The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1890-09-26

Dear RcvciIIe:
Guess you know how II feels 10 be
entombcd for a day or so? Charming
experiences tbat--you ought TO try 1t.
took in, or rather, was taken In BY
Mammoth Cave, short time since.
This was rather q yespucian expedi-
tion, for the annals of time disclose
Columbian explorations dating from
as far back as 1909, and the remains of
saltpetre yats and oxen iracks--faith.
fully renewed year after year, probA-
ILly-bear evidence OF the utiltiarian
procllyitics of our ancestors.
entered the cave with q few. frlends
some two hundred, which Insured a
slow, ,wearisone ptegrcssahd increased
the delightful possibility of ones stray
ing and getting on the list from which
he never would be missed, according
to tho Lord High Execuuoner. Tn
der my especial charge,were
FIVE FRTsKy FEMALES,
long, short. fat, lean, timid, courageous
females, whose varied architecture and
temperaments rendered each new fca-
turo In the caves typography inter
esting, not to say thrilling, and whose
persons | assorted around me as COLI
venience and the nature of the To-
caIlty suggested. The general order
of march, however, was: -'I.ean fe-
male, short female, tiInid fclaalc, my
self and lantern, fat female, long fc-
male The two In the rear had the
privilege of swinging on 10 she con-
ductor's coat tail on down grades.
The Mammoth underIics the most
rugged portion Of Kentucky outside
the mountains, and is about : ninety
miles south of Louisville on the T. Il
y. Embracing In itself over i50 miles
of cavern, IL forms but fraction OF
the caevs In that vicinity. Two hun
drcd or more have been explored.
Some, notably whites, exhibit even
more magnificent stalactitic and sta
iagmitie formations than their neigh.
Dor, but while interesting 10 geolo-
gists, aud perhaps grand enough in
their way, arc totally devoid Of water
WAYS and dwarfed In comparison.
To attempt 10 give anything Ike a
satisfactory description of the cave il
useless. Articles cssasing this have
appeared in standard periodicals from
time 10 time. but the mere fat that
visitors invariably have all prcconcciv-
eel ideas swept away l. evidence enough
of The fulilityOf snch efforts. lis i'm
nensity aud grandeur are revealed
only by actual experience.
had always been under tie inipreS
sion. that parties could rent costumes
] N, ,Ha hotel, and pictured to myself a
provsssfun, winding into the cave
NODDED md eowled like monks, or Gu
cascd In canvass a Ia hams that gSilc on
the Maid ofssbc Mist under Niagara
Falls. 40 surhsthing. Each person
provides his own outfit, and The more
shabby and disreputabIe one appears
ON entering, the less contrast will one
present on making his exit. The girls
were fcarfufly and wonderfully cos
tuned. Some wore shrieking tennis
suits with jaunty caps and russct boot
others anticipated rocky mountaIn,
and Shiny 'declivities In graceful gym
iasinn rigs; while one capped the
| climax by climbing ladders and leap
ingstrcams In aTcgulatIon :.
~ BATHING SUIT.
ITer idea. no doH6t, was bsscd upon tn,
! dcsirability of carrying light baggage
The men got themselves mp regardless
lk. Dilspidated pantaloous. hanne
shirts, slouchcd hats and coarse boots
describe them. Each fellow carried l
lantern, merely a candIc-wick and
small reservoir of lard oil suspended
from three wires, with shield TO pro
tcct the hand. ww teE +. a
Ordinary travellers explore no inors
than fifteen miles of thc one hundred
and fiffy. We entered upon the Short
Route AT nine o'clock at nIgpt and Gov
cred six miles before returning. From
an immense opening, tha-caye mar
rows to few feet, across which tho
/ proprietors have throwns istticcd Iron
gate, kept locked for obvious reasons
But after passing ahis barrier. fhs
Main Cave spreads ont rapidlys aud
for four solid miles smooth paths lead
through an avenue averaging sixt,
feet wide by forty high. About hall
"a mile from the entrance ffhd.
the remains Of the vsts where miners
dug out and prepared sellpctrc during
tho war Of 1ol2. The heavy beanu
arc well preserved. Further On sp
pear ivo stonc huss In whirh, wltl
others thirteun censunptivez spent alv<
mouths IN fe45 Iun futile search FIT