The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1858-10-06
Terrific Adventure in the Mammoth
Cave. IN frz al

.... ~ Cave. az q.
At the supposed end of what has oil.
ways been considered the longest avenue
of the Mammoth Cave, nine miles from its
entrance. there is pit, dark and deep
and terrible, called the Maelstrom. Tens
of thousands have gazed into it with awe
whilst Bengal lights were thrown down to
make its fearful depths visible; but none
ever had the daring to explore it. The
celebrated guide Stephen, who has deem.
ed insensible to fear, was offered six hun
sdred dollars by the proprietors of the
cave If be would descend to the bottom oi
it; but he shrank from tho peril. A few
years ago Tennessee professor, learn
ed and bold man, resolved to do what no
one before had dared to do, and making
his arrangements with great care and
precsution, he had himself lowered down
BY strong rope a hundred feet, but at
that point his courage gave way. and he
called aloud to be drawn out No human
power could ever have induced him to
repeat the experiment. -......5
A couple of weeks ago, however, a
young gentleman of Louisville. whose
nerves never trcmbled at mortal peril, be-
ing at the cave with Professor Wright of
our city, and others, determined, no mat
ter what the dangers and difficulties might
be, to explore the depths of the Mael-
strom. Mr.. Proctor. the enetrprising
proprietor of the cave, sent to Nashville
and procured q rope of great strength
expressly for the purpose. Tbs rope
aud some necessary timbers were borne
by the guides and others to the point Of
the proposed exploration. The arrange
ime1ts being soon completed, the rope
with heavy fragment ofrock attached,
was let down aud swung to and fro, to
dislodge any loose rocks that would be
likely to fall at the touch. 70 Several were
thus dislodged, and the long reverbera-
tions rising up from below like distant
thunder, proclaimed the depth of the hor-
rid chasm. Then the young hero of the
occasion, with several hats drawn over
his head to protect it as far as possible
against any masses falling from above,
and with = light in bis hand, and the rope
fastened round his body, took his place
over the awful pit and directed the half
dozen men who held the rope to let him
down into the Cimmerian gloom, !.
I'VE have heard from his own lips an
account of his descent. Occasionally
masses of earth an rock went whizzing
past, but none struck him.. Thirty or 40
#. from the bottom he saw ledge, from
which three or four avenues, apparently
led off in different directions. About O
hundred feet from the top, cataract
from the side of the pit went rushing
down into the abyss, and he, descended
by the side Of the falling water and in the
spray he felt some apprehension that his
light would be extinguished, but his care
prevented this. He was landed at the
bottom Of the pit, one hundred and ninety
feet from the top. He found it almost
perfectly circular, about eighteen feet il
diameter, with small opening at one
point leading to Q fine chamber Of nc
great extent. He found on the fool
beautiful specimens of black silex, of al
immense size, vastly larger than were ev
or found in any other part of the Nam
moth Cave, and also a multitude of ex
quisite formations at pure and white a,
the virgin snow. Making himself heara
with great effort by his friends, he asked
them to pun him partly up, intending .tc
stop on the way and explore cave tha
he had observed opening about forty fee
from the bottom of the pit. Reaching
The mouth of that cave, he swung him
self into it with much exertion, and hold
ing the end of the rope in his hand, b,
incautiously let it go, and it swung ap
parently beyond his reach. His situa
tion was fearful one; his friends above
could do nothing for him. Soon, how
ever, he made q hook of the end of thu
lamp. and by leaning over the verge a.
far as possible. succeeded in regaininp
the rope. Fastening it to rock, be fol-
lowed the avenue $50 or 200 yards to 9
point where it was blocked by an ava
lanche of rock and earth. Returning tc
the mouth, he saw an almost exactly SINH
lar mouth on the opposite side of the pit
but not being able to spring himself into
it, he fastened the rope around his body
suspended himself again over the abyss
and shouted to his friends to ra,se him te
the top. The pull was severe one, and
the rope, being lily adjusted around hi
body, gave him excruciating pain. Blu
his pain was, soon forgotten in . new ant
dreadful peril. When he was 100 fee
from the bottom of the pit, he heard rap
id words of horror and alarm above, anc
soon learned that the rope had taken fir,
from the friction of the timber over which
it passed. q Several moments of awful sus
pense ensued. But the FIRE was extin
lguished with . bottle of water, and tn,
party above, though almost exhausted
succeeded in drawing him to the top
He was as calm and self.possessed al
when he entered the pit; but all his com
panions, overcome by fatigue, sank dow
upon the ground. and b!s friend. Profes
sor Wright, from over-exertion and ex
citement, tainted and remained for tim