The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-12-07
Misfellaueoas.
ADVENTURE IN THE MAMMOTH
GAVE.

been considered the longest avenue Of the
Mammoth Cave, nine miles from its en-
trance, there is pit, dark and deep and ter
rible, known US the Maelsrom. Thou
sands have gazed into il with awe, whilst
bengal lights were thrown down IL to make
its fearful depths visible, but none ever hal
the daring to explore it. The celebrated
guide Stephen. who was deemed insensible
TO fear, was offered six hundred dollars by
the pr,prietors Of cave IL he would de-
scend TO the bottom Of il, but he shrank
from the peril A few years ago, Tenne.
see professor, learned and bold man,
resolved to do what no one before him had
dared do, and making his arrangements
with great care and precaution, he had
himself lowered down by a strong rope
hundred feet, bat a, that point his courage
failed him and he had to he drawn out. No
human power could ever induce him TO re-
peat the appalling experiment.
A couple Of weeks ago, however,, a gen.
tleInan Of Louisville, whose nerves never
trembled a, mortal peril, being al the Mann
moth Cave with Professor Wright Of our
city and others, determined, no matter
what the dangers aud difficulties might be,
to explore the depths Of tho Maelstrom.
Mr. Proctor the euterpr.sing proprietor Of
the cave, sent to Nashville and procured
long rope OF great strength expressly for
the purpose. The rope and necessary tim
hers were borne by the guides and others
To the point Of proposed exploration. The
arrangements being soon completed, the
rope, with fragment Of rock affixed to IL,
was 1T down and swung to and fro to dis.
lodge any loose rocks that would be likely
to fall at the touch. Several were thus dis
lodged, and the long continued reverbera.
tons, rising up like dis,an, thunder from
below, proclaimed the depth Of the horrid
chasm. Then the young hero OF the occa,
sion. with several hats drawn over his head
To protect il as far rs possible against any
n.,s>cs falling from above, and a light in
his hand and the rope fastened around his
body. took his place over the awful pit and
directed the half dozen men who held the
end of the rope to let him down into the
Cimmerian gloom.
We have heard from his own lips an ac-
count of his descent. Occasionally, mass
rs Of earth and rocks went whizzing past,
but none struck him. Thirty or forty feet
from the top he saw a ledge, from which,
a. he Judged from appearances, two or
three avenues led OF in different directions
About a hundred feet from the top, eata-
ract from the side Of the pit went rushing
down the abyss and of he descended by
the side of the falling water and in the
midst Of the spray, he felt some apPrehen-
sion that his light would be cx,inguished,
bur his care prevented this. lie was land
ell a, the bottom Of the pit, a hundred and
ninety feet from the top. lie found il al
ms, perfectly circular, about eighteen feet
in diameter, with a small opening at one
point, leading to fine chamber Of no great
extent. lie found ON the floor beautiful
specimens Of black silcx Of immense size,
vastly larger than were ever discovered in
any other part Of the Mammoth Cave, and
also multitude Of exquisite formations rs
pure and white rs snow. Making himself
heard with great effort, by his friends, he
N, length asked them to pull him 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 that cave, he swung
himself with much exer,ion into il, and
holding the end Of the rope in bis hand, he
incautiously le, il 60, and il swung out ap-
parently beyond his reach. The situation
was u fearful one, and his friends above
coul,l do nothing for him. Soon, however,
nc made hook Of the cnd Of his lamp
and by extending himself as far over the
verge as possible without falling, he sue
ceedcd in securing the rope. Fastening il
to u rock. he followed the avenue $50 or
200 yards TO a point where he found il
blockaded by nm impossible avalanche OF
rock and earth. Returning to the mouth Of
this avenue, he bcheld an almost exactly
similar mouth Of another avenue on the
opposite side Of the pit, but not being able
To- swing himself into il, he fastened the
rope around his body and suspended him
self again over the abyss, and shouted to
his friends to raise him to the top. The o
pull wns an exceedingly severe one, and ,
the rope being il-adjusted around his body,
gave him the most eScruciating pain. Hut
soon his pain was forgotten in new and
drralsi,i peril. When he was 30 feet from
the mouth of the pit and 100 feet from the
bottom, swasiug and swinging in mid air,
hc heard raphi and excited words Of horror
and alarm above, anil soon learned that the
rope by which he was upheld had taken
fire irom the friction Of the timber over
which il passed. Several moments Of aw-
iul suspense tn those above and still more
awful tn him below ensued. To them and
inevitable. Blu, she fire WINS extinguished
with bottle Of water belonging to HIMSELF
and then the party above, though almos,
exhausted by their labors, succeeded in
drawing him to the top. lie was as calm
and selfpo-sessed a. upon his entrance in
10 the pit. but all Of his companions, over
,o,,,. hv T,,;v,,. snnk down upop ,b.I