New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-08
IN SALTPETRE CAVE.
FOUR DAYS AND NIGHT. IN CONFED
ERATE NINE.

| A RAMBLE OF SIXTEEN MILES TnE )UGN CHAM
| BERS AND GALLERES-AN ORGAN
LOFT AND SKULL
Kingston, Ga. April BIN certain perlods OF 'nc
| u;r tie confederate Govaament VA In great
straits and 1t was with difficulty that the several
divisions OF the army were supplied with suinc'eh'
ratIons and ginpowder TO maintain the hopeless hght
| rho southern country was denuded before "ehcr"i
| Sherman began his march TO tie sea. aud Gener'i
o. o. Howard testify to the scarcity OF PROVISIONS
| in the region between Chckamauga and Atlanta buV
| il bread and meat hard to find what can I've said
OF powder The battle driven Confedeatcs we're oitcn
| times without a double round OF ammunition. lhct
| stomachs were empty and their guns empty and
| 1t Is doubtful which caused the moro suffering.
| General sherman knew that not far from his liue
| OF march there was cave which had enabled the
enemy to make show OF resistance, not that INC
Confederate soldiers took refuge there, but from 1t
they had drawn the whccwitha 10 continue the con
| hict. II furnished them with the powder used In
the battles OF Chicltamnuga Rome, Aitoonn. Resnca
KenncSaw Mountain and Atlanta. and one OF General
| Sberman's first steps was the annlhilatlcn Of the
| nitrate OF potash works the side OF the mountain
and the closing OF the extensive saltpctrc mines Ill
| tho great hole under ground
snlipctrc Cave Is known TO every man. woman and
child In the northwestern part OF the state Thousands
have visited 1t siOce the strangers from distant
| states have been drawn toward H. by the many
| legends connected with It's past history. The
| galleries the month worn smooth by the
| countless feet that have trOdden the clay floors
and tho hands that have felt the way along the
damp walls. Evdefccs OF the tO which, 1t
uas put during the visible everywhere
| that the hight OF torch or candle ran penetrate.
| The grim staagmiies, white the driven
snow arc covered a. with pail All are In deepest
| mourning. They look black nglt ard feel greasy.
| Tho stalactites have unnatural appearance all
blnckcncd ms they were By the smoke Of the miners
lamps. md now strakcd with white. Great masses
Of loose stone are - be found everywhere and the
tourist must pick his way them with exceeding
| rarc. The hbyrihx 1no passages bvcr5ng from
"A great central chamber IN every direction are hled
! With pitfalls for tho unwnry, and moro than one
| life has beel sacrificed in the search for the main
| gallery, which Is said 10 extend distance Of -
miles into The bowel, OF the earth.
'Tur LOST GALLERY.
Not since Major rarrow was driven from the cave
| by General shcrman's men have all the galleries
been accessible II Il known TO the old rcsldcncrs'
| that the Northern soldiers made complete wreck
| Of the potash works and the mines by closing some
| OF the galleries In which salpeirc was fo"nd
| in the largest quantities. and these have
never been rcOpcncd. It Is doubtful ~ three
| lives to day n man who could point the wav to Tho
lofty corridor that extends under the Etowah
River and has an opening somewhere on It's western
bank. expeditions hav" been organized II
find the entrance but all have failed 20 get beyond
the enormous masses OF ledge rock that form the
inncrmos, wall OF the central chamber ana present
| an awful barrier - the most foolhardy nd
ycnturer. Tons upon tons OF rock iut far out from
Goor wall aud roof. and every ledge seems to be
waiting for signal "a topping down. tn"
weight OF would seem sufficient 10 bring down
all tho monster powders from their narrow perch.
Ovethcad the rock IS spread out Ike vast umbrella
without visible means OF support. IL rings iikc
bell at the tap OF n hammer vibrtc' Ike tuning
fork and swings like "A parachute. The hu'd aches
from nervousness when Sou walk beneath IT,
LEGEND or THE CAVE.
When Governor Troup removed the Indians to
the Yaxoo country I'm the ortes. he had some trouble
with certain chiefs whose love Of home was too strong
10 let them Yield willingly - III" dictates Of tho
states executive. Ono nocd warrior resisted with
arms vns overpowcrc escaped. sought refuge In the
cave was pursued to the end of the main gallery By
three soldiers and saved himself by climbing
through hole madc IN the roof by stream of water
tina, fell the bed Of the Eto~ah River Rising 10
the surface OF the river and swimming ashore he
doubled his pursucrs, returned to the mouth OF the
cave and 10 the piles Of leaves and dead wood
collected there. For IL week he watched and fed the
nnrncs. The cave filed with smoke and the suppo
sition Is that the soldiers sunocatcd. At any
rate they again. The chief gave
himself up, was pardoned and followed the remnant Of
his people 10 the Mississippi
This II one of the many legends OF Saltpctrc Cave
Being I'm tho nelghbOrh0od the writer anxious Ia
cx plorc its chambers and galleries. Dr. Wills West
mOrcland, the distinguished surgeon Of Atlanta, and
Secretary Saunders, If tho Chamber u Commerce.
Joined the party. a camping outnt. with provisions
for week. rope ladders. lanterns. prospecting picks.
compasscs. etc. Prepared. and with negroes to
carry the burdens the party descended into the cave
Friday afternoon at O'clock Tile main door Is
$50 feet below the opening. which slopes at an angle
Of 80 degrees and Is obsirucd with jagged powders
Of every sire which progress Is both difficult and
dangerous. The party had guides. There Were
no guides to be- found. II any living man knew tho
cave he did not matcrnlIze. Every white
man and every negro living within twenty miles knew
how to go I'm about half mile and how to get out
again. and could point out by candle Hight the ballroom
In which tho Indians wont to dance the bat cham
bcr tho whispering gallery the panthcr's den. and the
old woman who. like Lots wife. Ind turned to salt,
but knew the cntTncc to the main gallery which
sherman's soldiers had closed up, and the explorers
decided to lind their way without assistance.
SILVER THREAD TIE ONLY GUIDE.
To be s,irc the visitors did intend to lose them
selves. DIR. Westmoreland took along about seven
miles OF that nnc silver wire used by surgeons for ig
aturcs and this stretched from point 10 point
wherever the labyrinths confusing. Only those
who have explored understand the amazing
with which go astrfv and DO completely.
hopccssly lost In the dim light of n single candle
lantern all parts Of look alike You pass
and rcpaSS the same point dozen times without hay ng
the faintct suspicion that there before.
The horizon Is too contracted. Landmarks are lost
sight OF because from every changing point Of view
they wear new look Iut the silver thrcad Il
perfect guide and the explorers learned 10 follow 1t
with the best Of faith. ID never mislcd them and
than saved their lives. often II guided them |
lodges beside precpces and on the edge OF abyscs
that seemed boltoncss but by following II they always
escaped the dangers that besct the way.
Satpctrc Cave is tho property OF Mark Hardin |
Clerk u the Georgia House Of Representatives., who
Afforded the party every facility for visiting 1t and
Undertook to tell where the entrance q, the main gal
ery might D.. found.
Ahnut LEO ftct frnm tho nnenlnr he aid ihara