The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-01-07
Tennessee Caves.

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more natural curiosities in the way of
caves than Tennessee, and certainly
there are no caverns which have yield (
ed more interesting relics. Caves were
dwelling places Of primitive, man, and
the caves of Tennessee tell of his pres
ence but deep down in the clap that
forms the floor of these caves are to be
found the remains of those gigantic an
imals which roamed the land before
man was. In many places in Tennessee
are to be found caverns, grottoes and
lakes that have never been thoroughly
explored, and only within the past year
has any systematic search been at
tempted. The great success that has
attended the work in this direction of
Prof. Mercer, curator of the museum
of the University of Pennsylvania, has
proved that the coves of Tennessee Of
fer a very rich field for the explorer
and antiquarian; and interesting de-
velopments are expected.
No list of these great caverns has ever
been compiled, and even descriptive
sketches of the counties in which they
are situated do not mention one-half of
them. The majority are worthy of at
tention from commercial standpoint,
if nothing else A; for the deposits of clay
washed into them by the great waste of
waters is capable of being manipulated
AS at Daisy, Tenn. and producing a
high class of pottery. Then, again,
the stalactites and stalagmites, which
abound them, can also be turned to
commercial account. That these caves
have been objects of interest since their
existence became known is made mani
fest by the fact that a little work en-
titled "Life AS 1t Is" published al
Knoxville Sin 1892 by T, W. M. Brea
zeale, mentions several of them. Brea
zeale, however, makes no mention o.
Lookout Cave or the cave on Failing
Water Greek or the great Carroll Cave
in Coffee county, not far from Tulla
homa, and many others.
In Smith and Wilson counties there
are numerous extensive caves of which
no account has ever been given ; and il
Putnam, Overton and Fentress there
are many others and.a big page of his
tory will doubtless be written wher
they are forced to give up their treas
ures.
Near Greeneville is a very beautiful
cave, which fully as interesting as til,
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. TIL,
entrance is in the side of ridge, abou
midway between the summit and tn,
bare, and is merely hole about fv,
feet square. From the entrance is
long, narrow slope, leading into sub
terranean chamber, with groined roo
and well-sprung arches and innumera
BILE stalactites and stalagmites. Mar
row passageways connect this chambe
with number of others, in one of whic
c is "Pompey's Pillar" a column abou
twenty feet high and two in diameter
which glitters like cluster of gems i
the torchlight. In another chamber
a swift-fowing stream and in another
deep hole, from which current
air passes rapidly.
In Jefferson county, near Moss
Greek, is one of the most peculiar CAY
ems in the country, the entrance bein
on level plateau, and the cave itse
almost horizontal with the surface
the ground. The entrance is like til
crater of volcano and when the bo
tom of the shaft is reached, passag,
way extends long distance in an cas-
erly direction. 1t has never been O.
plored very far because of a deep streal
about twenty-five feet in width, whic
bars progress and away in the distanC
is heard the roaring of still large
stream, which the early explorers classe
as can underground river of no sha
dimensions. The general surface
the country here is level, sparsel
timbered, and with very few spring
for miles around but about two mil,
from the cave is an enormous no
about two hundred and fifty feet wild
at the bottom of which is q lake
deep, clear, cold water.
In Jefferson county, is English
!, Mountain, in which there is BLOWN
cave. This cave has never been tho
oughly explored. The Indians used
say that "every four minutes the spir
of the cave breathed, and his breat
blew out the torches" A strong currel
of air does pass out at intervals of abo1
u four minutes.
There are number of caves in Ca
:: ter county which are situated amid
some of the most beautiful scenery
the south. They have never been e
plored, and doubtless there are maj
> in which the foot of man has new
trodden even yet. One of the caves
Carter, "Dead Mans Cave, is shunn,
by most of the settlers, because yea
400 three huntsmen lost their wav