The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-09-17

Al The supposed end Of What hss always bssp
considered she longest avenue Of The Msunosh
Cave. OF kent0cky, nine miles from Its entrance.
| there lee pit, known % tbs Maelstron. Tn, a.
thoossnds have gazed into Il with ave vhiist
bengal lights were thrown dowa Il 10 mske Ia
| fearful depths visibls, but none had the d.ris~
ever to explore ~ Ths celebrated guide stsoaep.
Who was deemed inssnsible to fear, vss oe.sed
six hundred dollars By the proprstors ef the Cave
II he would descend to the bottom Of Il but he
| shraIk from the peril. A few years sgs Tenres.
see professor, had himsslf lowered dovn be-
strong rope q hundred fsst, but at that point his
courage failed hin, and be called sioud % bo
drawn our. No human power could ever have
induced him to repeat the appalling sxpsrimsas.--
The Louisville Journal has the following accoo.t NJ
successful attempt to fAthom II. @
A couple Of weeks ago, however, q yeuv~ sren.
teman Of Louisville, whose nerves never fremSIe.l
at mortal P,rii, being st the Mammoth C.vs with
Professor Wright, Of our city, and others, derer.
mined, no matter what the dangers and di65euftiss
might be, to explore the depths of tho Nse,seron.
Mr. Proctor, the eDtsrprising proprietor q the
cave. ssnt 70 nashville aud procured long rope
OF great strength, expressly fur the purpose The
rope and some necessary tinbers we're borne 81
the guides and others 10 the proposed point of ex
pioratiop. The arrangement being soon coupIe.
ted, the rope, With heavy fragment OF rock ar.
dislodge any loose rocks that would be iiksiy 70
fall at the touch. @ es5S saaS
Several were thus dislodged, and the long con.
tinued reverberations, rising up like distsnt thsn
der from below, proclaimed the depth Of the horrid
cbasln. Then the young hero Of the occasion, With
several hats thrown over his head to protect it O.
far possible against any masses falifpw from
above, and with light In his hand and : tspe
fastened around his body, took his place ever the
awful pit and directed the half dozen men, who
held The end Of the rope, to let him down into tho
Cimmerian gloom. s-sa8s sA4skS
We have heard from his own lips an secount Of
his descent. Occasionally masses Of earth and
rock went whixzing past, but none struck him.-
Thirty Or forty feet from tho top he saw !edsc.
from which, - he judged by appearances, two or
three avenues led of In different directions
the side Of the pit went rushing down the sbyss,
and, as he descended by the side Of the falling
water and in the midst Of the spray, be felt some
apprehension that his light would be sxtin guish.
the bottom Of the pit, a hundred and ninety feet
from the top.
He found IL almost perfectly circular, about IS
feet In diameter, with q small opening ct ono
point, leading to q fine chamber Of no great az.
tenr. He found on the floor beautiful spscjmens
OF black slick OF immense sise, vastiy larger
than were ever discovered Ia any other part OF
the Mammoth Cave, and also multitude Of on.
snow. Making himself heard, with great effort,
by his friends, he at length asked them 10 pull
him partly up, intending to step on the way
and explore cave that be had observed opening
about forty feet above the bottom Of che pitt
Reaching the mouth OF that Cave, he swung
himself With much exertion into IL, and, holding
the end Of the rope 10 his baud, he incautiously
let u go, and it swung out apparently beyond bis
reach. The situation wsss searfui oue, and his
friends above could do nothing for him. Soon,
however, be made book of ths end OF his lamp,
and, by extending himseifas far over the verse 70
possible without falling, he succeeded in securing
the rope. Fastening II 10 rock !, he followed tho
avenue $50 or 300 yardsso point, whsrs he found
it blocked BY an impossible. avalanche Of rock and
earth.
Returning to the mouth of this 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 IL, he refastened the rope
around his body, suspended himself again over the
abyss and shouted to his f,isnds TO raise him to
the top. The pull was an exceedingly severe one,
and the rope, being III adjusted around his body,
gave him the most excruciating pain. But soon
his pain was forgStten in new and dreadful pefil
When he was 80 feet from the mouth Of the tit
and 100 feet from the bottom, swayipg aud swing.
ing mid.air. he heard rapid and excited words Of
horror and alarm sbose, and soon Learned thai the
rope by which he was upheld had taken FRA from
the friction of the timber over which IL passed
Several moments Of awful suspense to those above
and still more awful 70 him below ensued. To
them aud him fatal aud Instant catastrophe seem
ed inevitable.
But the fire was extiDguished with bottle of
water belonging to himself, and then the Esrty
above, though almost exhausted by their Iabors
succeeded in drawing hnto the top. He was as
calm and self-possesssd as upon bis entrance tnto
the pit, but all OF his companions, overcoms by
fatigue, sank down upon the ground, and his friend
Prot. Wight, from over exertion add excitement,
fainted and remained for a time insensible.
The young adveuturer left his name carved In
aud only person that ever gazsd upon iss wyste-
ries