Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-06-11
DUNRa R.s CAVE.

DUNRARsS CAVE.
EDITOR CHRONICLE. Having spenta very
PHEASANT day in Duilbar's Cave, VIII give
you description OF my underground jour
ney, ana OF sights to be seen in this weird
place. upon which the light of day never
shines and which are second only to the
great Mammoth Cave of Kentucky.
Duabar's Cave is three miles northeast OF
Ciarksviile, one mile south of Cherry's sta
ton anu about quarter of mile from the
Ciarksviiie and Russellville turnpike. The
scenery at the entrance of the cave is grand
large ellis of limestone jutting out over
the month and rising TO the heighth OF a
hundred feet, crowned with forrest trees
ana shrubbery, through which immense
grape vines wind and twist in fantastic
Shapes form natural bower, delightfully."-
refreshing during the cheated term. y From
just below the entrance, through a deep
gorge, flows a bold, brawling stream which
has gathered its waters in the secret cham
bers of the cave; where this stream breaks
forth and some distance below, are great
piles of loose boulders which are covered
with profusion Of ferns, MOSES and wild
flowers of every variety, altogether making
up scene, wild, romantic and beautiful in
the extreme, and if Eye little folks" the
brownies and faries," have not entirely
deserted this mundane sphere, they GER
tainly hold their national conventions AT
Dunbar's Cave, or ought to.
At the entrance proper, is a wild open
space of seventy-five feet in length by forty
In width, entirely covered by the overhang-
ing stones, the distance from the floor to the
roof being about thirty feet. This floor has
been leveled Off ard covered with sawdust,
and is used as dancing ground, there be-
ing ample room for dozen sets. Around
this space runs a natural divan of stone,
about three feet high and three to four feet
wide.
On entering the cave, you are met by
strong draft of air of an average tempera-
ture OF $50, which by the way, is the mean
temperature of the cave the year round,
although in some portionsit gets as low as
$40. The cave at this point is about thirty
feet wide, with the roof or top twenty feet
high, growing broader and higher as you
advance. After gradual descent for dis
lance of fifty or sixty yards, you come to o
large pool of running water, where turning
sharply to the right, up short hill, you
enter the sswheel barrow track" which
leads to the "ball room," a spacious hall
with high ceilings and dry, pleasant at
mosphere. Here are the ruins of the old
Saltpeter works, then comes succession of
rooms of different sizes, the ''Star cham
ber," "Pebble chamber" Independence
Hail." and various others, in all of which
are found crystal formations, stalagmites,
etc. These chambers are connected by pas
sages, the ceilings or roof of which come so
low as to induce very humble attitudes /;
these passages are called the ''crawling pla-
ces, "fat mans misery ETC., however, this
trouble is being done away with, as COM
Portable walk-ways are being made where
needed.
"Peterson's Leap" and the Abyss" are
deep, rough, ugly looking holes. The Leap
is some thirty or forty feet deep, and is found
to connect with another route; across the
Abyss is an unexplorod region, whose mys-
teries are yet unsolved. There are many
lateral branches running in different direc-
tions and various distances, sometime lead
ing back to the main route in their wind
ings There is also the upper Chamber"
which is difficult of access, being some thir-
ty or forty feet above the main body, but
which amply repays the tourist.
Pools of clear, cool water are found in va
rious parts of the cave, some running
others without current; those which run,
frequently rise after heavy rains, but soon
run down to their accustomed stage. The
distance of the longest explored route is
about three miles. The cave, with fifty
acres of land adjoining, is the property of
Messrs. Josh Rice and Charley Warield
who have put it under fence, and are at
work making such improvements as will
do away with great deal of the incon-
venience and trouble a trip through
it gave heretofore. was pleased to see
they have built neat cottage for the use CT
lady visitors, have guide constantly ON
duty, with supply of lamps and candles,
and will shortly add set of cave costumes
for those wanting them, which will be in
charge of the guide. They will soon have
fine graded carriage drive from the pike
to the cave, and will also dig out all tire low
places in the cave, making comfortable
walks, and bridge the pools.
M. Rice tells me that he intends build
ing a dam across the gorge, below the cave,
and make a fish pond, and stock it with
mountain trout. He has been experiment.
a,>ss L. slowing CeIery ana musroonls IN JiIe
cave, and has met with such success as TO
convince him that it will be paying enter
prise. He proposes to have the cave sur
digging TOM above make connection with
the outside world; over the vent thus made
he will build his green house, and supply it
with the So atmosphere from below, thus
keeping it at that temperature during the
winter wfthou@ fuel. How this part of his
enterprise will pan out l can't say, but of
one thing I'm certain, if there is anything
to be found out about flowers Josh Rice
will dig it mp.
A visit to the cave this summer, with the
convenlences and accommodations fur
nished, will be Il most pleasant and agreea-
Bile way of spending a holiday, and as this
has been popular resort, when no provis-
ion was made for the comfort of visitors,
there is no doubt thenumber will increase.
Messrs. Rice and Warfield deserve success
for their enterprise, and heartily wish
may have it. p.