Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-06-26
THE NEW MAMMOTH CAVE.
It's Wonderful Extent-Brillfant and
Beautiful Chambers Discovered.

One of party of gentlemen who, ON the
9Th inst, visited the Canadian Mammoth
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 beautiful lake.
The whole height of the mountain is be-
tween two and three hundred feet above
the level of the lake, and the opening 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
a horseshoe, and fully eighteen feet, both
as to height and breadth. 1t looked down
wards and forwards, having gradual de-
scent for distance of fully IA feet, becom-
ing funnel shaped and contracted to
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.
1t appeared of an oval shape, 80 feet in
length, q feet across, and about feet In
height. Passing inwards in an oblique di-
rection to the left, we observed an opening
somewhat contracted and leading to Sec
ond chamber. Here the height was five feet.
This we entered on our hands and knees,
and came within the chamber, which meas
ured 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 marrow assure IN the rock
and was found to ascend obliquely upwards
distance of 20 feet, more or less shallow,
and beautifully encTusted with carbonate
of lime, soft and cheesy; about the centre
of the cavity was observed most exquls-
tie colume extending from the ceiling to
the floor, formed no doubt by the union OF
a stalactite and stalagmite. The anterior
lateral chamber was next entered, and
found to pass upwards distance OF thirty
feet, at which point the summit of the cav
ern was fully fifty feet, more or less of
gothic shape add beautifully ornamented
with stalactites, and fringed, like encrusta-
lions 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 in
teresting of the whole. 1t assembled dis
lance of thirty feet and was magnifcently
arched On the wayup we were somewhat
astonished upon observing the existence of
reflected light in chamber above, and OBJ
scured from our view, more or less, by an
arch thrown across.
Here and there in each chamber We're OBJ
served, on the sides, and roof particularly,
various portions of rock composed OF quart
ute and other crystalline mineral forma-
tons Occasionally the surfaces ofproject-
ing masses of imbeded rock presented a
beautiful and starlike appearance, owing to
the light reflected from the small cubes OF
iron pyrites. In many places the stalactltes
were exquisitely formed-and in the middle
of the largest of the lateral chambers, is a
centre piece which surpasses in beauty
even the highest ornamentation OF the
skilled artisan of either ancient or modern
times"