The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-08-02
WESTMINSTER, MD SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1873.

sumption are rendered much worse by a resi-.
dence in the Cave, they need not be deferred
from making short excursions in it, for when
not carried to such degree as to occasion
fatigue, they are always attended with advan.
tage. 0ver.excitement of the brain, and in
eipient insanity, would undoubtedly be bene.
fitted by Cave residence. Here absolute 81.
lence can be obtained, which cannot be had
anywhere else, and which is the great desider-
alum in brain affections. II lis surprising how
rapidly the night influence is felt in the Cave,
which is indicated by pallor of the cheeks,
yawning, and an irresistible tendency to sleep.
Persons who first visit the Cave are not, as a
general thing, thus affected, because of the
novelty of their situation, and the many OBJ
Jects which attract their attention. This ten
dency to sleep is not due to any impurity Of
the atmosphere, for the proportion of carbonic
acid is even less than it is in the outer air, but
is referable solely to the complete silence and
total absence of light 1t is perhaps the only
place where person can count the pulsations
Of his own heart by listening to its beat in
fact, the pulsations Of the heart of another
person can be counted at a distance Of several
feet.
Thunder is never heard in the Mammoth
Cave, and gentleman who was in itat the time
shock of an earthquake was, experienced on
the surface of the earth, did not perceive it.
The Rotunda is situated under the dining.
room of the Cave Hotel.
On leaving the Rotunda, and passing huge
oveI-hangiuS cliffa 10 the LEFT, which CLOSELY
resemble the cliffs Of the Kentucky River, az.
ter which they are named, the Methodist
Church is entered. 1t is eighty feet in diam
eter, by about forty in height. Here, from
the gallery or pulpit, which consists of ledge
OF rocks twenty-five feet in height, the Gospel
was expounded more than fifty years ago.
The benches, or logs, occupy the same posi-.
ton which they did when first placed in the
Church
After leaving the Gothic Galleries, which
lead to the Gothic Avenue, of which we will
have occasion to speak further on, the Grand
Arch is entered, which leads to the Giant s
Coffin. This arch is about fifty feet high and
sixty wide.
To the LETT Of the path leading to the Giant
Colin, are found two immense rocks, many
tuns in weight, which have fallen from above,
and are standing in an upright position.
The Giants Coffin is huge rock forty feet
long, twenty wide, and eight in depth, and at
the point from which il is viewed, presents u
striking resemblance to coffin. II has been
detached from the side of the avenue against
which it rests. The avenue at the foot of the
Giants Coffin leads into the Deserted Cham.
Der.
On the ceiling, little to the left of the
Giants Coffin, and looking into the Deserted
Chamber, is the figure of an ant.eater. II is
composed of the eifiorescence of black gyp-
sum, and rests upon back ground of white
limestone. The resemblance of the figure to
the animal after which it is named, is com.
plete.
A short distance beyond the Giants Coffin,
IN the Main Cave, after passing what is called
the Acute Angle, group of figures is obsery.
ed on the ceiling which is termed the Giant,
Wife, and Child. These figures are in sit.
ting posture, and the Giant appears to be in
the act of passing the Child to the Giantess.
They are also composed of black gypsum,
which rests on white background.
Still further on, the figure of colossal
mammoth may be observed on the ceiling.
From the Giants Coffin to the mouth OF
the Cave, wheel tracks, and the impression Of
the feet of oxen may be seen, which were
made nearly fifty years ago. The earth al
the time these Impressions were left, was
moist, as most of it had been lixiviated in the
manufacture Of saltpeter, but at the present
time it is perfectly dry, and almost of the con.
sistency Of stone.
From the Acute Angle to the Star Cham
Der, several stone cottages, which were for.
merry inhabited by cousumptiyes, are still
standing
The Star Chamber is situated in the Main
Cave. 1t is sixty feet in height, seventy in
width, and about FIVE hundred in length. The
ceiling is composed of black gypsum, and il
studded with innumerable white points, which
by a dim light, present most striking resem
blance to stars. These points, or stars, are
produced, in part, by an effiorescence O
Glauber's salts beneath the black gypsum,
which causes il to scale off and in part by
throwing stones against it, by which it i
detached from the white limestone. In tn,
far extremity of the Chamber a large mass
has been separated, by which white surface
is exposed, termed the Comet.
When the guide takes the lamps and
descends behind ledge of rocks, by which q
cloud is made to pass slowly over the ceiling
i is difficult to divest ones self of the idea
that storm is approaching. 1t needs but
the flash oflightning and the roar of thunder
to make the illusion complete.
After producing the storm illusion, the guide
disappears with the lamps, through lower
archway, several hundred yards in length
leaving the visitor in total darkness, and re-
appears at the eastern extremity of the Stal
Chamber, holding the lights inadvance, which
as he slowly elevates them from the cayerr
from which he rises, produces the illusion Of
the rising sun.
With the exception Of Echo River, the Star
Chamber is, perhaps, the most attractive OBJ.
ject in the Cave.
The Floating Cloud Room connects the Stal
Chamber with Proctor's Arcade.
The clouds are produced by the scaling of
OF black gypsum from the ceiling, by an eiiior
essence of sulphate of soda beneath il, b,
which white surface is exposed. They ap.
pear to be drifting from the Star Chamber
over the Chief City. The Cloud Room is a
quarter of a mile in length, and in hight and
width corresponds with the Star Chamber.
This is the most magnificent natural tunnel
in the world. 1t is hundred feet in width,
forty-fve in hight and three quarters of a
mile in length. The ceiling is smooth, and
the walls vertical, and look as though they
had been chiseled out of the solid rock. When
this tunnel is illuminated with a Bengal light
at Kinney's Arena, which Is its western termi.
nus, the view is magnificent beyond concep-
ton.
This arcade is named in honor of Mr.. L. J.
Proctor, the proprietor of the Cave.
kinney's Arena is hundred feet in diam.
eter and fifty feet in hight. From the ceiling,
in the center of the Arena, there projects a
stick, three feet in length and two inches in
diameter. 1t rests parallel with the ceiling,
and is inserted into crevice in the rock.
How it was placed in its present position is a
difficult question to settle, inasmuch as it
could not have been inserted in the position
it occupies by artificial means.
After passing the S Bend, which has no
particular points of attraction, Wright's Ro-
tunda is entered.
This rotunda is four hundred feet in its
shortest diameter. The ceiling is from ten
to forty-ive feet in hight, and is perfectly level
the apparent difference in hight being pro.
duced by the irregularity of the floor. Ii is
astonishing that the ceiling has strength to
sustain itself, for it is not more than fifty feet
from the surface of the earth. Fortunately
the Cave at this point is perfectly dry, and no
change of any kind is transpiring in It, other
wise there might be some risk Of its falling in,
as evidences Of such occurrences are TO be
found in the surrounding country.
When this immense area is illuminated al
the two extremes, simultaneously, it presents
most magnificent appearance.
At the eastern extremity Of the Rotunda, is
q column, four feet in diameter, extending
from the floor to the ceiling, termed Nicholas
Monument, after one of the old guides.
'Iha Enx Avanua communicate. Al .