Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-09-30
Daring Exploit in the Mammoth Cave.

The Louisville Journal gives the following
description OF descent into a hitherto unex-
plored abyss of frightful depth, at the snp-
posed termination of the longest avenue of the
Mammoth Cave. The hero of the adventure,
Mr.. VIM. G. Prentice, determining to solve the
mystery few weeks since, was lowered into
the pit by the means of rope fastened around
his body.
We nave heard from his own lips an account
of his descent. Occasionally, masses of earth
and rock went whizzng past, but none struck
him. Thirty or forty feet from the top he saw
ledge, from which, as he Judged by appear
ances, two or three avenues led off in different
directions. About one hundred feet from the
top, cataract from the side of the abvSs, and
as he descended by the side of the falling wa
ter and in the midst of the spray, he felt some
apprehension that his light would be extin-
guished, but his care prevented this He was
landed at the bottom of the pit. one hundred
and ninety feet from the top He fonnd it al
most 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 Slex
OF immense size, vastly larger than was ever
discovered in any other part of the Mammoth
Cave, and also Il multitude of exquisite forma-
tions as pur" and white as virgin snow Ma
king himself heard with great effort, by his
friends, he at length asked them TO pull him
partly up, intesding to stop on he way aud
explore cave that he had observed opening
about forty feet above the bottom of the pit.
Reaching the mouth of that cave, he swung
himself with much exerron into it, and hold
ing the end of the rope in his hand, he ncau
tiousIy let ii go, and it swung apparently out
of bis reach. The situation was a fearful one
and his friends above could do nothing for him
Soon, however, he made hook of the end Of
his lamp, and Ivy extending himself as far over
the verge as possible without falling, he sue
ceeded in securing the rope Fastening it to
rock he followed the avenue one hundred and
fifty or two hundred yards, to point where
he found blocked by an impossible avalanche
of rock and earth. Returning to the mouth
of this aVenue, he hehed an almost exactly
similar mouth of another on the opposite
side of the pt-but not being able TO swing
himself into it, he refaStened the rope around
his body, suSpending himself again over tae
abyss, and shouted TO his friends to raise him
to the top. The pull was an exceedingly Sc
we're one, and the rope, being i'll adjusted
around his body, gave him the most excrucia-
ting pain. But soon his pain was forgotten in
a new and dreadful peril.
When he was 90 feet from the mouth of the
pit, aud 100 from the bottom, Swayng and
swinging in mid air he heard rapid and excl
ted words of horror and alarm above aud soon
he learned that the rope by which he was up
held had taken fire from the friction of the
timber over which it passed. Several moments
of awful suspense to those above, aud still
more awful to him below, enSued To them
and him a fatal and almost instant catastrophe
seemed inevitable. Bat the fire was extin-
gujShcd with bottle belonging TO himself,
aud then the party above though almost ex-
hauSted by their labors, succeeded in drawing
him to the top. He was as calm and self pos
sesSed as upon his entrance into the pit, but
all OF his companions overcome by fatigue,
sank down upon the ground, and his friend,
Professor Wright from over exer ion and ex-
ciement, tainted, and for time remained in
sensible.
The yonng adventurer lcft his name carved
in the depths of the Maistrom-the name of
the first aud only person that ever gazed upon
its mysteries.