The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-09-21
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LETTER FROM KENTUCKY-THE MAMMo1
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Dear Democrat: -tt.ar fr
The great desire of my life is at last graft
flied. When, mere schoolboy, turning the
leaves Of Geography, 1 read about the
Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky, and learned
that this State was remarkable for its curious
caverns. What was then mere history, and
matter obtained only from text books, has
now become to me a reality, and the dreams
of my childhood have passed to glad fruition.
Though have actually been nine miles under
ground, and visited grottoes and domes, that
n. P. Fills, and Others have described so
beautifully, my pen is not whit more poetl'
cal, nor had any new powers of description
been given to my prosaic nature. The classes
of mind are as numerous as the classes OF
birds. Some take the wings of the morning
and soar aloft, till they cannot be seen by the
naked eye, mingliGg their notes with the music
of the spheres, others are doomed to earth
and rise no higher. than the shrubs on which
they perch. My mind answers to the latter
class, so it is impossible for me to wander
amid the realms of poetic fancy, but must
rest satisfied to deal in unvarnished realities.
The Mammoth Cave is situated in Edmon'
son, the poorest county in the State, as to
vegetable productions, but the richest in min,
eraIs-abounding in coal and iron and many
other metallic substances. The entrance te
the Cave is about twelve miles from the L. &
A. R. R, accessible by two routes-one leav
ing the Rail Road, at the famous Bell Tavern
and the other at Capt. Ritter's. Most of the
travel stop at Ritter's, because. it is the first
from Louisville, and especially because nc
landlord in this country is more polite and at
tentive to his guests than the clever host O.
this Justly celebrated Hotel. The road to the
Gave is over the Green River Knobs, and o.
course, is rough and long, though after as
cending the summit of the Knobs the track
is some what level. Tie grounds athe Gave
Hotel are neatly and tastefully laid of. and
and every thing surrounded by an extremely
rugged country, wears the appearance of eas'
and comfort, and many spend their summer
here, as fashionable watering place, withou
visiting the Cave. The houses, though con
lstructed of logs mostly, are nicely whitewash
ed, and possess accommodations suitable fol
three hundred persons. The whole is undel
the control of L. j. Proctor, gentleman o.
affabiity and attentiveness to visitors, but the
property belongs to Croghan's heirs. and il
managed by Maj. Jessup of the q. S. army.
We descend about one hundred yards to
wards the Green River. before any thing like
la Cave is discovered, and all at once, on tht
right the mighty cavern opens its mouth tt
receive Us. A chilling sensation pervades the
system, and involuntary chils creep over the
whole frame, as you stand looking into the
Iimpenetrable darkness beyond. The temper
ature is always the same in the Gave, and the
Transition from the outer world to that tire
mendous opening is very violent, on warn
summer day, and many faint on coming out
so great is the change. To attempt anything
like an accurate description, would be vain
for words are impotent things, to convey any
proper idea to one who has never visited this
wonderful feat of nature, the awful grandeur
and ragnifcence, which is here to be SEEM
1--WE descend at first flight of seventy natu
raj stairs, when we are about fifty feet below
the surface, and iu perfect fit of indecsior
whether to go back to the light, or to seize {
lamp and follow the guide into darkness visi
ble Curiosity finally prevails, and we surren
der ourselves to Mat, the faithful guide
who with our dinner on his back, reminds on,
of Bunyanis Pilgrim. For several rods tn,
Gave is about ten feet wide. and as many high
but all of sudden we come into the grea
l. Rotunda,' which must cover, half acre @
ground and is seventy FIVE ftet to the ceiling
There are found several saltpetre watts, wher
powder was made during the war of 1912, ant
the timhers, and troughs for conducting wa
ter from the entrance, are in perfect state
D eservation. The sides of this Rotnnda art
plain lime stone, and the ceiling is most com
pletely arched There commences the grant
avenue of the Cave, which continues through
tho short route and seems to he nearly of tht
same height, aud the sides pre- ent the SAINT
appearance, that the perpendicular bluffs o
Green River do, and exhibit unmistakabl
Ievidences of a subterranean river. The salt
metre watts continue several rods, aud the track
of the cattle and the carts are yet distinctt
visible Where the watts cease, the avenu
wideus to about sixty feet, and forms what
Icalled the church, where the miners ar
supposed to have held their devotions. Tk
last service held 10 tbi" ubterranean chape