The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-01-04
Another Mammoth Cave.

Another Mammoth Cave.
Aweek seldom passes by without some new
and wonderful discovery being made in the
great expanse of country known as the South
west. Of late most of these discoveries have
| been made in the southwestern portion OF Mis-
souri, and the Indian Territory, which has been
| for many years only partially explored by the
white man. During the latter part OF the war,
q cave wss discovered near Pineville, McDon-
aid county, Missouri, but the times were so un-
| settled that beyond q careless superficial exam
ination of the more accessible. portion of it
no general explorations have as yet been
made.
Mr.. G. @. Carpenter, a gentleman residing in
Pineville, in company with one or two of his
friends, gives the following as the result OF an
expedition made last week in search of the
wonderful.
The location of this new subterranean wOn-
der is sixteen miles southeast of Pineville, Nc
Donald county the entrance is on Sugar creek,
in ravine bearing the suggestive title of "Bar
Hollar." You make your entrance into the
bowels of the earth through volcanic assure
seven feet wide by twenty feet in length; you
soon lose sight of daylight and find yourself
in long entrance hall fully one hundred yards
in length, which terminates in the bat room, SO
named by the explorers from the thousands OF
bats that swarmed within its dark and hidden
recesses; they few about in swarms, making
terrible noise in the arched roof above. This
room has three sides, each with an aperture
opening into smaller caverns or side rooms.
The dimensions of the room were taken by Mr..
Carpenter, and found to be 80 by 130 feet, the
ceiling about twenty feet from the floor. Pas
sing from this rooa, walk of about four hum
dred yards, through spacious hall and we find
ourselves in Barnum's Museum, so called from
the number of strangelv-shaped stalactites
found there. This room is in the shape of
horseshoe. Nature most certainly intended
this room for a church, since the roof is arched
in purely Gothic style, with dome and columns,
and, to finish off and make it complete, a pull
pit near Sthe center. The walls of this mag
nifcent cavern are 100 feet high, but one OF
the most remarkable features about it is foun-
ing northward we find a room sixty feet wide,
and filled almost full of glistening formation
of stalactites, which hung in curiously formed
pendants from the roof To the south of this
is a room which should be named the bottom
less pit, since itapparently has neither bottom,
sides, nor roof The darkness within this place
is appalliug. Turning to the east the party
walked distance of about quarter of mile,
when they came to fight of natural steps,
forty or fifty in number, terminating in wide
platform which formed the entrance to Mann
moth Hall, supported by Corinthiau pillars of
various thickness, and endless in number, ali
white as snow, and glistening as th0ugh studded
with millions of diamonds. This hall is prob
ably two hundred feet in width, and communi-
Gates with number of passages leading OF in
various directions, none of which have as yet
been explored Proceeding on their way, the
explorers found river of running water, COM
ing, no one knows from whence, and go
ing, no one knows where. 1t is about fifty feet
wide and three feet deep. The party followed
its course down stream to the falls, where u the
water goes roaring over precipice into the
darkness below. Tie party retraced their way
to the Mammoth Hall, crossed the river and
proceeded on their way. They passed room af.
ter room, of endless shapes and full OF natural
curiosities.
Miles of caverns were passed through, each
having outlets in Others and all dark, but all
full Of beauty when lighted up with torches or
lamps. A lake of pure water was soon reach
ed, which was at first supposed to be river.
Here rude boat or dug-out had been brought
by fugitive during the late war. He had ex-
plored the lake during the war, and went north
ward until he thought he was coming to wa
terall, when he returned. :,
Further explorations OF the lake ueVeioPed
the fact that the noise was made by huge
waterfall, where the water came pouring in
from above. The water. falls a distance OF fifty
feet The lake is circular in shape, and has no
visible outlet for water. 1t is about one hum
dred acres in extent. There were eight or ten
dark passages found upon the banks of the lake,
leading in all directions, but the guide accom-
panying the exploring party lost his courage
and refused to 60 further. The party were then
about eight or ten miles from their starting
point. They were.in the cave forty-three hours.
Mr.. Carpenter says that there is another en-
trance to the cave thirty miles Distant which
old trappers and hunters say leads to the lake.
Mr.. c. G. Carpenter lives at Pineville, McDon-
aid county, and will take pleasure in making
further explorations with any party who may
call upon and accompany him.-Raasas Csty
Tines,