Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-09-29
Daring Exploit in the Mammoth Cave

lhe LOUISVILLE journal gives the follow
ing description of descent into hitherto
unezplored abyss of frightful depth at the
supposed termination of the longest avenue
of the Mammoth Cave. The hero of the
adventure, Mr.. VIM. G. Prentice, son of the
senior editor of the Journal, determining
to solve the mystery, few weeks since,
was lowered into the pit by means of a
rope fastened about his body
We heard from his own lips an account
of his descent. Occasionally masses of
rock and earth went whizzing past, but
none struck him. Thirty or forty feet
from the top he saw ledge, from which
as he judged by appearances, two or three
avenues led off In different directions
About hundred feet from the top, ca
taract from the side of the pit went rush
ling down the abyss, and he. descended by
the side of the falling water and in the
midst of the spray, he felt some apprehen-
sion that his light would be extingusihed.
But his Gale prevented this. He was Ian
ded at the bottom of the pit, hundred
and ninety feet from the top. He found
it almost perfectly circular, about eighteen
feet IN diameter, with small opening at
one point leading to a fine chamber Of no
great extent. He found on the floor beau
tiful specimens of black slick of immense
SIZE vastly larger thanw ever discovered
in any other part of the Mammoth Cave,
and also multitude Of exquisite formations,
as pure and white as virgin snow. Making
himself heard, with great effort, he at length
asked them to pull him partly up, inten-
ding to stop on the way and explore cave
that he had observed opening about 40
feet above the bottom of the pit.
Reaching the mouth of that cave, he
swung himself with much exertion into
it, and holding the end Of the rope in his
hand, he incautiously let it 90 and it swung
out apparently beyond his reach. The
situation was fearful one and his friends
above could Go nothing for him. Soon,
however, lie made hook of the end of
his lamp, and by extending himself as far
over the verge as possible without falling,
he succeeded in securing the rope. Fas-
tening it to a rock, he followed the avenue
$50 or 200 yards to point where he found
it blocked by an impossible advance OF
rock and earth. Returning to the mouth
Of this avenue, he beheld an almost exact
ly similar mouth of another one the oppo-
site side of the pit, but not being able to
swing himself into it, he re-fastened the
rope around his body, suspending himself
again ever 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 excruciating pain. But soon
| his pain was forgotten in a nsw and dread.
of the PIT, ana 5.,,,-.au..s..,s.. A.
tom, swaying and swinging in mid-air, he
heard rapid and excited words of horror
and alarm above, and soon he learned thai
the rope by which he was upheld had ta
ken fire from the friction of the timber owe
which it passed Several moments of aw-
f1l suspense to those above and still more
awful to him below, ensued. To them anC
him fatal and instant catastrophe seemed
inevitable But the fire was extinguisheC
with bottle belonging to himself, and dthel
the party above, though almost exhausted
by their labors, succeeded in drawing hin
to the top. He was calm and self-possesse'
as upon his entrance into the pit, but all c
r his companions, overcome by fatigue, sam
down upon the ground, and his friend
t Professor Wright, from over exertion an
Y excitement, tainted and remained for a tim
: insensible.
The young adventurer left his name cal
: we'd in the depths of the Malestrom-th
r name of the first and only person that eve
t gazed upon its mysteries.