The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1858-10-09

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Mxann.osh Gave, nine sslics frOm its en- !
trance, th.r. is y pit, dark deep and ter.
ribic, kuvwu ~ the Aaclstrow Tens ot
thsussuds have gsscd is,o Il with ave
whilst bengal In ~ were thrown down u
to make its ,s.t,ui d.ptas s,ssIi', tut
noae ever had tho 4.r"X y explore IL
TAs celebrated guide ot<psss, who w.
deemed insensiblc " fear, vs. vttcfud Elk
hundred dollars BY the pr'pr'ctVr. of the
AsSs III no would De ccnd " the boato'u
uf Il, but hs snrank lrotn the peril. A
few years ago, tennessee professor, =
learned aud build man, resolved to do
wha. 10 Que before him had dared do. aud
making his arrangements with great care
aud prccaution, lac had himsclt lowered
down By strong rope HUNDRED rect,
but, Ut that poiut, his courage failed MIN,
and he called aloud to BE- drawn out. No
human power could ever have lGduccd
him to repeat the appalling experiment..
Acoupls Of we.ks ago, however, young
gentleman Of Louisville, whvsc nerves
lever tremblci ut mortal paril, bsiag Ut
the Mammoth Cave with Professor Wright
VI our city, and others, determined, no
matter What the dangers aud difhcu ties
might he, ~ exptsre the depths ot the
Maclstrom. Mr.. Proctor, the enterprl-
sing proprietor Of lhe Cave, scut to Nash
Vile, aud procured lung rope Ut great
strength expressly tor the purpose. Ihe
rope aud soms necessary timb,rs were
borne BY the guides aud others to the
point OF proposed exploration The sr-
r.ngemeuts being soou completed, the
sops ~isk heavy fragment Ut rock athx.
ed " it, was let down and swung to and
TO to d,k ,dge any loose rocks that would
b. likely t. fall ut the touch. Several
xere thu, dislodged, aud the long cur thu,
.usd reverbcratious, rising up liks distant
thunder trom below, proclaimed the depth
Ut the horrid ch.sn. Then the young
hero Of the occasion, with several hats
drawn over his had " protect it = far
- possible sgai.,s, aay aasscs falling
from above, and with light 10 his hand
and the rope fastsucd srvuud his body.
: took bis place over the awful pit and d..
rscted the half dozen men who held the
end of the ropc, to let him down into
Ciamerian gloom.
We heard from his own lips an account
of his descent. Occasionally masses Vi
earth aud rock went whining past, but
none struck him. Thirty or forty feet
from the top, he say u ledge, from which
NJ judged FROM appearances, two VI three
syenu. led of iu Different directions
About hundred feet frolu the top, cat
srsc. from the side VI the pit went rush.
ing down the abyss, AZ d ~ he descended
by the side Of falling water and in the
iuidst Of spray, he felt some apprehension
sa.t his light would be extinguished, bu,
lis care prevented this. He was landed
: At the bottom Of the pit, hundred and
ninety feet from the top. He found il
almost perfectly circular, about II feet il
diam ter, with . small opeaing II out
point, leading to . inc suamber Of NJ
great c.seut. lie found on the Aoor
beautiful specimens Of black si!ex, Of i'm
b. meuse size, vastly larger than were eve
discovered in any part Of the Mammoth
Cave, and also \ latitude Of exquisite
.formatioLs Is pure AID white - viigi,
snow Making himself heard sith grea
eIort, by HE fncnas, he 1t length aske'
them to pull him partially up, iateudin,
- stop GU the way and explore cave tina
he had observed opening about forty fee
above the bottom OF the pit. keachin,
the mouth of the cave, he swung himse.
with much exertion into it, aud holdin
the end Of the rope IN his hand, he in
cautiously let i; 20, and it swung out sF
psren,ly beyond hi. reach. The situatio
Was fearful Que, aud his friends sbov
could do nothing for him. Seou how.s
Il he made hook Of the end Of his lalnE
aud by extending himself rs far owe
tae verge rs possible without falling, b
succeeded in securing the rope. Fasteu
iDg it 10 a rock, he followed the avenu
100 or 200 yards to = point where l.
found it blocked by all impossible a.
alanche of rock and earth
Returning 10 the mouth Of THE avenu
he beheld M almost exactly sia.ilar mout
Of another on the opposite sele of Il
pit, but, not being able to swing himse
into it, he re-fastened the rope arouu
his body, suspended himself again ey'
the abyss, aud shouted to his friends
raise him to the top. The pull was a S
we're one, aud the ropc, Icing il! adjus
I'd ar Juud bis body, gave him the mo
.xcrutiating pain. But soon bis pa
was forgotten in new aud dreadful pc
il. When he wa. Linety feet from Il
mouth of the pit aud one hundred fro
the bottom, swaying and swinging in m
mir, he heard rap d aud excited words
horror and alarm above, aud soon learn'
tha, the rope by which he was uphe
lad taken FIRE fsosn friction Of the limb
ty:r which it passed. Several momcn
of awful suspense to those shove, Al
still more awful to him below, ensued :
70 them and him a fatal and irsta
catastrophe seemed altogether iaevitabl
Hut the ere VS. extingsished with
bottle of water belonging to himself, Al
then the party above, though almost {
h.usted by their labors, succeeded
drawing him to the top. He was a. cal
and sell. possessed ~ upon his eutrau
into the pit, but al Of his companion
overcome by fatigue, sank dywn upon t
ground, aud his friend Professor Wrigl
from over exertion and excitement, fai
ted and remained for time insensible
The young adventurer lett his nal
carved in the depths Of the Maektrom
the name Of the frs. and only pers
that ever gazed upon its mysteries.
Fl From the local side Of the same 10
nal We cut the following:
On the preceding page will be fou
aa interesting account Of the descent
Q young gentleman into the Maelytrom