Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-10-06
TERRIFIC ADVENTURE.
From the Louisville, Kentucky, Journal.


From the Louisville, kentucky, Journal.
At the supposed end of what has always been
considered the longest avenue Of the Mammoth
Cave, nine miles from its entrance, there Is
pit, dark, deep and terrible, known as the
Maelstrom. Tens of thousands have gazed in
to it with awe, whilst bengo-lights were
thrown down to make its fearful depths visi-
BILE, but none ever had the daring to explore
it. The celebrated guide Stephen, who was
deemed insensibie to fear, was offered six hun
dred dollars by the proprietors of the cave if
he would descend to the bottom of it, but he
shrank from the peril. A few years ago,
Tennessee professor, learned and bold man,
resolved TO do what no one before him had
dared do, and making his arrangements with
great care and precauton, he had himself low
cred down by strong rope hundred feet, but
al that point Lis courage failed him, and he
called aloud to be drawn out. No human
power could ever have induced him to repeat
the appalling experiment.
A couple of weeks ago, however, young
gentleman of Louisville, whose nerves never
trembled at mortal peril, being at the Man,
moth Cave with Professor Wright, of our city,
and others, determined, matter what the
danger and difficulties might be, to explore
the depths of the Maelstrom. Mr.. Proctor, the
enterprising proprietor of the Cave, sent to
Nashville and procured long rope of great
strength, expressly for the purpose. The rope
and some necessary timberS were borne by the
guides and others to the point of proposed eX
ploration. The arrangements being soon COM
pleted, the rope with heavy fragment of rock
affixed to it, was let down and swung to and
fre to dislodge any loose rocks that would be
likely to fall at the touch. Several were thus
dislodged, and the long continued revcrbera-
tions, rising up like distant thunder, from be-
Low, proclaimed the depth of the horrid 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 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 Tho rope, to
let him down into Cimmerian gloom.
We have heard from his own lips an account
of his descent. Occasionally masses of earth
and rock went whiZZing past, but none struck
him. Thirty or forty feet from the top, he saw
ledge from which, as judged by appearances,
two or three avenues led off in different direc-
tiOnS. About hundred feet from the top, a
cataract from the side of the pit went rushing
down the abyss, and, as he descended by the
side of the falling water and in the midst of
the spray, he felt some apprehension that his
light would be extinguished, but his care pre-
vented this. He was landed at the bottom of
the pit, a hundred and ninety feet from the top.
He found it almost perfectly circular, about
Is feet in diameter, with small opening at
one point, leading to a fine chamber OF no
great extent. He found on the floor beautiful
specimens of black silex, of immense size,
vastly larger than were ever discovered in any
part of the MANN: 9th Cave. and also multi
tude of exquisite formations as pure and white
as virgin snow. Making himself heard with
great effort, by his friends, he at length asked
them to pull him partly up, intending to stop
on the way and explore cave that he had OBJ
served opening about forty feet above the bot
tom of the pit. Reaching the mouth OF the
cave, he swung himself with much eNertion
into it, and holding the end of the rope in his
hand, he incautiously let it go, and it swung
out apparently beyond his reach. The situa-
tion was fearful one, and his friends above
could do nothing for him. Soon. however, he
made a hook of the end of his lamp, and, by
extending himself as far over the verge as pos
sible without falling, he succeeded in securing
the rope. Fastening it to a 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, he
beheld almost exactly similar mouth of an
other on the opposite side of the pit, but not
being able to swing himself into it, he re-
fastened the rope 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, ard the rope
being i'll adjusted around his body, gave him
the most excruciating pain. But soon his pain
was forgotten in new and dreadful peril
When he was ninety feet from the mouth of
the pit and one hundred from the bottom.
swaying and swinging in mid air, he heard
rapid and excited words of horror and alarm
above and soon learned that the rope by which
he upheld had taken fire from the friction
of the timber over which it passed. Several
moments of awful suspense to those above and
still more awful to him below ensued. To
them ard him fatal and instant catastrophe
seemed inevitable. But the fire was extin-
gushed with bottle of water belonging to
himself, and then the party above, though al
most exhausted by their labors, succeeded in
drawing him to the top. He was calm and
self-possessed 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 exertion
and excitement, tainted and remained for a
time insensble. The young adventurer left
his name carved in the depths of the Mael-
strom-the name of the first and only person
that ever gaZed upon its my steries.
The young adveuturer was the eldest son of
the editor of the Journal-Willia Courtland
Prentice.
SWAPPING WwEs.-The Danville. Virginia.