The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-07
SUBTERRANEAN V0YAGING.
THE UNDERGROUND WONDERS FOUND
IN IHE GREEN RIVER REGION.
Discoveries that Seer TO Verify Col. Uendcr-
sons Conjecture OF Neither world or
Tunnels, Cntncombs. and Extensive Rivers.


Tunnels, Cntncombs. and Extensive Rivers.
Frsa he ,YacianoH Eaqpi,,c
The latest discovery seems to verify Col.
Richard Iendcrsons conjecture that southern
surface area Of 40 English sTuSre miles. He
used to maintain that the cavcrns OF Elmonson
county. ms we'll rs the sinks" or natural els
terms of tho Upper Green River District were
only tho portnls or rather hatchways OF neither
world Of tunnels. cntacomhs. and extensive
rivers, and his opinion WIS founded on tho fol-
lowing observations: Bctwscn Columbia lAdnir
county, and woodbury. (Butler county, the
urcon river receives nll rs main tributaries
OF It's valleys. especially the counties south and
southeast 81 Munfordsvillr. seem to be porous;
not only hollow, hut honrycOmbcd with innu-
mcrahle horizontal and vertical cnvcrns. which
communicate with tho upper world by funnel
OF about 10000 acres " fertile meadows
and Woodlands A traveller who leaves
bowling Green in northcastery direction
timbcrod slopes and scdgy bottoms would indi-
cate as many g9od-s,zed creeks in any other
part Of the world. You descend through u
rocky dell which seems To- have conveyed the
mountain watcr courses To tho main valley be-
low. ana reach. not river or creek. but
bouldcrs and smooth pcbblcs bnt Ms dry M the
gullct OF Dives not yostigc of running water; ;
not rivulet or smallest spring; not drop Of
any moisture Whatever nnywhcrc. except IN tho
fenced pastures. whore stock breeders hnvO
dammcd and brick-lned little pond. Tho
annual ram fall OF this region exceeds forty
inches. and the luNuriancc II the trees. mead
Ows and corn fields. oven on the hi ghrst ridges,
shows thnt there II no lack OF moisture III and
under the soil. though II cannot collect and run
on the surface very lar without being ingulfed
by one Of the countless sinks which prr-
foratc the base of all ravincs. for half an hour
after the heaviest rains. the bottom Of the val
ley + as dry ms II nothing had happened, and
the southeast manage To disappear bodily. like
We :. pigeso,nn Greek south Of Li,chiicld and
The disc@ver "" OF the MHmnIo,l GIVE M" nni tho
so-callel Rabbit Hole near Glasgow revealed
two subtcrrdncan rivers. respectively twenty
aud twcnty-cght yards wide. with nm average
depth 81 ten fcrt. n0wing from northeast To
southwest. ny Il they had come from the neigh
borhood Of Crab Orchard or ROrkrastle county.
where indeed. different large crooks disappear
rrnppenr. and finally nrc lost in the Silurian
Ridge, dividing The valley Of the Barren river
intervening region X almost devoid ~ running
surface water. i becomes evident that II the
Echo river and the Styx " the Mammoth Cave
are Identical with the lost creeks OF HDrkcnstle
county, they must have run underground for at
least siNty English miles, ana received numrr-
Gus lateral tributaries from the ghborhoud
~ MuntordsViile AMI Iit'hhcld in other
words. tho entire region between the Green
river on tho north and the Cumberland water
shed on the south AMI southeast. must be- hol-
10y. or az lenst undermined IN every direction.
Long hefor" the astounding discoveries in
Elmundsun county this theory found support
"rs among the white settlers IL the Cumberland
valley, whose trading aud hunting expeditions
brought them In frequent intercourse with the
Northern Chcrokccs. During the Treaty OF
Wataga t1775l Col. Henderson made the no.
