Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-09-17
Terrific Adventure in the Mammoth Cave,

Terrific Adventure in the Mammoth Cave.
At the supposed end Of what ha. always been
considered the longest avenue of the Mammoth
Cave, nine miles from it, entrance, there IL pit,
dark and deep and terrible. known the Macl
stron. Tens Of thousands have gazcd intot with
lawe whilst gengal-Hghis were thrown down it to
make it's fearful depths visible. but none ever had
tho daring TO explore it. The celebrated guide
Stephen, who was deemed insensbc to fear, was
offered 5000 by tho proprielors Of the Cave if he
would descend to tho bottom OF it, but no shrank
from the peril A few years ago. II Tennessee
professor n learned aud bold man, resolved 10 do
what no man before him had dnred do and. max
ing his arrangements with great and prccau-
ton he had himself lowered down by strong rope
u hundred feet but at that point his courage fail
ed him, and he called aloud to be drawn out. No
human power could ever have induced him to re-
peat the experiment
A couple of weeks ngn, howeyer.a young gentle
man Of Louisville, whose nerves never trembled ut
mortal peril being nj the Mammoth Cave with Prof
Wright, of our city. and others. determined. no
matter what the dangers and difficulties might be-
TO plore the depths OF the Muelsrom Mr. Proctor
the enterprlsng proprietor OF the cave, sent 10 Nash
vile and procured long rope of great strengthen
prcssly for the purpose The rope and some neccs-
sary tmbcrsw borne by the guides and others to
ments being soon COM leted, the rope, with heavy
fragment of rock affixed to it, let down and
swung to aud fro to dslodge any loose rocks that
would be likely tn inll ut the touch Several were
thus dislodged, and tho longcontiuued reyerbcrn-
tons, rising up like Iisnnt thunder from below.
proclaimed the depth nj the horrid chasm. Then
the young hero Of the occasion, with several hats
drasn over his head to project ii far posi-
BILE against any misses falling from above and with
a light in his hand and the rope fastened around
his BODY took his place over the awful pit, aud Ill
rectcd the half dozcn mon who hf Il the end of the
rope to let him down into the Clmmcriun gloom.
We have heard from his own bps an account of
his descent. Occasloually masses OF earth and
rock went whizzing past, but none struck him
Thirty forty feet from the ton, he saw ledge.
from which. h" Judged by appearances, two or
three avenues led oil ia different directions
About hundred feet from the top n cataract from
the side Of the pit went IA hin. down tn" abyss.
and as he dcscena"l ly the side ii the falling
tor and in the midst at tlr sTiHy, he felt some up-
prehcnsion that his light would he cxtingnisi"d.
but his cnre prevented this. He was nnde, at the
ho,tom If the pit hundred and ninety feet from
the top. lilo found it almost perfectly circular.
about Is feet in diameter, with R'small opening at
one point, leading to fine chamber of no great
extent lle found on the floor beautiful! specimens
of black slick of immense SIZE vastly larger than
were ever discovered in ANY other part of Mann
moth Cave and also multitude of exquisite for
nations IA pure aud white n VIRGIN snow. Max
ing himself heard, with great eli n, hy his friends
he Mt length asked them Iull hun partly up, in
tending to stop the way aud explore n cave
that he had observed opr9inE about forty feet
above the bottom Of the pit Reaching the mouth
lof that cave, he swung himself with much ever
tion into it, and holding the end If the rope in his
hand he ineautiously let it 90, aud il swung out
apparently beyond his reach. The situation was
fearful one; and his friends above could do Moth
ling for him soon. however. he made n hook of
tho end of his lamp. and. hv extending himself rs
far over the verge possible without falling, he
succeeded in securing the rope. Fastening it to II
rock, he followed the avenue $50 nr 200 wards to
a point where hc found it blocked by an impasn-
BILE avalanche Of rock and earth.
Returning to the mouth of tins avenue he be-
held an almost exactly similar mouth Of another
on the opposite side of the pit, but. not being able
to swing himself into it, he retnstencd the rope
around his body; suspended himself again y, err
the abyss, and shouted to his friends to raise him
to the top. The pull was an exceedingly severe
one and the rope, being i'll adjusted around his
body. gave him the most circulating pain. But
soon his pain forgotten in and dreadful
peril When he was 90 feet from the mouth of
the pit and 100 from the bottom, swaying md
swinging in mid air. he heard rapid and exciting
words ofhorror and alarm above and soon learned
that the rope by which he was upheld, had taken
fire from the friction of the timber which it
passed Several moments of awful suspense to
those above and still more awful to him below en-
sued. To them and him fatal and instant cata-
strophe seemed inevitable. But the fire was ex-
tinguished with n bottle of water belonging to
himself, and then the party above. though almost
exhausted by their labors, succeeded in drawing
him to the top. lie was as calm and selfpossess-
ed upon his entrance into the pit but all of his
companions. overcome by fatigue, sank down upoe
the ground. and his friend, Prof, Wright from
o fqtnp fnin oil
ed for time nsensible.
The young adventurer left his named carved in
the depths of the Maelsrom--the name of the first
and only person that gazed upon its mysc-
RES Louisville Journal