Litchfield enquirer., 1859-10-27
For the Enquirer.
THE MAMMOTH CAVE.
BY D. c. KILBOURNE.


BY d, c. KILBOURNE.
This celebrated and most wonderful caver
is situated in Edmondson County Kentucky
1t is very easy Of access there being Rail
road from Louisville within about eight miles
and daily line Of stages running to it durin;
the summer, and good hotel awaits the visi
tor Oh the ground. About the middle of las
August visited it with q party of friends
who were perfectly delighted with the Ken
lucky scenery and doubt not would have
willingly turned back without visiting the Cave
SO much did the trip thither please them. We
arrived at the hotel at sunset and did little
that evening besides resting ourselves. In the
morning We found that the hotel was surround
ed on either side by dense woods, there being
in its small clearing Of perhaps twenty acres
but two other buildings, both log cabins, one
the Store and Post Office, the other private
residence At breakfast there was no talk
but the Cave. The elegant Miss Tinsel who
elsewhere would have been proftlse in encon
Ii. Mt deeds performed in scaling the Rocky
mountains, and of the brave ry.required to pass
over the rocky passes Of Ell Ghor. Each one
was perfectly acquainted with the affairs OF the
others.
Our ladies say we will take the short route
to day, so we leave the table and employ old
Me-" to guide US aud then prepare for the
trip. At eight We are all ready, the ladies in
complete bloomer, never looked half so pretti.
ly, and the gentlemen with red flannel pea
jackets and old caps half SO ugly as now
How curiously we descended the hill, all peep,
ing and staring to get a tirst view OF the hole
Oh there it is and dozen waiting at ITS
mouth how ardently We press forward to
join them, till We meet the cold air Of the cav
ern's breath, when we get suddenly COOL and
as we wait for the guides to get the lamps rea-
dy each one is telling some marvellous story
about the gap forty feet in diameter and TWEEN
ty five deep, opening at our feet, end looking
hangs a perpetual fog meantime our feelings
undergo change, pride conquors ardor and
when the guide gives each Il lamp We are not
quite us enthusiastic as at first. We eutcr in
parties of about fifteen, aud after going with
in sight of each other for few rods see no
more Of them in the Cave The traveller does
not feel that buoya''cy Of imagination which
he expected, he laughs and talks, yet it is for
ced, and he feels like person walking in all
ceut tombs, so strong are the feelings of awe,
which the gloom and solemn Stiffness inspires.
For a mile the rcna us of the miners of 1912
are found, the saltpetre watts are frequent, and
there is danger falling into them, the tracks
of oxen and prints of a cart wheel are shown
as also a place where they fed the oxen corn
and hay, with what is left Of their food. The
nitrous earth was lixivated in large watts, and
the ley was forced through hollow logs to the
mouth Of the Cave and there evaporatcd. 1t
has not been mined since the last English
war, but such is the preserving properties of
the Cave that nothing is dccaycd. In one i
the large domes called the Methodist
church," these logs have been placed for seats.
After the first mile only one or two traces Of
mars work are fund these consist of two
cottages built 10y some consumptive people
who expected to be benefited by residence
here, but the darkness and silence rendered
their disease fatal, and they soon died. There
are but few diseases which retreat like this
can cure but the whole world of sickness might
be accommodated within its tolnb-lke walls.
As we took the "short trip we kept the
Grand Avenue, making such departures as
were necessary to observe the finest and most
beautiful formations. Among the many beau
tiful places and views can only describe one
scene in this article. The place is called the
Star Chamber and is a part Of the Grand Az
enuc The star actor being Mic" the guide.
The Star Chamber is about fifty feet wide by
seventy FIVE HIGH the ends terminate in dark
ness. "Nic' takes all the lamps and directs
US all to look upward. Looking overhead we see
white spots amid the coating Of black gypsum
much resembling stars while far in the dis
lance q long white spot is APPLY named the
Comet. While the visitors are very busy ira
cling the various consultations, "Nic" tells
us to see the thunder storm, so taking all the
lights he passes slowly behind large rock, the
shadow striking the wall much like black
cloud and we are left in perfect darkness, and
stay SO for some time after our funny stories
aud dark jokes are exhausted, and the dark.
ness becomes oppressive, and we begin to feel
sold, when we observe in an opposite direction
from its disappearance, faint dawn Of light
like the earliest dawnings of morning. Grad
ually it grows brighter and brighter till We
hail with joy the artificial day. In one of the
apartments called Gothic Chapel from its nu
merous stalactites and stalmites we are tolc
that marriage occurred three years since. IL
happened in this wise. A young lady had {
lover who did not in all respects suit her pa
rents, and she promised never to marry him OF
the earth, which Quoted the old folks. Blu
as love knows no bounds, the Mammoth Cav,
offered fit place for the holy rite, without an,
violation Of language. We we're all sur
prised not only at the magnitude and beauti
full features, but at the dryness and wonderful
atmosphere of the Cave. In many place
there is dust two or three inches deep.
is not troublesome as there is no perceptibl
current of air after you leave the Narrows
which lie near the entrance, and the tempera
ture being both summer and winter at just 5
deg. and always pure in every place yet explt
red, it does much toward preventing fatigue
| aud but little is experienced in our explor;
tions. 1t is when we reach the warm air ou