Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-04-02
4 New tl.amberIn Ssammofh cave.

A new chamber has been discov-
cred in the Mammoth Cave. A
correspondent thus describes it
"Taken the beaten path through
1.-THE Narrow the guide lei the
way through the r0tunia, where
thousands Of t0rrid bats are hung up
] by the claws to the rnof while sosne
/ of the more wakefui pettishly squeak
their objection to the lamps and a
i few Whirr around in the inky dark :
ness of the chamber. We pass on
/ into a low chamber with Il smooth
arched roof, known as the "Arched
Way,o and just before reaching
s'Side Saddle PITT turned to the
/ left where William pointed out, a
hole about as large as the entrance
to the dog kennel. Going down on
all fours he Immediately began to
crawl in, and, although not relish
ing the business very much, we fol-
lowed. Crawling along for about
three hundred feet we came to pit
covered with a thin shell of lime
stone through a crevice in which af-
ter throwing in tuft of burning pa
per, we could see distinctly the out
lines of the terrible hole. Passing
along on hands and knees about one
hundred feet further brings you to
the first opening known to the new
pit-the deepest now known. Con-
tinuing fifty feet farther, another
opening is discovered leading into
this terrible noIe. From this point
we measured the depth, which
proved to be 1876 feet, that being
from thirty-five to forty feet deeper
than the Bottomless Pit, which has
heretofore been considered the
deepest in the cave. When the eX-
traOrdinary depth was ascertained
it was decided TO christen the new
discovery there and then, and it
was forthwith baptised in fire,
Bengal light being thrown down
into its horrid throat, and the name
pronounced to be the "MammOth
Pit" The passage to this. pit is so
much obstructed that but few Wis
itors would be willing to undertake
it in its present condition, but the
manager intends having the OBJ
struction removed. This pit will
prove one of the most awe-inspiring
which the beWildered visitor sees
in his travels through this world of
darkness. There is another OPEN
ing into this same pit on lower
level, which it is believed can also
be used to allow visitors to look |
down into its black depths. This
opening is beyond, and fifty feet be-
low the "Bridge of Sighs," which /
crosses over the "BOttOmless Pit"
The other point of interest to us
was a beautiful grOttO entered from |
the Labyrinth, of which it is a con-
tinuation. This grotto has seldom |
been seen by visitors on account of |
its inaccessibility, and is rarely Wis
tied by any of the guides. 1t is re-
markable for the perfection of stall T
actitic formations, and while forma- /
tions, of this class have been much |
defaced and broken by the hand of
vandalism in the most frequented |
part of the cave, here they are per-
feet, and new ones always forming. |
AS this i1tGle jewel-box is situated
beyond the Labyrinths out of which |
the daughter of Minos guided Thes-
ems, it has been appropriately called
"Ariadne's Grotto." 1t is the in |
tention of the manager to make this
place easily reached, ana IL VIII IN
the future be shown in the short
route.
The intelligence and enthusiasm
of our black guide, William, was
truly astonishing. He takes as
much interest, apparently, in each
trip, as if he han not been doing
the same thing every day for the
past fifteen years. He is something
OF a geologist, too, and can tell you
the different constituents of every
stone he sees. Not long ago, gem
tleman who had been conducted
through the cave by William was
SO charmed with his gentle manners
and intelligence that he told him he
would give him anything he asked
of him. William modestly reques-
ted that the gentleman would send
him handbook on geology, and
his spare hours in the upper world
are now beguiled by the study of an
excellent work on this subject. The
discovery in the cave Of new cham
bers, passages and pits is the work
of the guides, whose curiosity and
desire to have something new to
show, leads them into the most un-
inviting and uncomfortable places.