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


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kxo xYrkEss FFsH- . EXPLANATION ~
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ff<en q seeeia corrssponesptl
fxxrrssAqr. o., August ~, 1901.
Z k.xe hcca 10 the Mammoth Cave, ana
n~~c r., oroed 10 thA city again Tor 2 qsy,s
,sst. 4 will give you a lev notes OF tpe
Srln. About ssyenty.hve OF Us iett nels
Weduesday morntng early, taking tne sn1as
f.fof dor LouisviKe, Ky" which y tiv na,,o'
"a. aud hence eigbty-Dve miles 90 ny
louisville aad Nashville road Tor cave wv.
.tas this the Blue.Grsss sectionf 49,
So snqnifipg traveller a. we ds.neo tn,v"s"
tbe heart OF Kentucky. me- VII
sponse; ssthat lies east OF tnls.u.e go
but the grass and the crop. gene.auy D~h
fsiniy look very blue TO me. huu' :. wss
hs dismal Joke scented nest.ess' rsa.
hight; Tor the drought 10 tnat par. :.
tsT sns ss far ~ / could learn tbrougn-
cof mcet az fudisnn and Ohio also, was iuuy
eonsi 40 that ia Virgins, and was ifuIy
saddenIpg 10 see. Corn dried up, grass
wtfhsred and dead. pastures bare ana ousty
a. ! rosd. aud what were streams. OF water
NOE opIy mocking rocky channels; THESE
xere The common sights OF The Journey.
Give Ctr, which is only q small rslIfoso
village with on ambitious title, was Dut III.
prepared for the thrush, about = Z. M, ~
80 mspy tired, dusty, and hungry travellers
aud ats commissary department yleioeo on'!
soroe dry crsakers and the inevitable peer
N abe almost frantic raids OF the sctenline
INVESTIGATOR. The cave Is nine miles on
and The distance has to be msde In stages
,eos,Iar oId.fakhfoned, big.booied, leatDer'
springed. fo~lLsnd-pitcb, doubie-deckeo
four. horsed stages. I, made one feel COCO
"a see them drive up, take their load, ano
stsrt on Tor their two hours Journey.
i managed 10 get a choice seat on Toe
MINER deck with 8 merry party OF three, tue
ono wbo sat nearest me being O brignl
vonnr CipcInna,i miss Just out OF SCHOOL,
wbose freshness, beauty, and vivacity soon
dispeIled our WEAKNESS and awakened all
D Youthful jolliiy. IL was delightful ride'
The country Is rolling, almost mountainous
giving fpe views OF hill and valley, and a.
the stage toiled upthe rocky road or dashed
down a smooth declivity the scenery, suS-
eesliye in its limestone formation OF caves,
The stage associations, the iresbened breezes,
The declining sun, the queer-looklng pea.
sspts who met us on the road with frult and
specimens from toe cave for sale, and The
CAV all eonspired to make TIE oc'
easion one long 10 be rememberoN
We reach the Cave Hotel at length, ano
after supper prepare TO eLter the cave TOE
same night. There are several "rOutes "
into the cave, among which The visitor may
choose. We select n modincation OF the
1Short Route" for the night. reservlng the
ALoug Route" for the next day. Inns
"Short Rouie" - said to be, and proDaoly
ia, about three and a hall miles long, WINE
The "Long Route,' even when shortened
one and a half miles by u return through the
toriuous and torturlng "Corkscrew, lssiX-
teen snd A half miles long. THESE cave miles
are very UNCERTAIN. The famous guide Will
liam gave me the figures l use, but the cave
circular puts the Long Route at twenty
miles. while one OF N party who carried
> pedometer IN his pocket made 1t only
Twelve miles. | may add that there are said
10 be 123 known avenues In all, whose total
length is put at $50 to 200 milesl Now, this
twenty miles OF walking under ground
much of II, by reason OF the roughness OF
slIpperiness or steepness OF the path, being
ns firesome as walking could we'll be, was
accomplished by a number OF us within
tyenty-four hours sitter our arriyal at the
care.
/ have no Idea Oh iDficting upon your
readers any detailed description OF this
great wonder, the Mammoth Cave. A
guide book would tell them OF the hundred
domes and arches and avenues and pulpits
and halls and chambers and columns, &C.,
&c. with their ~fancIful names and the size
Of each and The legends thereunto belong
ing. / have no time for these, nor do
remember one 10 ten Of them, although the
faithful guide called out each SIS we passed,
and the name taken up by others went
sounding down the line.
A few somewhat personal points only
1 will sketch. First, we were fortunate IN
having with US Rev. Mr.. Hovey, OF Con
uecticut, who has given great study to thi'
cave. and who is the author OF an illustrated
article In Scribner Of last October entitled
.One Hundred Miles 10 Mammoth Cave
Mr.. Hovey also read a paper on the cave be
fore the A. A. A. s. This paper and thu
regulations / have seen here reveal the fac
that the owners Of the cave will not allow
any measurements whatever to be made IL
1t. The reason seems 10 be that theil
ownership Of the cave depends upor
their possession Of the only known entrances
to T.; but IL It's course and position undel
the ground were known. some one els
might tap II and make a new entrance. w,
had another advantage both In the humble
and In the character OF our party. Eacl
visitor carries a stat and sort Of swinginI
lamp or open lantern, and the larger tn
marty the~more lamps OF course, and th
---.4.. A. |I.-tnGffosn 90 thu 0au0 I'm
OF the 81 sights" the most weird aud en-
chanting for me. was to stand near one en'
Of the line and watch the long column o
twinkliag lights fling along over rocks ant
across bridges, beside precipices and yawn
Ing cbasms, while in front and rear ther
relpned the very blackness OF darkness.
Our company, too, was a pleasing com
pound OF similar and disslmilar elements
we were all more or less united By q low
OF scientific pursuits, and had passed wee
together Ia friendly interchange OF views
Yet we were from sil parts OF America, anl
each bad his own peculiarities OF manner
speech, and opinion. Northerners an
southerners, New-Englanders and repre-
sentatiyes OF the great West, veterans II
science and younger aspirants after fame
elderly women who iii professors chair
and write books, aud women whose bus
bands do SO; young ladies' who aizeC
science, and younger damseis who have q
vet only pretty faces aud 1.-The forms an
inuulring miads to boast of-ail these con
miugle, and, under the influence OF commo
enioynenfs aud common surroundings, bal
monte iato one homogeneous company.
/ was one Of the few OF the "rcba" pei
suasiou, and I was at no pains to coace'
The fact. Il came oct thus: There are !
the cave q namber OF immense taak'
wooden w~aterspapes, &c, used, " Is said, :
the war OF 1917 Ter the manufacture OF salt
..al.o l.nnn 4hn anafh Of Che naua- aGA 4kae