Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-10-11
Tho Diamond Cave.

Tho Mammoth Cave of Kentucky is cluss,l
among the wonders Of the world ard il c2r
talnIy unsurpassed for the extent and grandeur
oil Its SubtoTrancan halls. In its yasncs3 AND
gloom it resembles u deserted city buried BE-
meath the hills. Bat this remarkable cavern.
though the largest knewn IS only one Of maay
which abound in this part Of Kentucky. The
whole country is cayernous. For many mills
the Garth is hollow under foot and there ar,
found occasional openings into the world below
The most interesting Of these yet discovered -
known as the " Diamond Cave 1t is ah3ut
six miles from tho MAMMOTH "and one and a
half from the Louisville and Nashville RAILROAD
1t is only since last summer that this cave has
been explored, and its wonderful features arr
known to but few, though it is destined to hays
II world wide celebrity. Compared with its
yastcr rival its extent is very limited, boiag
embraced within onc-third of mile, distance
easily trNyorscd by the invalid, and this facility
has been aided by a foot-walk Of plank throog:'
the whole length Of the cavern.
Here are displayed some of the most wonder
lul forms that inventive nature has produced
to grace her subtcrropcaD abodos. AMONG the
lairy tales Of the Orjeptals and German, /. on,
Of a palace all whose jnbo b,ants vora b1
magic mower. transformed to stone, In tbi,
: Goblin Cave las itm;g!t well be- namod,. ono
can almost roaljze that he Is in the naI,o, 8;
that fairy tale, where even in the furniture ons
accessories Of the place hare shared tbo notg;E.,
mandate,
The visitor first dcsccn13 By stairs a marrow
passage Of about thirty feet and lands in a
ycs.ibulc of some iorty feet diameter During
the descent lie secs, as it were, cascade rour.
inc down The rocky passage, beneath his f.ct
Iii in fact, water c9ncenled into stone by IL,
deposit Of its calcarcous narticlea. and > t ia
terminus it widons into = maonjre,nt sbr,s or
tumblipg waves, c,yerjnr noarlv one side Of thu
ycstjbulo, but suddenly arrested and tronsls,m
I'd lust before lts broken rivulc!3 and r.Hjnn
spray had touched the rocky floor.
Around the walls of this chamber, md lr,o,
the ceiyjpr hanr other sheets. some Tx, r.li;n.
water, Others Ike curtains waving in the wiod.
ALL all Of hard calcaTcou5 stone.
/ The varying thickness and density Of Tics.
occasion, when they are struck, sonorous sounds
aad they may be played upon like musical 'n-
strumcnt, every note being produced clear ani
disrinct and Of fine musical information, A
skillful performer might create charming e.
feet out Of this weird music.
From this chamber leads gallery, which,
from Its wondrous stolagmite creations, may DO
likened to on Egyptian tomb. Mummied forms
are seen' some wrapped IN their ceremen'S !;
others enclosed IN stony cases. curoHsly caTHed
ana covered win hleroglyphlcs'
RAISING INTO the cathedral portion OF t"e
cavern one OF these StalaSmiteS assumes very
exact resemblance to the Pope, clothed IN h''
'eS'men'S ana inter, little larger than HE
Sl1'' ~ n'''ns ElO3L'ni'y Is 'Ne SNF'he Q' t29
'Tssi"' !'VF's u ''o 'PAr'coS'f'a rock' en-
closing little mage CT quite as good si'o';i-
| tudc "a many made by human hands