The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-04-13
M isc elan @ O III 8.
The Mammoth Cave.

The following letter to gentleman in
this county, is correct, uncolorcd descrip-
tion of the most awe-inspiripg natural
curiosity in the world, the Mammoth Cave
of Kentucky:
Perhaps | may interest you in an account
of the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, which
| visited on the 22d of February last. 1t
is the only thing our old school geography
impressed on my mind with regard to the
State OF Kentucky, and so when my bust
ness brought me within eight or ten miles
of the Cave, ! concluded to appropriate II
day and some ten dollars in money to an
examination into the truth of our old
teaching as to the great Cave.
We entered through the iron door at II
o'clock in the morning, with lamps and
lunch and guides The entrance opened
out at once into vast arched hall CT
chamber, some sixty feet wide by forty
high, and of great length, say one half to
three-fourths of mile, lying very straight
and with little variation in dimensions ex-
cepting the ceiling, which rose or fell as
we proceeded, sometimes forming low
broad arch, and again rising up into high
vaulted arch. The walls were dry and
without incrustation, hard limestone,
with innumerable bats hanging in black
punches or clusters from the roof The
ground descended gradually, was dry and
hard, and was dug into large square pits
eight to ten feet deep, dug out by the gov
eminent (the guide said) in making salt
petre in the war of 1912. This state OF
things continued at least one-h half a mile
and perhaps twice that distance, till the
floor became rocky and descended more
rapidly. The cave closed in more narrow
and at the same time more high, with oc.
casonal great blocks of rock in our road
which seemed to have dropped from the
ceiling.
After something more than a miles
travel, we turned round monstrous rock
called "Gants Coffin" which lis form
suggested, and took side path or channel,
low and narrow, leaving the main cavern
apparently for side issue. We had to
stoop considerably at first, but soon were
introduced into a high narrow passage,
which soon took us to what is called Eat
Mans Misery" This is winding, serpen.
tine pass, cut as it were in the rocky floor
of the cave, about three feet deep and often
not more than fifteen or perhaps twelve
inches wide. The sharp points of rocl,
closing in about the hips made the passage
for those whose breadth is much above the
average exceedingly difficult and painful,
particularly at the sharp angles of the
path. This pass was perhaps twenty rods
long.
Our route became now more varied
turning about to every point of the COM
pass, and varying from broad to narrow
and from up to down. 1t gradually be-
came more damp, the earth becoming at
last actually muddy, and the walk the
same, for we learned that this part is flood
ed.in winter, and we were the first party
who had undertaken the "long route''
this year. 1t had only been "opened" the
day before, by scraping and sanding the
way and repairing the planks across pools
and stairs, which abound in this part of
the cave. At the end of our tour, we
reached the river. Here again we have
what seems to be the main cavern, and
turn at right angle through low passage
across Tor adown) the river. This passage
we make in boat. The water is from
thirty to fifty feet wide, with roof sink
ing to within three feet of the surface and
again rising in places twenty feet. We
were fifteen minutes in making the passage.
They call it one-half mile, probably one
fourth, and they say the water is twenty
feet deep. The water rises and falls with
Green river, which is near, and in high
water closes this passap c by touching the
roof. After leaving the water we ascend
a high slippery way by steps cut in the
clay, and then descend again, and for 0
half mile have damp, muddy walking
frequently interrupted by plank walks and