Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1859-11-09
For the Western Reserve Chronicle
A VISIT TO THE MAMMOTH CAVE

o friend, started on the 18th of October
from the quaint and quiet village of Eliza
bethtown, the County scat of Hardin CO
Ky, on the cars of Louisville and Nash
6 vile Rail Road, and after pleasant rid
of some two hours and half, arrived a
Woodland station, which is about midwa,
between Louisville and Nashville, and fron
the Cave, is the nearest point on the Raj
Road, the distance being about ten miles
and reached the Cave Hotel, the mex
morning.
The Cave Hotel is large and commodi
Gus building, made of logs, yet rather nea
and inviting withal The rooms are most
ly on the first floor, which is of course, ;
vast one, for there are ample accommOda
tions for four or five hundred guests.
After dinner, we strollcd down by tht
entrance to the Mammoth Cave, to the
banks of Green River. The towering
Cliffs covered over with verdurc, the wind.
ing river with its green waters, rendered
this ramble pleasant one. Upon our re.
turn from this reconnitering excursion, the
proprietor of the Cave, informed US that il
We wished to take the '.long route We must
wait until the following morning. and be
ready by eight o'clock, A N.
! We retired full of anticipation, and
dreamed Of our approaching pleasures. Ear
ly morning found US up and breakfastcd
and ready. Our party consisted of twen-
ty-four persons, including ten ladies' With
red coats and oil cloth caps, and the ladies
arranged in Bloomer costume for convenient
travelling, and with lamps all trimmed and
burning, we marched down to the entrance
of the Cave, equipped and anxious for a
few hours experience in the subterrancan
world-where day and night, evening and
morning have no existence
Our guide, Mat, informed US on entering
the Cave, that we had a "long road to
trable;" Mat knows, for he has been guide
for more than twenty years, and has trav-
eled, an aggregate distance of fifty thous-
and miles under ground, or a distance equal
to two trips around the globe. Poor Mat
is slave, and owned by a gentleman in
Nashville, but is intelligent. polite and
cautious. Every visitor to the Cave is apt
to remember the tritc remarks of Mat. as
he points out the wonderOus things that
abound in the underground world.
On entering the Cave about two hundred
yards, some of our lights were extinguished
by the current Of air tushing in. Passing
along about half mile, the motion of the
air was scarcely perceptible. The change
of seasons is entirely unknown in the Nam
moth Cave. Summer and Winter are the
same. The temperature is uniformly SO
degrees, with remarkably pure and brac-
ing atmosphere, which enables the visitor
to Undergo an unusual amount of physical
exertion.
After leaving the small archway near
the mouth. which is walled with high rocks,
We entered the main Cave (Which is six
miles in lengthy and varies from forty to
one hundred feet in hight. and from sixty to
three hundred feet in width. This portion
of it is called the Rotunda.
The floor is strewn with the remains Of
vats, water pipes, and other materials used
by the salt petre miners, in 1912. The
wood of which the vats are composed shows
but very little signs of decay. Innumera-
bic numbers of bats inhabit this part of the
Cave, and are congregated on the root, and
sides of the wall After leaving the Ro-
tunda, and passing huge overhanging cliffs
to the left. which are said to resemble those
of the Kentucky river, We entered what is
called the Methodist Church. This apart
ment is eighty feet in diameter, and forty
feet high, and is ornamented with pulpit
formed of ledge of rocks. twenty five feet
in height The Gospel was expounded here
more than fifty years ago. The logs which
formed the seats, occupy the same position
now, that they did when first placed in the
Church.
Leaving the main Cave by ascending
flight of steps, fifteen feet in height, we en-
tered the Gothic Arcade, thence to the
Grand Arch which leads to the Giants Cof.
fin. This is an immense rock, forty feet
long and twenty feet wide. and to the Wis
itOr presents CHASTITY and gloomy appear
ance, as if it held the bones and flesh of a
mighty corpse. Passing to the left of this
We entered the Deserted Chamber.
Entering one or two avenues, and descen-
ding a steep declivity, and another fight of
stairs, called "steeps of Time" we came to
Martha's Palace. about forty feet in height,
and sixty in diameter. A short distance from
this point. we approached spring of clear
and sparkling water, and here our company
delayed for few minutes to slake th;ir {
thirst Next We passed through the Arch
ed way. the roof of which is regular arch.
The walls and floor. have the appearance
of having once been the channel of river. |
This leads to the Side Saddle Pit, and Mi
nerva's Dome The Pit is ninety feet deep,
and twenty feet across Minerva's Dome
is fifty feet in height, and ten in width
Leaving these we came to the bottomless
Pit and Shelby's Dome This pit is stated
to be one hundred and seventy-fye feet in
depth; over which has been constructed !