Winchester settlements Uurty miles west Of
Clarksvlllcl, who told him that h. was out hunt
ing in the Chicknsnw Ridge Il few years ago.
and being disappointed in his search of drink
INK water. he hailed an Indian. who was trudg-
ing along with bad of coon skins. and seemed
70 be- familiar with the topography of the neigh
horhood. The lndinn, nm icrstAniing his signs
rather than his words, b'rkoned him tO follow.
and trampcd along TIL they reached the west
ern slope Of the ridge, whore he conducted him
TO u deep gully. und, after camhering down
hill through rocks and iuniper bushes for some
al ~ Ia m nuf 4 -, huks
been formed 10y n lRnd-slip. hut proved to be the
entrance Of II long tunnel Al the cnd Of this
tunnel they saw glimpses 81 daylight from
above. and at their feet n stagnant pool Of lee
cold water. when gradually expanded into n
vast ako dccp and broad. and still gaining in
BREATH rs II stretched away into utter dark
ness. Al shallow places and around projecting
rocks the water edge was lined with sort of
the pure taste of the water
When they rciracrd their steps the young
fnrmer had almost made up his mind Ia pnss
the night At the entrance Of tiie cave. and marx
his way hnck homo" next morning: but by ges-
lures and emphatic erunts his COMPANION pre-
the ravine. where they struck a trail that soon
brought them hack to the ridge otthc hills at a
point whore they had Fort Winchester and the
Cunbcrlnnd river IN plain sight; aud, AS the
sun had almost reached the horizon, tho farmer
concluded to 60 home, while his swarthy COM
phnion pursued his way along the ridge toward
his wgwam IN the Green river mountains.
Is return to Fort Winchester with thu story
ot his adventure started tn" young men Of the
settlement on AN exploring expedition, hut their
guld" was unahl" Ia identity the lake cavern. or
even the rnVinc. among tine thousand raVinrs
aud limestone caves Of the Chirkasaw ridge
Years after, when " Proctor's Dome and the
Rabbit Hole had beon discovered. he noticed
TINT the dark rivers OF these caNcrns often car
rird shred, -! seawecd similar To- that of the
suhterran"au lake. md which could hardly
hhN" been formed in their own swift current
Anmher circumstance which seems Ia indicate
tho existence of large underground reservoir
Is IN" small rnnct which the most violent rains
produce on tho water mark 81 these cave rivers
Tor u Is wei known that a swollen creek. pass
ing through n lake. has To raise the level OF the
entire cNppnse Of the larger water before the
volume of the lower outlet can be Visihly Effected
=, The hidden lake Aliens lake thcy call il ia
Monroe county was discovered in 1923, but the
dis ovrrrr disappeared In way which makes
II probable that the Cherokee Indians wished To
preserve the monopoly % tho secret. Lewis
10y trade. had settled with his brothers family
near mar hlnSs.ohs ferry.. en-, IN NE onmnerand
toward tho end OF September Of The above
named ycar To- superlnteud the construction Of n
frame dwelling house on the place Of Capt sam
strollcd ont into tie hills To shoot a rabbit or
two. mud To look ut certain pieces oi timber
which the Captains negroes had rough hcwn
Tor meeting tthe Hillsborough farmers had inn
ported preacher from Aliens native place.
ull they hal TO 20 to dinner without him. To-
ward evening they became uneasy. and wero
Just organizing Il pntrol. when Alien returned
minus his hat ana shawl mud asked the Captain
tor II private interview. He would send Il smart
rutprnlrf from Nashville, he said, or get his own
brother To finish the job: MS for himself he
hhd 10 take trip TO Norfolk. where he hoped To
borrow four or five thousand doilars from ccr-
tain parties that knew him ms u reliable man.
During his ramhles in the hills, he informed
the Captain he had made a very interesting
discovery. having by sheer accident come ncross
natural curiosity when would attract visitors
from All parts Of the globe. and nuke the for
tune OF the dlsroNcrcr and proprietor MIR.
Henry did not press him to explain. hut limited
That he could keep u secret us we'll rs any man
in East Virginia.
II isn't that, Captnn.' said Allen. But In
my native place know chimp who would be-
exactly the right man to get such an enterprise
under way; and rs Tor you, | shall have 10 20
hnlv"s with you any how. as you +" the owner
OF the soil but ] am Il poor hand at figures. and
you must not think hard Of mo for getting II
wlheuwuke business man To tako nay part. "
The comrades learned the purpose ~ tho
Interview, and tried hard To coax him into fur
ther details. but he WAS as close MS way and an
swerrd thrir Leading questions with promises
OF lMll particulars after his return.
TOO many cooks spoil the broth" he said,
an It would hr wrong to spoil II good thing:
Tor rhu tell YOU thnt much, boys | have b.cn
al Niagara Falls but didn't see the greatest
curlos 4ty 81 this country til about eleven o'clock
tins morning You all shall SEQ it II you can
wait couple II w"eks"
II" lett for Norfolk the next morning. ana had
h'pn gone about a Wnpk Wnnu tGVp t'nprnkan