Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-09-22
NASHVILLE AMERICAN THURSDAY SEPTEMBER o. 1870
THE KENTUCKY oAvERNs.
The Mammoth, PrOctOr's and Other
Caves-NeVy DiscOveries-New I'm

The Mammoth, PrOctOrss and Other
Caves-NeW DiscOveries-New Inn
prOVements.
The Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, for
more than half century classed with the
greatest wonders of the world, has been |
visited the past summer by more persons /
than during ans other season since its ex- |
istence was known.
AS SUMMER RESORT
it has become very popular, under the jus
dicious management of the lessee, Col. L. |
]. Proctor, who has devoted some fifteen |
years to the care of the Cave, and to the |
entertainment of visitors, for both health |
and pleasure. Contiguous to the Louis |
vile and Nashville railroad, the great
thoroughfare of travel between the North |
and South, west of the Aleghanies-w |
daily mail beth ways-with elevated sur
roundings and pure atmosphere-witha
society, ever changing, composed Of the
most fashionable and cultivated, not only
from all the States of the Union, but of
the woodland with the most genial and
hospitable of hosts, it has been chosen as a
summering point by those who have tried
all the most noted in the country. Not
night in the season but brilliant party as
sembles in the ball room, while the prone
made and other amusements furnish other
tastes and sentiments with ample enter
tainment.
The season will not close until about the
LIST of November indeed, the cave and |
hotel are open at all seasons to visitors; but
the crowd of visitors will not subslde until
about The time above mentioned. During
the fall months the waters of the cave are
l.. III L. ovvN7orad Y1arta of fhQ /
ern can be visited without obstruction,
making it in truth the most desirable sea-
son.
NEW DISCOVERIES.
Observations, made with great care and
painsta1ing during the past summer, have
demonstrated some very interesting facts,
hitherto unknown, in relation to the course
and length of the cave. 1t is ascertained
that the course of the cave Is extremely
tortuous, the cavern often passing over
and beneath itself, something like the
fretted coils of huge serpent. For
example, ''Bacon Chamber" is directly
under 'ReveIler-' Hail." the ''Dead Sea"
is but a few hundred yards from the
mouth; "Echo river" three and half
good miles, by the route of travel, within
the cave, flows deep underneath the sur
face, within half mile from the entrance,
while the ''Maelstrom," the end of the
ELong Route" nine miles from the en-
trance, by surface measurement IN direct
line, is the matter of couple of miles and
a half The "Grand Rotunda" is the last
point at which sounds from the outward
world have been heard within the cave.
Here the explorer descends, and it Is yet
unknown to what depths he reaches in his
wondrous meanderings among the domes
and pits, valleys, mountains, arcades,
grottoes, avenues, passes and galleries OF
this ''grand, gloomy and peculiar" forma-
ton.
PRoCToR's CAVE.
Undoubtedly all that region of country
surrounding the Mammoth Cave is under
laid with caverns, with equally grand invo-
lutiops, and probably more brilliant and
beautiful formations. Proctor's Gave, dis
covered some six years ago, has already
been explored many miles, and these exs
plorations have added to the known gran
deur and beauty of that singularly cavern
Gus region. Proctor Cave is the property
of the present lessee OF the Mammoth Cave.
Its entrance is only three and half miles
from Glasgow Junction, on the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad, and is situated on
beautiful elevation, commanding splen-
did landscape view of the surrounding
country Mr.. Proctor has now employed
force exploring and opening this cave for
the delectation of future visitors. 1t Is
already opened about two and a half miles,
in which are presented the most mag
nifcent stalactitic formations. Some
fifty miles have been explored, In
which are domes of greater extent
and beauty, than any ever be-
fore seen. Developments already made
indicate not only that Proctor's Cave will
prove to be the greatest cave of the world,
but one of still greater wonders than any
ever beheld. We are glad to know that
Col Proctor possesses the means, the in
clination and the enterprise to explore it
to its ultimate limits and through all its
multitudinous ramifcations. 1t Is his pur-
pose to soon commence and complete
SPLENDID MODERN HOTEL
near the entrance to his cave, where visit
ors to any of these points of surprising
interest will find accommodations equal to
those to be found anywhere on the conti-
nent, This structure will be situated in
an extensive grove of forest growth, COM
manding a view of many miles of lovely
landscape, and will be flanked by elegant
cottages, devoted to the use of families, who
may occupy them as lodgings, with board
at the hotel, or as homes where they may
live within and to themselves, enjoying
the society of the place, the beauties Of its
scenery, the privileges of the cave, and the
fine atmosphere of this delightful locality.
The architect is now engaged on the plan
of this hotel. 1t viii embrace all the con-
veniences and improvements of a first class
building of the kind, be elegantly furnished
throughout, and offer every attraction the
pleasure-seeker would or could desire.
The thousands who have enjoyed the hos~
pitality of Col Proctor during the last fif-
teen wears, will unite with US in wishing
him unlimited success in his enterprise.
THE DIAMOND CAVE.
Not far from Proctors, is another evil
dence of the generally cavernous character
of this region. 1t is short, but is repre-
scented to contain the finest and most bril-
liant formations ever met with. 1t Is an
evidence that other and still more beauti-
full and splendid scenes are in store for the
successful explorer of Proctor's Cave.
''NarthaS Vineyard" and "Clevelands Cab
met. " the most pleasing beauties of Man,
moth Cave, meet the view far beyond the
river. The same may be the case in Proc
tors Cave, which also has its rivers, equal
in extent with those of the Mammoth Cave.
Recent developments, indeed, have proven
that the public does not know the extent
of these vast caverns, and that they may
yet expect to find labyrinths more inexplI-
cable than the Catacombs, and more gorge
Gus than imagination has conceived, or ro-
nance and poetry expressed.
When the Fairs Commence.