The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1858-10-13
Terrific Adventure in tho SIsmiaS. Ila,e.

Mammoth Cave, nine miles from its en-
trance, there is pit, dark, and deep, and
terrible, known as the MGlstrom. Tens of
thousands have gazed into it with awe,
whilst bengallights were thrown down to
make its fearful depths visible, but none
| ever had the daring to explore it. The eel
ebrated guide, Stephen, who was deemed
insensible 10 fear, was offered SIX hundred
dollars by the proprietors of the cave if he
would descend 10 the bottom Of it, but he
shrank from the peril. A few yearsago a
Tennessee Professor, learned and bold
man, resolved 10 do what no o,rtekefore him
had dared 10 Go, and making his arrange
men's with great care and precaution, he
had himself lowered down bya strong rope
a hundred feet, but, at that Ea.a.mncour-
age failed him, and he called .sohd- tote
drawn out. No human power could ever
have induced him 10 repeat tie appalling
experiment. ta
A couple of weeks ago, however, young
gentleman of Louisville, whose nerves nev-
er tremble at mortal peril, beingatihe Nam.
moths Cave with Professor Wright of our
city and others determined, no.matter what
the dangers and difficulties might be, 10 ex-
plore the depths of the Malstrom. Mr..
Proctor, the enerprising proprietor of The
Cave, sent 10 Nashville and procured long
rope of great strength expressly for this
purpose. The rope and some necessary
tlmbers were borne by the guides and
Others 10 the point of the proposed explora-
! tion. The. arrangements being soon com.
pleted, the rope, with heavy fragment of
rock affixed 10 it, was let down aud swung
10 and fro, 10 dislodir, any loose rocks that
would be likely q IAN 7s .lIc y.a.k Several
were thus dislodged, and the long-coutuued
reverberations: rising up like distant thunder
from below, proclaimed the depth of the
houid chasm. Then the young hero of the
occasion, with several hats drawn over his
head 10 protect i, as far as possible against
any masses falling from above, and with a
light in his hand and a rope fastened around
his body, took his place over the awful pit,
and directed he haIi,dozen men, who held
the end of tMErope, Ito let him down into
the Cimmerian gloom.
We have heard from his own lips an ac-
count Of his descent Occasionally masses
OF earth and rock went whizzing past, but
none struck him. Thirty or forty feet from
the top, he saw ledge, from which, as he
Judged from appearance, two or three aven-
d! ues led of in different direc1cns. : About a
truatreGi ice, iG:'om ;a0-wfse1Ues !
the side of the pit went rushing down the
abyss, and, as he decended by the side OF
the falling wafer and in the midst, of the
spray, he felt some apprehension that his
light would be extingushed, but his care
prevented this He was landed at the bottom
of the pit, hundred and ninety feet from
the top. He found it almost perfect by cir
cular, about 18 feet in diameter, with small
opening at one point, leading 10 fine cham.
ber of no great extent. He found on the
floor beautiful specimens of black siex of
immense size, vastly larger than were ever
discovered in any other part of the Nam
mouth Cave, and also a multitude of exqui-
site formations as pure and as white as vir-
gin snow. Making himself heard, with
great effort, by his friends, he al length ask
ed them to pull him partly up, intending 10
stop on the way and explora1 he
had observed opening abov, the bottom OF
the pit. Reaching the mot, y of that cave,
he swung hims into it, and holding the
end of the rope in his hand, he incautiously
let it go, and it swung out apprcntly beyond
his reach. The situation was fearful one,
and his friends above could do nothing for
him. Soon, however, he made hook of
the end of his lamp, and, by extending him
self as far over the verge as possible with
out falling, he succeeded in securing the
rope. Fastening it 10 a rock, he followed
the avenue one hundred and fifty TO two
hundred yards 10 point where he found it
blocked by an an impossible avalanche of
rock and earth. Returning 10 the mouth of
the avenue; he beheld an almost similar
mouth of another on the opposite side of
the pit, but not being able TO swing himself
into it, he re-tastened the rope around his
body, suspended linsc-..---s-~-r-- >c-sor tho
abyss, and shouted to mis- friends 10 raise
him TO the top. The pull was exceedingly
severe, and the rope being ill-adjusted
around his body, gave him the most excru-
ciating pain. But soon his pain was forgot.
ten in new and dreadful peril When he
was ninety feet from the mouth of the pit
and one hundred from the bottom, swaying
and swinging i'll midair. he heard rapid
and exciting words of horror and alarm
above, and soon learned that the rope by
which lie was upheld had taken fire
from the friction of the timber over which
it passed. Several moments of awful sus.
pense 10 those above, ard still more awful
to him ensued. TO them and him fatal
and instant catastrophe seemed inevitable,
but the fire was extinguished with bottle
of water and then the party above, though
almost exhausting by their labors, succeeded
in drawing him to the top. -llSeyas, as calm
and self-possessed as upon his entrance in
to the pit, but all his companions, overcome
by fatigue, sank down upon the ground. and
his friend Professor Wright, from over.exer-
lion and excitement, tainted and remained
for time insensible.
The Young adventurer left his name carv-