Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-08-07
ABIocAVE.
DISCOVERED IN WESTERN KENTUCKY
THAT ExcELLS MAMMOTH CAVE
IN ITS BEAUTY AND ExTEN.
SlvE PROPORTIONS.
Dead Mems Bones and Curious Relics
Found Therein.

sponsible Tor the following:
"Col. John A. Prentiss, who resides
nine miles east OF Fulton upon what is
known as the "young Daniel Boone"
farm, has just discovered cave that
surpasses in interest the great Mann
moth Cave OF this state. The discovery
was made accidentally IN this manner
Col Prentiss had very fine Jersey COW
thauhadn't come up for several days, and
becoming uneasy about her, he saddled
his horse and with his shepherd dog,
set out to hunt for her. When about
mile from the house and in his large
woods lot, he was attracted To a sink in
the ground by the barking of his dog,
and upon arriving there found his COW
unable toextricate herself. Finding he
could do nothing alone towards re-
leasing her, he went to the house and
soon returned with lot of farm hands,
whom he set to work digging slanting
trench. Work was progressing nicely
until they got within few feet of the
COW, when the earth began to give way.
The workmen succeeded in getting out
before the cave-in, but not moment
too soon. The COW went with the dirt,
and was precipitated twenty feet. The
Colonel and his men could see the ami
NAL below, but were unable to do any,
thing. So Col. Prentiss sent the team
to the house for ladder, and upon its
arrival he descended it, and to his sur
prise found large, square room about
40x40 feet, He at once summoned the
men, who we're as much surprised as
himself. The COW was soon hoisted out,
Col. Prentiss and his men set to work
to explore the cave, finding the results
we shall speak OF later on. Thus it was
the cave was found. News was brought
to this office Thursday, and we hired a
livery team and were upon the scene in
short while. There were about 500
people there in advance of us, but when
we made known to Col. Prentiss the OBJ
| ject OF our visit, he very politely escor-
led us through the cave. The first
Thing we noted was the large room, 40
| x40 feet, the walls of which are stone
and exhibit some fine carving on the
sides. The top is covered by what APP
pears to be composition, and the cell
ing is supported by four mammoth pill
lars of carved stone. There is nothing
particular attractive in this chamber, so
we pass on to the next, which is separa-
ted from this by narrow passage about
three and n half feet wide, and SEEM
ingly ebout fifty feet high, leading to a
small room about fifteen feet square.
Here we found the petrlfed bodies OF
sixteen men, some in sitting postures
and others stretched upon the floor.
Each body had become part of the
stone, and could only be separated with
difficulty. In the center OF this room
are a frying pan, few iron cups and
other cooking vessels, and what resem.
bles pair of cooking tongs, but the
latter are almost destroyed by decay.
!, In the northeast corner of this room are
shelves that were chiseled out of the
stone, and laying thereon were the bar.
rels OF nineteen hintlock guns and sev.
enteen old-fashioned pistols, the wood
work having decayed. The only resem.
blance of the petrifed bodies to human
beings is the shape, as every other re-
semblance has long since left them. Al
our space in this issue is limited, we
pass on to the next room, the most beau
, tiful yet discovered. This room is &C
feet square, with stone elevation 9x1f
feet and 4 feet high, built in the center
Here we found a banjo livery much un
like the banjo of the present day,) {
violin and a triangle, but almost decay
ed. The triangle, however, was in {
good state OF preservation. There il
' not foot square of this immense room
but has seen the sculptors chisel, ant
! the work is far ahead. of anything of tn,
: kind we see in these days. The fgure
are principally wild animals and birds
but Of beauty that would fascinate thu
eyes of Italy's finest sculptors.
S The floor OF this room, named b,
: Col. Prentiss Glance hall" is polished
stone, and the stones are cut fourteen
inches square and set with hard morta
throughout the entire room. AT tn,
north end OF the room we found a ston,
: bridge leading across a stream abou
! fifteen feet wide, and which rushed pas
. with seeming rapidity of about tel
' miles an hour. Crossing this bridg,
i we were led to the stable, room 27x3
) feet, parttioned off in twenty-five stall
for horses. Here we found the bone
OF sixteen horses, and near each hors
was bride and saddle in very goot
j. state of preservation. This stable, TO
d such it evidently was, is equal to tn
o stable of any monarch, and the horse
that persisted therein had home itsel
fit for kings. A large stone trough wa
: found in the southwest corner, ant
e near by was a petrifed bucket, show
Y ing the trough to have been watering
. place for the horses. In small apart
ment in the northwest corner was
: room that had evidently been used TO
e storing grain, etc. We consumed
4 three hours and half examining thes
rooms, and we can safely say that Col
: Prentiss has Dissolved the grandest cav
: known to man. He will at once pu
# everything about the cave in first-clas
O shape, and will be ready to receive visi
q tors by the 10Th of August.
So far Col. Prentiss has not admitted
: anyone to the cave except members 0
his family and few Of the press, ant
# keeps guard at the cave all the while
:. We have seen the great mammoth
Cave, but it loses its grandeur whei
i compared with this newly found cave