Arkansas intelligencer., 1858-10-01
An Adventure in the M amrlo,h c.vo.

been considered the long end Of the Mar.
no:h Cave. Of Kentucky, theEs il a pit. Oar.
! deep and terrible, known as the Maelstrom
I Thousands have gazed into il with ase. ana
until recently. no attempt was made 10 Den
/ citrate its mysteries. But, ms We learn from,
/ ,he Louisville Journal. a couple of weeks as,
! "a young gentleman oil Loais lille. a hose nerves
/ never trsmbled at mortal peril, being Mt N.
/ Mammoth Cave With Professor Wright Of
( our city and others, determined, 10 matter
what the dangers and difficulties might b.
J TO explore the depth Of the Maelstrom. Mr.
( Proctor, the enterprising proprietor OF tho
/ Cave, sent 10 Nashville ard pToesrsd a lorr
| rope of great length, expressly for the pur
/ pose. The rope and some necessary timber,
were borne BY the guides aud Others 10 lb,
point Of proposed exploration.
The arrangements being soon completed
the rope with heavy fragment OF rock a.;
tached to IT, was let down and swung 10 and
fro 10 dislodge any loose rocks that would b,
likely 10 fall at the touch. Several were thus
di,lodged. and the long continued reverbera-
tons, rising up Ike distant thunder from be-
low, proclaimed the depth Of the horrd ehssu,.
Then the young hero Of the occasion. With
several hats drawn over his head to protect
it 8 far as possible agains; any masses falling
from above, and with light in hi, hand and
the rope fastened around his body. took hi.
place over the awful pit and directed the half
dozen men. who held the end of the rore. 70
let him down in the Cimmerian gluom
We have heard from bis OWE Iirs an ac-
count Of his descent. Occasionally masses of
earth and rock went whizzing past, bat none
struck him. Thirty or forty feet from tbs
top, he saw ledge, from " ich. ~ he iud.
ged by appearance, two or three aveuUe. lei
oil IN different directions. About a huEdre,l
feet from the top, a cataract from the side oe
the pit Sent rushing down the abvss, and a,
lie descended by the side OF the falling water
and in the midst of the spray, he felt some
apprehension that his light would be e1tin-
guished, but hjs care prevented this. He
WAS landed ut the bottom Of the pit. a hun
dred and ninety feet from the top. lie found
II almost Ier'.cJIy circular about ! : feel IN
diameter, with a small openin. at one poi;I,.
leading 10 a fine chamber Of no great extent.
He found on the floor beautiful specimen,
of black slick Of immense size, vastly aryer
than were ever discovered in any other rsrt
OF the Mammoth Cave, and also a multitude
of exquisite formations ~ pure and white -
virgin snow. Making Himself heard. with
great effort, 10y hi friends, he at length asked
them to pail him partly up, intcnd.n., 10 SION
on the way aud explore a cave that he hal
observed opening about forty feet above tl,a
bottom Of the pit. Reaching the mouth If
that cave, lie swung himself with much exrr-
ton into IT, and, holding the end Of the roIe
il his hand he incauiiously let II 20, and Il
swung ont apparently b-vond his r.ach.-
The situation was a fearful one. and his friends
aJo.e could do nothing Tor HIM.
Soon, however, he made hook OF tie end
Of hlS lamp and hy extending himself as FAR
over the verge ~ possible without f.IIiag. 10
succeeded IN securing ihe r"pc. Fastening
II 10 a rock, lie followed tie avenue % ..
roo yards to point where To- found IL u ....
el by IN impossible avalanche Of rock and
earth. Returning TO the mouth Of tins a,en-
Ne, he behs'd an a.mo-t exsc,l, similar mouth
Of another on the OPPOSITE side Of the J,it. but
not being able II swing himself into il. he
eta-teued the rope about hi- BODY. su,rerded
himself again over the ABYSS, and shoated To
las friends 70 raise him to the top. The rull
was All exceedingly severe one. and the rcpe
being i'll adjusted around Ais body. gave him
the most eAcruriating pain. But soon hs
pain Vas forgotten in now and dreadful
peril. When4e was 90 ia-t from the mou,l,
VI Ni~ t''N 'ia 4fJ lIoul inr bottom. SRaNlnr
and swinging IN N d air. he heard rariL aal
excited words of horror I'm alarm above. aud
soon learned that the rope Nv which ilq wq.
upheld Aai taken ire from tie -, ,.. .tr..
timber over wh.yh 1t ras~o.
Several moments ofawiul su-pen~e 10 thrsr
above and sti.l mere aw ful To- him en>ued.-
10 them and him fatal and instant cats.-
trophe se"i.,d inevitlLe But The fire was
eXLinSui>hsd with Il b3itl" of water belong
ing 10 hnu eli. and then the partv above.
though almost exhausted by their Iabors.
succeeded in drawing him 10 the top. IIo
was as calm and Sclf-ro>sessed as upon h.
entrance into the pit, but all Of his comIan-
ions, overcome by fatigue. sank upon lL,,
ground, and hi, friend, Profe<stH, Wright.
from over-exertion and excitement, tainted
and remained for time insensible.
The Young adyenturer lef. his name carved
IN the depths Of the Mae 'stroiii-the name
OF the fiat and only person that ever gaizad
upon It's mysteries.