The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-03-14
From the University Reporter.
A VISIT TO MAMMOTH CAVE
by PROF. c. A. WHITE.

BY PROF. G. A. WHITE.
cannot expect to interest the read.
ers OF the Reporter so greatly, but
will try to give az unembellished
account Of the cave. aud Of my visit
to it In company with a majority ol
the rneLubers Of the American Assnci.
alton for the advancement o! Science
Upon the adjournment Of the meeting
at Indianapolis we took the cars fol
Louisville, and from thence to Cave
City station on the Louisville and
Nashville railroad. From the station
TO the hotel near the mouth Of the
cave, we had an eight mile ride by
stage cosch over somewhat hilly and
rocky region, gradually ascending
several hundred feet in that distance
SO that the vicinity Of the mouth oil
the cave we found to be considerably )
more elevated than that over which
the railroad passes.
Passing the night at the hotel We
were ready with select party oi
twenty geologists early in the morning
for our explorations.
Leaving the hotel and going . few
hundred yards down q gentle decliv
ity, 1t seemed as il we were going
down valley side and approaching Z
stream, but instead Of that We we're
approaching the mouth Of the Mann
moth Cave. The sides of the seeming
valley We found to convergs toward II
rs vortex. Reaching Il We found
the rocky leGges .DrotruSing from be-
nc~tu the everything soil 6tlO s.e-,.,
The mouth is no: very large, and 1t q
point some rods inward II 10 still mar.
rover, but yet wide enough to allow
wagons 10 pass, which they did con.
stantly during the war with England
in 1872, when large quantities Of salt.
petre were made in the cave, the pits
and embankments that were construc-
ted for that purpose still remaining.
Each member OF the party was pro-
vided with lamp, and, although
there were twenty Of US, the light
from them was not sufficient to show
US both sides Of the chamber we were
in, and often the roof was also invisi
bic. Our guide was provided with q
coil Of magnesium wire, which burns
readily in the flame of q lamp. giving
the most intense light. perfectly re
vealing to Us the most capacious cham
Der. The terms chamber and passage
are used in this description but neither
Of these terms is very definite In its
application. The whole route, for it
10 literally an underground route, is a
series Of gradually aud abruptly mar
rowing aud widening spaces in the
more or less solid stratified limestone,
sometimes wide as city street, aud
again so narrow that q mans body
passes with difficulty; sometimes SO
high that we peer into the upper dark
ness to discern the roof ~ we seek for
solitary star on cloudy night, and
again SO low that we must bend the
body double to make the passage.
Thus we go onward for an hour or
two, our path seeming to vary not
much from q general level. aith )ugh Ii
is at times quite rugged from fallen
rocks. In what direction we are trav-
cling we do not know, for we are not
allowed to carry q compass lest we
might be able to indicate to other
parties points where other entrances
to the cave might be msie. for one
only Is now known. Now we cross a
little bridge over Q chasm into which
our guide throws bunch Of cotton
which he has soaked in oil and lighted
in his lamp. We watch 1t - 1t goes
down, down-showing fearful depth
which we should otherwise have
passed without knowing it-and lodges
upon projecting ledge, but does not
show Us the bottom. He does not re.
peat IL, knowing that this 10 less i'm
pressive than others we are to see le.
fore our journey Is done. Soon the
path descends; the earth at our feet
grows moist-it has hitherto been
Dry aud cool -And We are, our guide
tells US. upon the banks Of the river
Styx. We egather upon the brink, and
sure enough there il the river and the
boat waiting for Us, but Charon not
appearing, we are rowed over by
Frank, our guide. There seems to be
very little current In the river; II II
evidently not very deep, indeed the
boat grounds at one point a. we are
crossing, aud Il 10 only few rods
wide. The water IL clear aud drinka.
BILE, differing In this respect, l believe
from the original Styx. Leaving the
boat, we 60 on as before. about qus-
ter Of q mile, when we arrive at the
bank Of Echo river. This, our guide
tells US, is half mile wide. I think
II il about forty or Any rods, but a. Il
is one Of the most impressive parts o.
the cave, this remark should not bs
understood as indicating m under 20
timstion of 1t.
Here another boat is waiting for ~
In which we seat ourselves and oul
guide now our farryman puts opt Int
the darkness, which our hhaps hardl,
make an Impression upon. The voice
Of the party become confused in tn
echoes from the adjacent rocks and tha