The Goodhue volunteer. [volume] (Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minn.) 1861-1864, 1862-11-05
WiSrellanepns Reaain9.
Terrific Adventure in the Mammoth
Cave.

Terrific Adventure in the Mammoth
Cave.
The following is from he Louisville Jour
nnl Of 1858. The hero Of the adventure was
the son Of Mr.. Prentice Of the Jurnal. who
was recently killed:
"At the supposed end Of what has always
been considered the longest avenue of the
Mammoth Cave, nine miles from is en-
trance, there is pit, dark, deep, and terri
ble, known as the M9lslrom. Tens of
thousands have gazed into it with awe,
whilst bengal lights have been thrown down
to make its fearful depths visible, but none
ever had the daring TO explore it, The Gel
ebrated guide Stephen, who was deemed in
accessible to fear, was offered six hundred
dollars 10y the proprietors of the cave if he
would descend 10 the bottom of it, but he
shrank from the peril. A few years ago a
man-resolved to do what no one bef,re him
had dared. and, making his arrangements 5
with great Care and precaution. he had him
self lowered down by strong rope hun
dred feet, but at that point his courage fail
eh him, and he called aloud to be drawn up
No human power could ever induce him to
repeat the appalling experiment.
A couple Of weeks ago, however, a young
gentleman Of Louisville, whose nerves neve:
tremblcd at mortal peril! being at the Nam
moth Cave with Professor Wright. of our
CRY, and Others, determined, no matter what
the dangers might be, to explore the depths
Of the M9Istrom. Mr. Proctor, the enter
prising proprietor Of the cave, sent to Nash
vile and procured long rope of grea,
strength, expressly for the purpose. The
lope and necessary ti,nbers were borne by
the guides aud others to the point Of explo
ration. The arrangement being soon com
p'eted, the rope, with heavy fragment OF
rock attached 10 it, was let down and swung
to and fro to disIodge any loose rocks that
would be likely to fall at the touch Sew
eral were thus disIodged, and the long con
tlnued reve' berations, rising up like distant
thunder from below, proclaimed the depth
Of the ho' rid chasm. Then the young hero
Of the occasion, with several hats drawn over
his head to project it as far as possible from
masses falling from above, and with light
in his hand and the rope fastened rounL his
body, took his place over the awful pit, and
directed the half dozen men who held the
end Of the rop., to let him down into the
Cimmerian gloom.
| We have heard from his own lips an &C.
count Of his descent Occasionally masses
Iof rocks went whizzins past. but none struck
him. Thirty or forty feet from the top he
saw ledge. from which he judged b. ap-
|pearances, two or three avenues led of in
different directions. About hundred fee,
from the top = cataract from tho side Of the
pis went rushing down the abyss, and. =
be VAS in the midst Of the spray, he eI,
some apprehension that his light would b
distinguished. but his care prevented this. =
He Was landed u the bpttom Of the pit,
hundred and ninety FEET from the Top. .~H H,
; found it almsst perfectly circular, abou
.Eesghteen Ieet in diameter, with small open
fling II ons point. leading to fine chAnbe
Iof no great extent. He found on the Zoo
: I6eantifui specimens of biaek slick of,mmess
! Ism. vastly larger thaa any ever discovers,
" ~
Fin any othsr part of ths Mammeth Cave
.salo : nultitnds Of exquisite kDrnations !
APs1e and vhiss - shs visEia saov. Aak
ling hi'ssslf bs.,,i, nth g-eAt effsr., 81 ii
tf hasas lsassA asked In. . pail 81.
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