The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1858-09-30
T.ssiAc Adventure In the Mammoth
Cave.

FROM he Louisville Journal Ilth
At the supposed end Of what has always
been considered the longest avenue Of the
Mammoth CAYENNE miles from its entrance
there is n pit, dark and deep and terrible
known IA the Mnclstrom. Tens of thou
sands have gazed into il with awe. whilst
bengal lights were thrown down il to make
It's icariu' depths visible, but none ever had
the daring to explore it. The celebrated
guide stephen. who was deemed insensible
to lear, was offered six hundred dollars by
the propr'ctors OF the cave il he would des-
cc,d to the bottom OF il, but be shrank
from the peril, A few years ago, u Tonnes
sc professor. u learned and bold man, re-.
solved 10 do what no one before him had
dared to do. and skDg his arrangements
with great care and prrcaution, he had him.
all lowered doSn by a strong rope hun
dr,d feet, but, At that poin, his courage fail.
cd him, and he called aloud 10 be drawn
out. No human power could ever have
induced HIN to repeat the appalling expert
ment.
A couple of weeks age however, u gen
tlcman ot Louisville, whose nerves never
tremhcd at mortal peril. being at the Nam
moth Gave with Prot Wright, of our city.
and others. determined M matter what the
damage and difficulties might be-. to explore
the depths ot the Maelslrom. Mr.. Proctor.
the cntcrprlslug proprietor of the cave, sent
Ia Nashville and procured long rope of
great strength expressly for the purpose
The rope aud some necessary tlmbcrs were
borne 10y the guides and others tn the point
oi proposed exploration The arrangements
hctug soon competed, the rope, with "a trag-
m,ut ct rock AFFIXED 10 it, was let down aud
swung 10 ami ITO, 10 diSlodgc any loose
rocks tina, would hc likely to fall at the
touch. Several were thus dl>lodgrd and the
longcon,lnutd rcv,rbcrtiiouS. rising up ike
di$'an, thuudrr from below, proclaimed the
depth of the horrid cha>m. The Young hero
ot the occasion, with several hats drawn
over hj' head 10 protect it AS far as possible
against any masses falling from above, aud
with hight in his hand and the rope fas,eu.
oi around his body. took his place over the
awful pit and directed the half dozen men
who held the end Of the rope, TO let him
down into the timmtran gloom.
Wchavc heard from his own lips an ac-
count at his descent, Occasionally masses
ct earth and rock went whizsing past, bu,
none struck him. Thirty or forty icet from
thctoP h. saw II 'eiSv iron which, as be
judged from appearances, two or three ave
nuc' led Oh IN tlerut directions Abou,
u hundred icc, from the top, cataract from
the side Of the pit went rushing down the
abyss, and oh h. d,~crLdti by the side of
ih' falling water IN the midst Of the spray,
he 'tlt sume apprhcns.on that his light
would be cNtiugulshei. but his care pre-
vented this He Was landed al the bottom
OF the PIT. huu,lnd and ninety ic,, from
The top IL, found /, almos, perfectly cir
euar about eighteen ivt in diameter. with
small opening at one polnt leadug 10
hne chamttr ct no gpat extent lie found
90 III, hoor beautiful specimens vi black
stick oI mm,rse SIC, vastly larger than
wtre ever l.,coyervi IN any other par, Of the
Mammoth Gave. aud also multitude OF
exquisite formations rs pure aud white ~
snow, Making himself heard. with great
,dou. 10y b, ln,njs, be at length asked
item 10 pal. hun partly up, intending TO stop
oo the way and explore cave thai he had