The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-04-08

outer world we grew weary, tired and hun.
orv too, but after making a raid upon the ia
bic and dong justice to our end we began 10
reflect upon the habtation we hnd just left,
and the day We had lost, ~ day with its joys
and mournings;' but we had gained an age
in a strange world, and an age of wonderful
cXpe, renee, and an cXhnustleSs store OF SUB
lime and lovely memories.
No description can DO 1t Justice, and no
picture can give the faintcst idea of its sub.
Unity, for il is the greatest natural curiosity
in America and he whose expectations are
not satisfied with It's avenues, domeS ana
sparry grot,ocs must be hard 10 please in.
J deed.
/ How the Mammoth Cave was formed is moi
very well understood, but it is supposed that
| the solvent action Of water holding carbonic
acid in solution was the primary agency, and
that the limestone or carbonate of lime which
constitutes the strata Of rock through which
! the cave runs, and this com0lnea Win an ad-
ditional proportion of carbOnlc ACID, by
which it is transformed into the Oicarbonate
of lime, in this way the process OF cAcava-
ition was conducted until communications
were established with running water, by
which the mechanical agency of that fiuid
was made to assist the chemical.
| In various parts Of the cave little inches
and recesscs are observed, which seem 10
nave been chiseled out and polished by arti.
fetal means, bat they too, II is supposed, were
! formed in this manner, for at the time those
inches were forming water must nave no"eu
through the avenues in which thcy were
| found some Of those inches as
seen in some parts Of the raYine or along Fox
| river.
THE WAY srALACrITE> ARE FORMED
When water holding bicarbonate OF lime
in solution drops slowly from ceiling, by
which it Is exposed 10 the air sufficiently
long enough to allow the escape of one
equivalent OF carbonc acid gas, the lime de-
posts in the form of a proto,carbonatc OF
| lime. II the deposits occur in such man,
ner that the accumulation takes place from
above downward, in the form OF an iciclc,
| il constitutes what is termed Il StdlGctttf; but
If it accumulates from below upward 1t is
called st0laga,tfe S,nlactites and stalag-
mites frequently meet in the center and be-
come connected, by which a column of sup
port IS formed. If the limestone which forms
the stalactltc is perfectly pure, 1t will be
white or scmi.transparent but If it contains
oxide Of iron, II will DE of red or yellowish
color. When stalactitc is black II contains
the black oxide OF iron.
There are several avenues in the cave in
which gypsum is found, but these are per
! lcCtIy iioth s'ioSc ~'H
tain stalactitcs In many of the same aven
tues rosettcs Of alabastcr are formed with sal
actites, but where this is found it Is we'll un
derstood that the water for ages had ceased
to flow, or they are situated far apart, as the
| former cannot form IN damp atmosphere.
THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE CAVE
! The temperature is fifty-nine degrees wlnte'
and summer. with its remarkable purity
one is enabled to undergo an unusual walking
without feeling at all fatigued.
Some fifteen years ago several persons af
Hicted with consumption went to reside 10
the cave, thinking residence there would
benefit their disease, as the temperature wa:
uniform. The idea that consumplives could
be cured by residence in cave must have
been q total misconception as to the nature o.
ph,hsc, as il is well ksown that the absence
of light will develop the scrofulous diathesis
and cause a deposit of tubercles in the lungs
Three Of them died there and those that re
NAMED any length Of time presented!a fright
full appearance The face was entirely blood
less, eyes sunken, and pupils dilated to sucl
degree that the Iris ceased to be visible
j. ID. HAMMOND