Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-06-24
4 RensrkahIe cave in indiana.

Il "A
Having learned that the worlds most
remarkable cave had lately been discov-
Tered in Crawford county, Indiana, 1 was
mot long in making UP my decision to
visit it.
\ I started in search of the wonder
4 Among miniature mountains, almost as
rugged, almost as wild, and quite as
q beautiful as those which looked down to
reflect their faces on the bosom of the
4 eBlue Juniata, found 1t. 1t WIS sit
\ mated five miles back from the town OF
Leavenworth, on the Ohio River, sixty
miles below Louisville; Mr.. ID. z. Roth
rock, a wealthy citizea OF forty-tive
years residence, was the proprietor.
Bright and early after the morning Of
my arrival, in company with half a doz-
en- others-ladies and gentlemen-and
a well-informed son of Mr.. Rothrock
for guide, presented myself at the
mouth of the cave, and commenced the
underground Journey. The mouth of
the cave was small, and presented moth
ing in appearance that could be consid-
cred remarkable; but soon after enter
ing, was convinced that we were visit
!. ing an affair Of no mean importance. =
Our course was rapidly downward, and
ere we had proceeded many PAGES, / re-
allied writer's description of the en-
trance, as recently published in the
Cincinnati Daily Times: 1.-The sunlight,
reflected back from huge spectral
looking rock, reminded me of the de-
crepid old giant, who could do nothing
but sit in his cave, biting his nails and
grinning at Christian as he passed in
safety" And as we moved on deeper
INTO the earth, and the underground
world began to take upon itself gigantic
proportions, went even further in the
giant business than did this editor of
the Times, and wondered if we might
not be in a mansion of the fabled Cy-
clops, and if the man-of- the-house might
mot suddenly return with his focks, and
find us, Ulysses like, where we are not
exactly welcome. / cannot say that l
feared any such result, yet ] must con-
TESS that u slight shudaers passed over
me as turned and saw the light of day
blazing through the small opening far
back; it answered so well to the mythic
description of the giants great fiery eye.
We passed on through q number of
large, dry and airy rooms, each bearing
an appropriate name, until we came to
lone very long, and so much resembling
a railroad tunnel that one almost found
himself stopping, at every moment, to
listen for the cars. It was named Co
began lapidly to widen, and the ceiling
to rise up to hight of from seventy
five to one hundred feet. In one of
these, and Immediately over head, was
an object which the guide pointed out
h, 1r1.on rhsaf
careful looking we found it to be a mass
of white limestone, and, by the way, a
pretty good representation, as perfect,
perhaps, as is the ''Old Man of the
Mountain" on Mount Washington. 1t
had an advantage over that wonder,
however, for, by viewing it from differ
ent localities, We could make two dis
tinct pictures of it, each the same In
dian Chief, but in different posture.
This part of the Wyandotte Cave has
been known for forty or fifty years. 1t
is three miles in length, and possesses
many objects of interest, among which
is q mighty stalactite and stalagmite
united and formed into pillar, meas
uring forty feet in hight and seventy
five feet in circumference. 1t is as white
as snow, and in the richness of its APP
parant carvings and drapery, surpasses
anything that coul be imagined. The
Pillar of the Constitution is the name
applied to it.
! About one mile in, along the old cave,
and we came to the entrance of the re-
l~SnUly UiSCUSCIcu pdILS Oh the UyaII-
dotte Cave. 1t was a small passage, ia
king off and downward, to our right,
known as the Scuttle. We went thro'
il, AID found everything to undergo
sudden change, for the most beautiful
formations were all around US in their
original condition, whereas In the old
cave, having been expos ed to free van
dalism for SO many years, they were Ell
Their carried away or to great extent
damaged.
After passing number of very inter
lesting rooms, we reached one that caps
the climax upon anything of the kind
known to man, called Mammoth Hall
OF course can not say what first i'm
pressions the sight produced on all per-
sons, but for myself, I felt very much
the same as When / first obtained a
glimpse OF Niagara Falls. For some min
utes we all stood and looked on in in
voluntary silence. 1t seemed as if we
had suddenly emerged from the cave in
to strange world, whose principal
characteristic was the darkest of perpet-
nal darkness. On our right and on our
left, dimly shown by the light of our
lamps, were deep valleys, while in front
Iof us lowered mountain upward, un-
til it was entirely lost in the thick gloom
far above.
Leaving us at the base of the noun
tain, our guide went on to give us, as he
said, better view. But little time
elapsed ere all pertaining to him was iu-
visible, save the pale glimmer of his
lamp, which, will-o'- the-wisp like, went
darling here and there, now fully to
view again, as its b arer moved up
among the rocks, until it reached the
summit, as we inferred, from the fact
of its twinkling in one place moment,
and then, like a meteor, shooting off In
curve, leaving darkness and silence
again supreme.
From the base we passed to the sum-
NIT of the mountain, and the bright
lights were again kindled, presenting a
scene even more splendid, if possible,
than when viewed from below.
The dome was closed at the top by a
smooth, eliiptical slab, beautifully firing
ed by broad, leaf-like stalactites, as
white rs snow, and curling into thous-
and different forms. The summit of the
/ mountain was n sri0antic stalaopnita