wsy and explore cave that be bad 0pseF'
ed opening about forty feet above the bot
tom Of the pit. W
Reaching the mouth Of that cave, D
swung himself with mneh exertlon into \
and holding the end of the rope IN b
hand. hs inCautiously let it go, and
swung out apparently beyond his rescA,T
$ Tha Situation was fearful one. and b
y friends above could do nothing for him.
Soon. however, be made hook OF IL
! end of bis lamp, and by extending bun
. self as far over the verge as possible Win
): out falling, be succeeded in securing VI
u rome Fastening it to rock, be fOlloWe
. The avenue $50 or 200 yards 10 q poi
y where he found it blocked by an impaSs
. ble avalanche Of rock and earth. keturI
N ino TO mouth Of the avenue, he beheid
almost exactly similar mouth OF another
> The opposite side Of the pit, but not ben
r. able 10 swing himself into i, he re-tas.e
= I'd The rope around bis body. susPendl'
ie himself again over the abyss, and shout u
70 70 his friends to raise him to the top. I
Dir DulI was an exceedingly severe one, q
no ths rope, being ill-adjusted around bis %
Ut, cave him The most excruciating palA'
Ter But soon bis pain was forgotten IN Q NJ
D. and dreadful peril.
ot When he was ninety feet from The mou
= Of the pit, and one hundred from the D
tom sway iug and swinging IN md ar,
we heard rapid and excited words OF hor
~: and alarm above, and soon be learned y
Of the rope by which be was upheld bad
I'D kan FIRE from the friction OF the tim
"a. over which it passed. Several nome
,e- Of awful suspense to those above and
Of more awful to him below, ensued'
NO them and him fatal and Instant cslast
do phe seemed inevitable. But the NE
h. extinguished with bottle of water
4 a longing to himself and then the pa
,Ss, above, though almost exhausted Oy u
S. Isbors, succeeded 10 drawing him to
ton He was as calm and pelf-posse'
p ss upon bis entrance into the pit. but
+. Of bis companions, overcome BY iatil
!. sank down upon the ground, and bis ifl'
Prof. Wright, from over exertion and
,rn. element, tainted and remained for
insensible.
the The young adventnrer left bis , n'
With carved in the depths Of the Malsiror
Vers the name of the Grst and only person
ome ever gszsd upon its mytories'
i