The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-09

{fAH6 oNjUctft INV httHf" w" 9h~t
afl so dear 10 The American heakts, Emu 'nas
4 las smnsensify. Al mere ssilfcse inuass -"
long. Win numerons side DIsocuss'
OF itself be = " by sDing ~. -
But let your iunnea 20 np hi'i hnn oows
swiss blsher srs6 shssissr under groaneS
60 n snesudcr jrserusarly beside bottom
lea nissu and frighfful cbasms; let II mar
here tor a hundred yards TO Q tfue
I. Fat MASS Msery,v and tben wsuen
into halls sna bones and casne-
drsss IKE 4 nember q our churches put
end IA End: let IT'S ceiling now brlns sou
sI,so "a, IA yo,r knees, or TO the pecuhsf AZ
tIe,sde with which you promenade tne 'ong
.sGrerian. geud Asenue," and then hie
,,seis into magnificent arches ana spans 50
Sr.,sd aud high that only the intense Dehgs
l,gb, wlIl enable you even to see thcms ana.
sRove All. .et huge masses and blocks ana
,sdees 81 rock 10 all fautssiic shapes cover
~ aides az your tunnel ~ III they had been
eanne,ously tumbled therein so as 10 leave
= strange bewildermeut as TO what an tDis
was for-I say gather all these modTDcsuons
around YOU main idea Of the ten-mlle tun-
mel IN ven can). and you will q perhaps,
some sort OF notion Of the Mammoth CaFe.
IL is not pFetty-not equal 10 tbs respect
IN some Of cur Virginia caves. There are
very few a those stalactites, or icices 50
stone, which form the special splenaor on
most caves. Some Tose-shaped flowers, Or
efiorescenees, OF sulphate OF lime lsfmhsf
both In mode az formation and partly : 10
anpearance 90 the the ice-Deedies tDat enuue
from cIay soils In winterD cover the walls
and ceiling Ia some parts. Especially 10
" CIeyeIand's Cabinet which Is q cham
her several mites In length, aud aFeragihg
saw % feet broad and 10 feet high, do taese
aowers bloom out 10 dne advantage. per.
fectIy covering the whole arching rool, anu
swing under illumination q certain deitSale
beauty 10 this part oil The cavern Dut;
siter al. the beauty OF the a Is not, L
think, its chief feature.
Returning to our rather VIDE ten.tniIe
tunnel, suppose a haif-miie OF u Yves nl'eu
Ten TO thirty feet deep with water, so as
IN leave still five, ten, or more ieet DC
tween the surface OF the wafer aud Inc
ceiling. aud you have Echo river. rms IS
a reai river underground, across, or ralher
mn. which vol 90 IN boats In trayersing
the cave. Ii has in it the famous "eyeless
fish, specimens OF which seem hard 10 get.
/ had the opportunity, however, OF exam
ming one under a magnider. IL was r little
ike a small catfish, about two inches long,
and | found ii, according TO representa-
ton, without eyes.
The strange romance OF this half.mie OF
boating on this underground river; the
weird dancing OF the lights on the water as
the other boat came into view out OF the
dense darkness; the marvellous echoes,
now soft. now wild, from shout or scream
or musical note coming 10 us as we listened
In absolute stillness-these were to me the
most impressive and memorable incidents
OF my route through the cave.
Now, as a sort OF scientist, / may be eX.
pected to "explain " a little as 10 the origin,
&c. of the great cavern. In a word, then,
the Cave is, think, the bed OF an under
ground river. Other such underground
streams are found elsewhere. They occur
mainly in limestone sections, apparently for
two reasons. Ons Is, the limestone, as any
one can see, usually lies In layers and blocks,
with cracks and crevices between; the
other is hat limestone Is readily dissolved
by certain waters. Water passes readily
into these crevices, and then, parity by
dissolying and partly by wearing away
the rocks. it wIdens and deepens its
track. undermining the rocks, &c, &c,
Eli ali uUUtfRIOuHu SttNdm .
Mammoth Cave is the old bed OF such
a stream, and Echo river Is the remnant OF
the stream itself. This river empties (nn'
d%eryrouud) into Green river, that flows
near by for 1t rises and falls as Green river
rises and falls. When in past ages Green
river flowed in a much higher channel than
now the old Echo river was cutting out the
higher parts OF the cave; and as Green
river has fallen TO its present level the Echo
river also has cut deeper and deeper down,
leaving most Of its old subterraneous cham
mel high and dry 10 become this worlds
wonder-the Mammoth Cave.
But ] must say no more on this beguillng
topic. Back again here In Cincinnati, L
stroll through Eden Park-beautiful for
situation, but now parched and dry-and
then take nv place where | can watch a
multitude, which by careful estimate l
nut at 1000 men, women, and children,
peacefully taking their beer together on the
Highland Heights, and yet my thoughts
turn to home. | 90, by invitation, into the
Public Library and into the library OF the
Mercantile Association, and I read Of my
native city, and wish that at least one such
library were here. And ! stand beside the
grand fountain, the pride OF Cincinnati,
v here the "Genius of Water" with out
stretched perforated hands, sheds the bless
ed gift upon figures below that beseech-
ingly looks to Heaven and hold up the
parched products OF their fields, or, with
empty water-vessels In hand, point implO-
ringly to their houses 10 f1Imes. But the
suggestion is too painful, and | turn sadly
away, and, closing this correspondence, ]
prepare for q speedy return to my afflicted
yet beloved home. Q. ii. w.