Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-07-08
THE NEW MAMMOTH CAVE.

One of party of gentlemen who, on
the 9th inst, visited the Canadian Nam
moth Cave, Is miles from Ottawa,
writes to the Ottawa Times the following
account of the newly discovered wonder:
"The mouth Of the cave is on the side
OF the mountain, and faces a beautiful
lake, The whole height Of the noun
tain is between two and three hundred feet
above the level Of the lake, and the open
ing of the cave appeared nearly one-third
of the distance from the top, having over
hanging it beautiful pines and cedars of
considerable dimensions. In shape the
entrance was somewhat that of horse
shoe, and fully eighteen feet, both as to
height and breadth. It looked down
wards and forwards, having gradual de-
scent for distance of fully "a feet, be-
coming funnel shaped and contracted to
a height of five feet and width of IS
feet. At this point our lamp being lit
and in good order, not knowing if foul air
existed, we cautiously progressed in a
bent posture until We entered the first
grand chamber, which afforded no small
degree Of interest. It appeared of an
oval shape. so feet in length, q feet
across. and about 8 feet height. Pass
ing inWards in an oblique direction to
the left, we observed an opening some
what contracted and leading to second
chamber. Here the height was five feet.
This we entered ON our hands and knees,
and came within the chamber, which
measured Is feet in diameter, the height
throughout being little over FIVE feet
! On our return. we observed two openings
| to the left Of the first chamber, one ante
rior and the other posterior. The latter
was entered by narrow fssule in the
rock and was found to ascend obliquely
upwards q distance of 25 feet. more or
less shallow, and beautifully encrusted
with carbonate of lime, soft and cheesy,
about the centre of the cavity was obseIv-
ed a most exquisite column extending
from the ceiling to the floor, formed no
doubt by the union of stalactite and
staIagmite. The anterior lateral cham
ber was next entered, and found to pass
upwards distance thirty feet, atwhich
point the summit Of the cavern was fully
fifty feet, more or less of gothic shape
add beautifully ornamented with stalacti-
tes, and fringed, like encrustations Of
carbonate of lime.
Here we returned to the entrance Of
the cave, and having observed very
narrow passage to the left also, only in
fact two feet high, we craWled through
and found ourselves in chamber by far
the most interesting Of the whole. 1t
assembled a distance of thirty feet and was
magnifcently arched. On the way up we
were somewhat astonished upon observing
the existence of reflected light in a cham
Der above, and obscured from our view
more or less, by an arch throng across.
Here and there in each chamber were
observed, on the sides, and roof particul
arly, various portions of rocks composed
of quartzite and other crystalline mineral
formations. Occasionally the surface Of
projecting masses of imbeded rock presen.
ted beautiful and starlike appearance,
owing to the light reflected from the
small cubes of iron pyrites. In many
places the. stalactites were exquisitely
formed-and in the middle of the largest
OF the lateral chambers, is a centre piece
which surpasses in beauty even the high
est ornamentation Of the skilled artisan O.
either ancient or modern times"