The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-06-05

Traveller" Describes the Wonderful
Manamofh Cave

Mammoth Cave
The opening to the Cave is northward -
! The descent is difficult the pathway being
narrow aud somewhat dangerous Besides
! Mt hiett, the agent OF the propriet0rs. there
were several guid-S-but two principal ones
both intelligent cclored men. One Of them
was supplied with fuses that cast brillia 1T
T light on each apartment as we entered: and
made short speech descriptive Of the place.
But our especial escort was William Gar
win, middle aged. well Informed negro who
has been servitor there more than II score
OF years. He explained every thing to Us as
we accompanied him and we found him
TO be very intelligent. He had the manners
OF sage and the simplicity Of a child.
The descent was some ffty feet; tae at
mospheTe little cooler than above ground.
but decidedly pleasant At some twenty
feet distance We came to an iron gate which
was locked to prevent trespassing. Here
we entered the Rotunda
had expected the inside of the cave to he
moist and csmpy-hat it was dry and saIu-
orS@us. True, smaH rivulet tricked down
at the entrance and disappeared among the
rocks and little chrystaI spring called
Wandering Willie's Spriuq," appears and
disappears in one OF the apartments, yet the
pathway on which you tread is drv and firm,
and there appear NJ exhalations OF damp
ness from the walls or ceiling. This is true
of every part of the cave l visited
The Rotuuda Is a spacious hall its Getting
apparently some City feet high, and some
200 feet In diameter. IT. casting your eyes
around it. it Is dfflcult to imagine it purely
work of nat1re. Here all extra clothing
and membranes are deposited before en-
tering the inner chambers
Strange as 1t may seem every thing seems
exhilarating and pleasant There is moth
ing cherries or somb.e, and the guide re-
tails his nightly jocular incidents with his
descriptions like a well trained clown In a
circus
The main body OF our party took a detour
into what Is now called the Bridal Cham
ber." While they were gone, william Gar.
win gave Ms full history OF that apartment
1t had been the scene Of four weddings. In
one the bride had vowed never to marry
man on the face of the earth She avoided
the letter of her vow by marrying here An
( other marriage was fixed hpre-but the
/ groom cdved before the ceremony was per
| formed.
I After the Bridal Chamber party had re-
! Joined MS we reached the Kentucky Cliffs
and hare had view of the entrance IN the
/ "CorkscrPw," a tortuods passage way Of
snme three-Quarters of a mile which I was
unable to traverse.
We next found ourselves in the "Metho-
cist Church. where a juttpring, pulpit
shaped rock and other surroundings made
the name verv apt one
Passing \ short distance we enter the
"Gnt1iic Avenue" which in ziqzag course
leads to ''NapoIeon's Dome In this ave-
nue. we rass the ''Seat of the Mummy.
Register Han" "CiOthic Chapel" 'sThe
Arm Chair" p" Lovers Lean and elbow
Crevice.'' This outside of the main avenue
Rerracing our steps to the cave proper we
passed on 70 the 'Standinp Rocks q" ''Crand
Arch and "Giant's Comm" The last Of
these is an immense rock. 40 feet lone. 20
feet wide and feet deep. It's resemblance
to a huge CONN is we'll nigh perfect.
Beyond this we find ourselves in the "Star
Chamber" This in its proportion as we'll
as its appearance. excelIed in grandeur any
thing we had seen. I NAV say that in this
and other nortions OF the cave It Is quite irn-
possible to do Justice in description. To re-
tprranean caverns It Is necessary to visit
them.
And here ended our visit Though little
more than a mile from the entrance, my
companion and myself turned reluctantly 10
retracr our steps ard. with the aid Of viii
liam Garvin soon found ourselves above
ground.
We hal heen three hours underground.
4 -
ders Of this remarkable cave. I have only
spoken Of what saw. The reader will find
a brief description Of the Mammoth Cave in
Appieton's Cvclopedia and a more px-
tended one in Collins Kentucky. But the
best descriptive powers fail to convey to the
mind anv thing approaching the reality
When / state that the cave Itself is nearly
ten miIns IN length, ana that distance OF
some two hundred miles would be travelled
to reach all its recesses, an idea may be
formed of its extent.
In every portion Of the cave myriads upon
myriads OF bats were clustered upon the
walls like bees when swarming, and our
entrance caused continued commotion
among them. This caused the only diqa-
greeabIe sensation we experienced. In
places the whole walls we're black with
them.
During the war with Great Britain, 1872
15-the cave had been utilized for the manu-
facture Of salt petre and the water pipes
and watts still remained partially preserved.
Oxen and sleds had been used and "PeteT
dirt" was obtained In large quantities. 1t
struck us "a almost impossible that oxen
could have been introduced into the cave,
but their tracks were there still, and evil
dence Of their being hitched and fed was
plainly visible.
The titIe to this wonderful curiosity Is
held by the heirs Of Gen. George CroRhau,
the hero of Fort Stephenson having been
acquired by his father some time after the
Revolutionary war.
As to the tabled Styx and the Echo rivers
the blind fish. and numberless wonderful
sights, are they not written in the guide
books-I only write of what cav. At a.
m we left the hotel. and before IL we were
on the cars travelling some 80 miles an hour.
TRAVELLER.
Murder I'm Huntington County.
Another murder was committed in Hun
tinpGon county, In the village Of Warriors
mark, on Thursday evening of last week.
At about 10 O'Clock a. night, as John Bur