The Red Cloud chief., 1898-04-01
i'm MAMMOTH CAVE.
e.tAiLARATiNG EFFECT OF
THE AIR.
II II Not Known by what Process the
Atmosphere Is Stcriiizcd- Wonderful
Erect of Music In the Dark md Dry
Cavcrns.

John X. Proctor, formerly state ge-
)logist Of Kentucky, writes Of THE
Mammoth Cave of Kentucky" for he
Century, the article having many
striking illustrations by ~Castaigne. Mr..
Proctor says: The entrance to Mann
moth ave is reached by descending "a
picturesque pathway leading from the
hotel down the hillside over %jutting
moss and fe~rn-covered limestone clinS
into n beautiful glen extending from
the top OF the hill down to Green river.
watch Is 1874 feet below the mouth or
the cave, and about half a mile dis
tant. II the weather Is warm, as we
near the entrance we step into a brac-
ing. cool, pure air, yelling up from the
cave and flowing down the glen beneath
the stratum of lighter and warmer air.
I have stood near the entrance, and en-
tended one hand into n temperature
OF 90 degrees. while the other hand was
extended into a cool flowing river OF
air with n temperature Of about 60 dc
grees. The air within the cav has u
uniform temperature. summer and win
ter. OF "a degrees. The cave may be
said to breathe twice n year-inhaling
during the winter, and exhaling during
the summer. This breathing OF the
cave. and the purity of the air and It's
freedom from germs. are among the
most interesting problems to be stud
led. BY what process the air In the
,,n I,,ar,n. ,tn,ittynI ray,nino ~ lE
determined. But our faithful negro
guide has counted the party. selected
the requisite number OF lamps. and
given the word, and we follow him In
single file down the rude stone steps
into the vestibule of the cave. Turning
we look up at the beautiful effect Of
daylight which we arc leaving. and ad-
mire the delicate cascade falling from
the overhanging arch at the entrance.
Here our lamps are lighted. and we
enter this silent. mysterious. change
less abode Of eternal night, where the
heat OF summer and the cold Of win
ter, the storms and thunders OF the
outer world. never penetrate. A few
hundred yards, and we feel the peceliaI
sensation OF emerging into expanding
space. We catch only glimpses OF
white limestone projecting out Of black
shadows OF the far-away walls and
ceiling OF an immense. almost circular
room about seventy feet high, which
, our guide proclaims the Rotunda. We
note the peculiar musical effect OF the
human voice. Years ago 1t was my
D good fortune to hear a celebrated Ger
= man musical society sing in this Ro-
tunda. I went far away in one OF the
great leading from here, blew
< out my light, and sat alone in the
!. darkness, and listened while the grand
I anthems rolled and reverberated
[ through the lofty corridors In majestic
! waves of melody. ! could then appre-
ciate the inestimable privilege OF the
few who heard Jenny Lind sing here
} and who in the Star Chamber heard u
member Of her party render on his
Y violin the prayer from der Fret
. schultz" When the Rotunda Is illum-
mated we note the perfect clearness OF
the atmosphere, the freedom from dust
. particles Of any kind; and we SOON
learn that nowhere in the rave will
even dust rise upo Jul shoes. We
J note also the exhilarating effect OF thu
z air upon the members of our party
q II Is believed that the air has become
' oxygenated by chemical process: Ger.
= tainly, from It's purity and dryness, IL
enables one to undergo exercise for
y hours without a sense OF fatigue. Here
before us is evidence Of the wonderful
dryness of the air. The saltpeter vats
: erected in 1912. and the timbers which
have remained in their present con.
dition since then. show no evidences oil
decay. In these watts the saltpeter wal
leached from the nitrous earth abound
ing in the upper and middle dry aven
ues, and used for the manufacture o,
gunpowder. The war of 1912 wa.
fought, on the American side, will
h g%unpowder made from ~saltpeter taker
from caves, and Mammoth Cave SUP
piled the greater part. One wonders
how, In the absence OF germs and 81
a decay, the earth becomes charged with
o nitrogen. 1t has been claimed that nj.
n trio acid in the atmosphere, combin
n ing with the limestone. forms nitrate
k of calcium, and the dlsintegrated vast,
o from the walls and ceiling yields tn,
great supply Of nitrogen Astounding Ia
the cave. 1t requires a day and a hal
Y, to make the regulation journey through
a. the cave; one half a day to what II
d known as the Short Route, and an en-
# tire day to the Long or River Route
But that by no means exhausts the oh
jects OF interest, and n may spend
days in visiting avenues and chamber.
"A and domes not included In :he regular
10 routes.
" Yellow Light.
,e A yellow light has 0een obtained