The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-01-20
Az INCIDENT IN TUE LIFE
OF WM.CoU RTLAND PREM
TICE
FEARFUL ApyFSTrR

! T'hr following. Published n the
! Loaistillp Joernal, some wears aeo,
. !. Of inerest now. The hrro of the
fearfal adventure was Wm. Court.
land Prentice. whose deatli from
wounds received while fighting in the
r'bel service. has 50 recently been
COMMUNICATED in so touching terms
by his falher, Geo. ID. Prentice.
~ the supposed aud what has al.
WAYS been CONSIDERED lie longest
a'enu, Of the Mammoth Ceye nine
miles from is entra o.. Iiere i a pit.
daik d deep and trrrll,Ir. known as
The Mael,trom. Tens of thousands
have eaztd into it with awe whilst
Bengal lights were thrown down in
TO make fearful depths visible. bui
none ever had the daring TO explore
II. The celebrated guide. STEPHEN.
who WIS i emri insen>ible 10 fear.
was offered six hundred dollars by
the prprieiors Of the Cave If he
would descend to the bottom of il.
bar he shrank from the eril, A 'ew
years aro y Tonne see professor.
learned and bold m n. resolved To do
what no one before had dared to do. /
and. making his arrangements wit
grent care AID precauiion. he had
himself lowered down bv sirnng
ropr hundred feet but, ut that point.
his courage failed him. d he called
aloud TO he drawn out. No human
power could ever have induced him
TO repeat the appalling experiment.
A couple of weeks ago, no ycver. a
yong gentleman Of Louisville. whose
nerves never tremblrd at mortal peril
b ing at the Mammoth Cave with
Professor Wright, Of our city, and
others, determined, no matter what i
The dangers and difficulties might be. !
10 explore the Depths Of The Mael.-
rom. Mr.. Proctor, the cnterpris- I
n- proprietor Of tho Cave. sent TO
Nashville and procured long rope q
'f great s're"gih, expressly for tie 7
)utposr. The ropes and some neces.
.ary timbers were lorne by the guide. I
md others 10 the oitt Of proposed
exploration. The arrangements be- y
ng soon completed ihe rome. wiih q, :
ieavy fragment Of rock affixed to.i. &
vas down and swnna.to and fio 10 4
iislodle any loose rocks that woull |
e likely 10 fall at the touch. Sew c.
raj were thus dislo lged, and tie =
reyerbrrations. rising p
p like distant thunder from belo '. ST
proclaimed tie depth Of tie horrid AZ
hasm. The yourg hero Of tile oc- ta
aston, with several hats drawn over ei
i head to protect il As far as posi-.
e against any masses falling fr,m III
hove, and with light in his hand m
nd the rope fastened around his a,
oly, took his place over The awful h
ii and directed the balf dozen men d
.ho had the end Of the rope, to " br
i'm down into the Cimm rian gloom. NJ
We have heard from hi, own lips. RI,
n account Of his descent. Occasion IT,
Ily masses Of earth and rock went If
hizzing past hui nome struck him. ~
hirty or forty feet from The top. he III
~ a ledge, from which, a he iudg- III
! by p3oaflntcs, two or rlrce tn
senres led Oft in differ ett directions -
About huadred feet from he ton H.,
cataract from The side went rushi 2 br
own the aby-s, and. as lie descended co
, The side f the falling water and st,
the midst Of the spray. he felt some 10
that his light would BE- m
but bis care prevented le
is lie was land,d at the bottom H.,
tie pa, a hunired and ninety feet 8 f,
ON The top. He f,unl il almost Ia,
-rfctly circular, about is feet in III
ameier. wiih small opening al one :, /,
lint leading to fine chambs.r OF 10 (,
eat e,tent. H. found on the floor "a
.an.iiul specimens Of black sick of .;
lmense size, vastly lMgrr than II.
ere ever discovered in any other -.
Irt Of the Mammoth Cave, a,ld also -,
Of exquisite formations, as n,
ire aud white rs virgin snow Max e.i
z himself heard with great effort, u,
: his fiends, be at l,ugih aekrd e.,
EN- TO pull him pauly up, intending Dr.,
stop on the @ay and explore :. 8
ye that he had observe opening ble
on foriy feet above tie bottom ef nm
E pit. or
Reaching the mouth of the cave. his
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