The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-09-07
Long Route in Mammoth Cave.

In this article we shall attempt to
describe what may be seen on the
Long Route. To take this route you
must be under ground from eight to
ten hours and walk from sixteen to
eighteen miles. The distance does
not seem long, as the air is cool and
bracing and there are many novel
and wonderful scenes to engage the
mind. The most delicate ladies,
who have not walked a mile in years,
have been known to make the Long
Route without complaining of ia
tigue. al t
The Mammoth Cave is one of the
grandest mysteries in the world. No
one can tell its age or define its
causes. 1t has puzzled all scientists
who have attempted to solve its orr
gin. All, however, agree that in
years agone it was an underground
river. But where has gone the i'm
mense volumes of water that once
swept through it's long tunnels and
fathomless pits, no one can tell, or
will ever know. A stream runs
through portion of the cave that is
governed by Green river, which it
is supposed to empty into. When
Green river Is high the cave stream
rises and obstructs the passage to
some Of the finest points.
To take either the Long or Short
Route, Main Cave must be traversed
Il mile or more, till the Giants COT
fin is passed. We then turn into the
Valley of Humility, where progress
is slow as the ceiling is only four
feet from the floor. 1t is we'll to
state that all the passages in the
cave are through rock. Nowhere
can earth be seen except on the floor,
and that is not frequent. We are
now in the Scotchman's Trap, and
overhead is suspended by its tip an
immense rock, more dangerous look
ing than could have been the hang
ing sword of Damocles. The guide
says there is no danger of its fall
ing, and we pass under to circu-
lar orifice beneath, entering the trap
like door to the "famous and only
original Fat Mans Misery. Those
who enter here will be sure always
; to remember its tortuous windings
and difficult passage. 1t is two hun
dred and fifty feet long, eighteen in
ches wide and only five feet high.
It seems impossible that any one
can get through Fat Mans Misery,
but thousands have worked them
selves in and out of the crack. But
one never wants to make the jour
ney a second time. On either side
the rocks show water marks, which
look like the ripples might have been
petrified while running through. We
now come into Great Relief, where
the ceilings are high and walls wide.
We stop here to rest, and then pro
coed down the cavern to Odd Eel
lows Link on the ceiling. The pic
ture is almost perfect. Bacon Cham
Der is well named, for from it's top
hang rocky procedures resembling
hams. From here we 60 to River
Hall and walk along the edge of cliffs
sixty feet high and one hundred
long. The water below is called the
Dead Sea. BY a flight of steps we
descend to a cascade made beautiful
by colored lights. 1t dashes into a
hollow and disappears. We go to
the natural bridge over the river Silk
and cross to the other side. Lake
Lcathc is next seen. We pass around
its edge, and continue our walk ia
Echo river, one of the greatest Gu
riositics in the cave. The river runs
under a low arch for several yards
till the ceiling grows taller. The
voyage over is made in small boats,
and the echoes of the voice and mu-
sic of the oars is delightful. The
river is supposed to be the lowest
part of the cave. 1t is from twenty
to two hundred feet wide and about
three quarters of mile in length.
Eyeless fish are seen darting to and
fro in the water. They arc easily
caught with a net, are from two to
six inches long, are white, have no
scales and some are transparent.
White, blind crawfsh, also hive in
in the river. Agassiz was of opin-
ion that they were created for the
limits in which they dwell. Music
on Echo river is said to have fine
effect. Landing on rocky inlet we
lcaye the boat, but stop few mo-
ments enraptured by the music OF a
cascade as it leaps in pearls to the
ledge below. In Sillman's Avenue
we stop to admire the beautiful dra-
perry and tracings on the walls. We
then come'to the Dripping Spring
that comes from the earth above
downthrough the ceiling. Here are
a few small stalactites. The Infer
nal Region is only a few feet on,
md it is dismal, wet and disagree
able spot. Serpent's Hall comes
next, where the trail of snake is
pointed out on the wall. In the
Valley Way some beautiful speci.
mems of fibrous gypsum are seen.
No one is allowed to touch these al
abaster beauties.