The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-02-17

Mammoth Gave and It's Subterra-
mean Wonders.


We recommence our description at
the picturesque old hostelry evolved
from log-cabin germ, now known as
Mammoth Cave hotel, with its long row
of white-washed summer cottages, low,
broad halls and outdoor galleries, old
fashioned fire-places and many-paned
windows, and, above all, its beautiful
grounds where vine-wreathed trees fur
nish cool bowers, and Mother Nature
reigns supreme. The dining room is
said to be directly over the cave, and
the hill on which the hotel stands is a
rounded elevation that looks as though
a sudden expansion of the mighty cav
ern beneath, might have produced it.
The old bachelor landlord is assisted
by pretty housekeeper who spares no
pains in making the guests comfortable.
The former is curio gatherer, and one
of the parlors is veritablc museum,
filled to Overlooking with all sorts of
relies from the surrounding country, as
well as some from distant lands. Here
we saw beautiful shells from Green
river that flows at the foot of the hill;
huge wasp's nests, one five feet in diam
eter; craw-fish, and the queer little
blind fish from the Cave (their trans
parent bodies revealing the wonderful
internal anatomy, besides relies of the
ancient Cave mummies. The Cave is
said to have been discovered in 1909 by
hunter who was pursuing wounded
bear, and during the War of 1912 it was
used for the manufacture of salt-petre,
a bushel of the so-called "petre-dirt"
yielding four lbs. of this product. The
income from this enterprise is said to
have reached the sum of $50, 900 in 1914,
a large sum at that time, and remains
of the old watts and wooden water pipes
still exist in the dry atmosphere of the
Rotunda.
1t was fully $50 p. m. before all were
ready for descent into the Caves
mysterious portal, since many of the
ladies donned the short flannel suits
that are kept for rental. At the ringing
of large bell, we filed gaily down the
winding pathway, the bright moonlight
flooding the carpet of snow so unusual
here, the over-arching tree-tops casting
fantastic shadows about us, and two
score voices singing 1--WE are coming
Father Abraham" all our hearts filed
with satisfaction that at last we should
see the subterranean wonders about
which we had so many times heard.
Then we entered the messy, fern
fringed gateway to this underground
palace, descended a flight of stone
steps, and found ourselves in a narrow
passage across which was a rude iron
gate. After few earnest, courteous
words of warning from Bishop, the
faithful guide, the gate was unlocked
and we were blown along by an aston
ishing current of air which blows out
ward in warm weather and is reversed
whenever the air within becomes warm
er than that outside. 1t is needless to
say that the latter is not often the case.
The narrow gallery gradually widened
into vaulted chamber some rs ieet
high and about 100 feet in diameter,
known as the Rotunda, or Vestibule of
the Main Cave. Here we removed our
outer wraps, as whatever the weather
outside may be, the temperature of the
Cave is always about 55o.
We soon began to experience the
truth of what we were told concerning
the exhilarating quality of the air, and
though necessarily wearied by the nine
mile walk that comprises the short
route" we yet could scarcely believe
on our return that we had gone more
than half that distance This tonic
element of the atmosphere is account
ed for by the extensive nitrate beds
that are supposed, in their formation,
TO have set free large amount of oxy-
gen, thus making the air much denser
and more stimulative
Our long cavalcade presented highly
appearance as it filed slow
ly down narrw defiles, or wound around
rocky barriers, the pickering torches
borne by each gentleman casting weird
shadows over all and bringing out in
strange relief the queer costumes of the
ladies, making it seem like some strange
to an unwonted shrine.
The Main Cave is great trunk from
which radiate various avenues leading
into mysterious grottoes, expanding
into wondrous domes and galleries,
crossing bottomless pits by frail
bridges where the guides throw fam
ing brands that go kissing down into
neither darkness, sometimes pausing
beside silent sea or mystic river of
which none can tell "whence it cometh
or whittier it goeth"
Any detailed description we might
attempt of the various points of inter-
est, would give but little idea of that