The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-19
The Mimin County Cave.
Irscm the PAn.dslphia rress. July IL

cusOmed quiet by the discovery IN their midst OF
remarkable cave, which promises, on thorough |
Investigation, to rival in its proportions AM
grandeur the famous Mammoth Cave OF hen.
lucky. In company with party OF ladies' AM
gentlemen, on the morning of the 18th oil June,
We left LewistOwn, the delightful and charming
county seat of NJ film, and after half hours ride
through besutiiul and picturesque country, we're
set down within few feet of the entrance, where
its proprietor awaited Us with candles and the
agreeable announcement that the interior was
slready lighted. Each person having been fur
nished with candle, we descended into the Open
ing, where a refreshing air ssinted us that gushed
of from the eaverns within. The entrance Is
easy. as Is the whole transit, and the ladies VINO
accompanied Us found no difficulty In tracing
their steps through the various sndings OF this
great cave. Following closely upon the footsteps
Of our guide, after assuming for a moment
STOPPING posture TO escape striking the wall ABOVE
us, we were soon enabled to stand upright, and
looking about, were struck with amazement al
the immense sTehway that opened before u.s.
stretching itself with its rocky sides forward 10
the distance of two hundred feet rising above as
thirty or forty feet, and extending in width as
many more. Explanations of surprise escaped
the whole party, as each step discovered some
new and varied beauty, and we were all soon lost
in wonderment and admiration over the grandeur
ard submity of the scene.
Passing along through the first archway or
chamber we found on all sides peculiar aud beau
tiful formations Of rock, from which hang stalac-
tites of varied and numerous shapes aud colOrs.
Huge rocks are suspended from the ceiling With
friehtful gaps between them, and threatening to
unloosen and buTl themselves below. The tOor
is tesselste6 with hard crust-like deposit, which
| has braDchtd out aud shaped itself into thous-
and fantastic forms, while all around are little al
| cCyes or recesses each containing some unique
and striking formations OF its own. At the end
of this chamber climbed up, with little ASS.
lance, TO an aperture which excited our curiosity,
| and pushing our taper through into the darkness,
| were enabled by faint glimmer TO catch the
outlines of deep cavern beyond, which the guide
Ella had of ara a
| number of these cRverns which, being little
difficult of access, have so far bafed discovery,
but which pIomise a delightful and rich treat to
party of hardy fellows whose fears will not get
| The mastery of them upon their approach TO one
| of these dark chambers, that when lighted may
! be less forbiddiDg than these already explored.
With sigh of regret at our inability to dispel the
| darkness that Swallowed this mysterious gallery,
we jumped down to see the spring" around
! which the party were gathered. some imagined
| they could see in its shape the resemblance to a
butterfly while others could detect IN its outlines
the exact figure of heart. With this opinion our
| guide accorded, and we who were in the minority
| gracefully chmed in.
The water is clear and cold, abott three feet in
depth, and of which we had refreshing drink.
! Upon the bottom is a strange composite, which
| looks as if a bushel of sheled peas had been
! thrown into the spring and settled themselves
there To the left of this is an arched recess, to
which we gave the name OF the tunnel, q" fromits
| rOtund and symmetrical shape. In this Is second
| spring. Passing out through this tunnel we struck
the second chamber, which forms sort of gallery,
connecting 1t with the first, il running perpendc
ularly to both. Here several strange fOrma-
tons of rock and cluster of cells Opposite
these is " the pulpit twas there ever cave with
out a pulpit y while TO the left Of this Is pecu-
liar deposit which has fashioned itself into per-
feet shelf, fitted into q three-cOrnered alcOve, ia
which lamp was placed that shed its beams
athwart the pulpit; and in front Of this hangs
tbin transparent leaflike stalaotite. which being
struck by the hand, rings like q bell. Reaching
the end of this second gallery we entered third
and grand one. Here again ponderous rocks hang
impending your heads the floor of solid stone
is beautifully variegated with fantastic figures,
and the side walls fash back the light from N.Y.
Iads OF curious and brilliant crystals. On one
side graceful stalacttes hang down, forming,
as it were, a rich and gorgeous curtain, while
at another place huge rock projects
itself from the wall, upon which q large stalag-
mite has been shaped in the form of q dome or
pillar whose white surface, with thousand gilt
teTng pendants that are suspended from below,
TefIact the rays Of light and make most exquisite
picture. Standing at one end OF this grand cham
ber and taking in al one sweep all its dimensions
and beauty, it alone amply repays for the visit
Leaving this chamber we assembled by means OF
ladder 10 q landing above, some twenty feet, and
we're here surprised and charmed by another Of
the beautiful shelf formations that looked If q
stream of " alter rushing down had been suddenly
crystazed and turned TO stone. Crawling mp be-
meath this shelf, with lady friend, enchanting
view met our eyes-crysta ssof varied shapes and
and spaIkled with myrads of bright rays before
the blaze of the feeble light we bore with us, aud
which added TO the gloom and the shadows Of a
great assure that yawned to the left, down in
which is tall pillar erect and stiff as IL standing
sentry in that lonely spot While seated on the
landing at tie top Of the ladder, one Of the ladies'
sang some exquisite strains of sacred music, and
as she ceased, and the echo of
| "Oh Thou great jehovah"
rang through the deep and hollow corridors, we
almost felt the Almighty's presence, and an aw-
full silence pervaded the party which no one dared
to break until the last lingering sound had died
| away in the gloomy chasms below. Starting to
our feet at length, we passed on, sdmirng at each
step some new object until we reached a low
archway, about four feet in height and about fifty
feet IN length. At its terminus another chamber
| opened to view, upon the floor OF which lie huge
bouders of rock that had been tumbled down by
| some CONFUSION. One of these impeding our pro-
gress, was, by slight effort, dislodged and fall
ing a few feet, awakened whole host Of echoes
that went bounding away, reverberating and re-
sounding in a hundred caverns around us. These
heavy rocks all covered with strange incrus
tations resembling coral, which greatly embelish
and give them exquisite colorng and beauty
Here some of the party becoming chilled from
our long journey underground, and being appre.
hensive of colds, q retreat was ordered, aud re-
tracing our steps we were in q little while A" pick
Dicking in the woods without. There are gal
leries or chambers below those we visited which
have been entered for several hundred feet and
, which by their very length frightened the plOr
ers and drove them back fearing lest they might
, be lost in its windings But there is too much ex
l element and pleasure In such pursuit to allow
ones fears TO Tepress the intense spirit for inves
tigation which visit to this cave srouses, and w
therefore predict that startling discoveries vii
, | yet be made therein. There is every reason L
| jus ify this belief too, in the character of III,
, | country thereabouts IL is all the peculiar lime
stone formation that is found in this cave, and the
, whole region is cRvernous and aboundng In
sinking creeks. or as one Of our party justly re.
| m perfectlV hOueV-cOmDeC.U Within
a few hundred yards Of this cave is another, prob
ably a continuation Of it. in which we discovered
ice X inches thick, very cold was the air there
ID. Several other caves are. in the immediate
vicinity.