The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-02-05
Terrific Adventure in the
VIA rnnaOtf, Cave.

1ne IoliOWln1 Is from the LOUISVILLE
Journal :-1s5S The hero of the ad.
venture was the son Of Mr.. Prentice of
the Journal, who was recently killed:
At the supposed end of what has
always been considered the longest
avenue Of the Mammoth Cave, nine
miles from its entrance, there is a pit,
dark and deep and terrible, known as
the Maelstrom. Teos of thousands
have gazed into it with awe whilst
bengal lights have been thrown down
to make its fearful depth visable, but
none ever hab the daring to explore
it. The celebrated guide, Stephen,
who was deemed inaccessible to fear,
was offered six hundred dollars by the
proprietors of the cave if he would de-
scend to the bottom of it, but he shrank
from peril. A few years ago Tennes-
see professor, learned and bold man,
resolved to do what no one before
him had dared to do, and making his
arrangements with great care and
precaution, he had himself lowered
down by strong rope hundred
feet. but at that point his courage
failed him, and he called aloud to be
drawn out. No human power could
ever have induced him to repeat the
appalling experiment.
A couple Of weeks ago, however,
a young gentleman of Louisville
whose nerves never trembled at mortal
peril, being at the Mammoth Cave
with Prof Wright and others Of our
city, determined, no matter what the
dangers might be, to explore the depth Of
Of the Maelstron. Mr.. Proctor. the enter
prising proprietor Of the cave, sent 10 Nash
willie and procured long rope Of great
strength expressly for the purpose The rope
and some necessary timbers were borne by
the guides and others to the points of e1plo-
ration. The arrangements being soon COM
pletsd, the rope with heavy fragment of
rock attached to it, was let down and swung
to and fro to dislodge any loose rocks that
would be likely to fall at the touch. Several
were thus dislodge, and the continued rever-
brations, rising up like distant thunder from
below, proclaimed the depth of the hon'id
chasm, then the young hero Of the occasion
with several hats drawn over his head to
protect it a. far as possible against any mas
ses falling from above, and with light in
his hand and rope fastened around his body,
took his place over the awful pit, and direct
ed the half dozen men who held the erd Of
the rope, to let him down into the Cimmerian
gloom. We have heard from his own lips
an account OF his descent. Occasionly mas
ses of rocks went whizzing past, but mono
struck him. Thirty or forty feet from the
top he saw ledge, from which, a. he judged
by appearances, two or three avenues led off
in different directions. About hundred
feet from the top, cataract from the side OF
the pit went rushing down the abyss and Is
he WAS in the midst of the spray he felt SOM
apprehension that his light would be extin-
guished, but his care prevented this. He Ian
ded at the bottom of the pit 100 feet from
the top He found it almost perfectly circu-
ar, about eighteen feet in diameter, with
small opening at the point, lsading 10 a fine
chamber of no great extent. He found on
the floor q beautiful specimen Of black silex
ofimmsnse size. vastly larger than was ever
discovered in any other part ofthe Mammoth
cave, and also multitude ofsxauisis sorma
tions as pure and white as virgin snow.
Making himself heard, with great effart,by
his friends, he at length asked them to pull
partly up, intending to stop on the way and
explore cave that he had observed opening
about forty feet above the bottom Of the pit.
Reaching the mouth Of the cave, he swung
himself with much exsrtion into il, and hold.
ing the end Of the rope in his hand, he incau-
tiously let it 60 and it swung out apparently
above his reach, The situation was fear
ful one, and his friends above could do moth
ing for him. Soon, however. he made hook
out Of the end Of his lamp, and by extending
himself as faroser the verge as possible with,
out falling. he succseded in secaraing The