New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-09-18
4 IorlIne Aavsnt..re N aran.1natn eava.


The Louisville Journal of the lith furnishes Tie
following thrilling account Of an adventure in Nam
moth Cave which surpasses anything Of the sort that
i we ever read. we learn from the local column Of
the Journal that the hero of the wonderful and dare
devil exploit WIN. CORTLAND Prentice, eldest son
of the editor
At the supposed end Of what has always been CON
aaered The longest avenue OF the Mammoth Cave,
nine miles from lt5 entrance, there is pit dark aud
deep and terrible, known IS the Aaestr0m. Tens of
thousands have gazed into it with awe whilst bengal
lights were thrown down it to make its fearful depths
visible, but ever had the daring to explore it,
The celebrated guide Stephen, who was deemed in
sensible to fear, offered six hundred dollars by
the prOprietOrs OF the Cave if he would descend to
the bottom Of il, but he shrank from the peril 4
few years ago, Tennessee professor, learned and
bold man. resolved to do what no one before him had
dared do, and, making bis arrangements with great
care and precaution, he had himself lowered down
By strong rope hundred feet but, at that point,
his courage failed him, and he called aloud to be
drawn ont. No human power could ever have in
duced him to repeat the appalling experiment
couple Of weeks ago, however, a young gentle
man OF Louisville whose nerves never trembled at
mortal peril, being at the Mammoth Cave with Pro-
fessor Wright OF our city and others, determined
matter what the dangers and difficulties might be, to
explore The depths Of the MaestFOm. Mr. Proctor,
the snterprsing proprietor Of the Cave sent to-
Nashville and procured long rope Of great strength
expressly Tor the purpose. The rope and some ne
GSS5stiy JltcES were the gUtdfS and others
TO the point Of proposed exploration. The arrange
ments being soon completed, the rope with heavy
4 fragment Of rock affixed to it, was let down and
swung 70 and fro TO dislodge any loose rocks that
would be likely to fall at the touch. Several we're
t thus dlslOdged, and the long-consinued reverefa-
tons, rising up like distant thunder from below pro-
4 claimed the depth Of the horrid chasm. Then the
young nero q the occasion, with several hats drawn
over his head TO protect it far as possible against
any masses falling from above, and with light in
his hand and the rope fastened around his body took
his place over the awful pit and directed the half
dozen men, who held the end of the rome to LET him
down into the Cimmerian gloom.
We have heard from his own lips an account of his
descent Occasionally masses of earth and rock went
whzzng past, but none struck him. Thirty or forty
feet from the top he saw ledge, from which, as he
Judged by appearances two three avenues led off
10 different directions. About hundred feet from
the top cataract from the side of the pit went rush
/ ing down the abyss, and, as he descended by the
SIDE OF the falling water and in the midst Of the
spray he teit some apprehension that his light would
I be e3tingnished, but his care prevented this
He was landed at the bottom Of the pit, hundred
and ninety feet from the top He fouUd il almost
perfectly circular, about eighteen feet in diameter
with small opening at one point, leading to fine
chamber 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 Mammoth Cave, and also multitude Of
exquisite formations pure and white as virgin
snow. Making himself heard, with great effort BY
Ms IrlehuSy ne at length asked them to pull him
partly up, intending to stop the way and explore
cave that he mad observed opening about forty feet
above the bottom of the pit. Reaching the mouth OF
that cave, he swung himself with much exerton into
it, and holding the end of the rope in his hand he
ncautously let it CO. and it swung out apparently
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 himself as far over the verge
as possible without falling, he succeeded in securing
the rope Fastening it to rock he followed the
avenue 100 or 200 yards to point where he found it
blocked by an impossible avalanche of rock and
earth. Returning to the mouth of this avenue be
bthed an almost exactly similar mouth Of another on
the opposite side Of the pit but not being able to
swing himself into it, be Fesastened the rome around
his body suspended himself again over the ABYSS
and shouted to his friends to raise him to the top
The pull was an exceedingly severe one and the rope
beng llddJusted around his body, gave him the most
eXcrucating pain. But soon his pain was forgotten
i'm aud dreadful peril.
| When he was 30 feet from the mouth Of the piS
and 100 from the bottom, swaying and swinging in
md,ar, he heard rapid and excited words ot horror
and alarm above, and soon learned that the rope by
which he upheld had taken fire fr9m the friction
Of awful suspense to those above and still more aw-
tul 70 him below ensued. To them and him a fatal
and instant catastrophe seemed inevitable. But the
fire was extlnguished with bottle of water belong
ing to himself, and then the party above though al
most exhausted by their labors succeeded in drawing
him to the top. He was as calm and sefpossessed
asupcn his entrance into the pit but all OF his com.
ground and his friend Professor Wright from over
exertton and excitement, tainted, and remained for
time nsensihle.
The young adyenturer left his name carved in the
depths Of the MaelStrom-the name OF the first aud
only person that ever gazed upon its mysteries.