Cañon City record., 1899-01-12
MAMMOTH CAVE.
1zAfarssa.g Eeses af Its nsssa.s. O
- G~rnIana Air.

Xxhalarsstag EGsct ef Its nrnufn9, oesl
80 GsrAisss Air.
John R. Proctor, formerly state
geologist Of Kentucky. writes Of
THE Mammoth Cave Of Kentucky"
for The Century. Mr. Prootes says:
The entrance to Mammoth cave is
reached by descending a picturesque
pathway leading from the hotel
down the hillside over jutting moss
and fern covered limestone cliffs IN
to q beautiful glen extending from
the top of the hill Down to Green
river. which is 1874 feet below the
mouth of the cave and about half
mile distant II the weather is
warm, as we near the entrance we
step into . bracing. cool. pure air,
yelling up from the cave and flow
ing down the glen beneath the
stratum Of lighter and warmer air.
] have stood near the entrance and
extended one hand into q tempera-
ture of 90 degrees while the other
hand was extended into a cool, flow
ing river of air with a temperature
cf about go degrees The air within
ne cave has a uniform temperature
1mmer and winter of 81 degrees
The cave may be said to breathe
twice q year-inhaling during the
'sinter and exhaling during the
uramer. This breathing of the care
nd the purity of the air and its
reedom from germs are among the
1ost interesting problems to be
udied- By what process the air in
ne cave becomes sterilized remains
be determined.
But our faithful negro guide has
ounted the party, selected the req
isite number of lamps, and given
le word. and we follow him in sim
lie file down the rude stone steps
to the vestibule of the cave Turn
y, we look up at the beautiful ef-
ct of daylight which we are leay-
ig and admire the delicate css-
ide falling from the overhansing
.,rch at the entrance.
Here our lamps are lighted, and
q enter this silent, mysterious.
hangeless abode of eternal night,
here the heat of summer and the
old of winter, the storms and thuri-
{, ere of the outer world never pene-
rate. A few hundred yards and we
eel the peculiar sensation of energ
j az into expanding space. We catch
only glimpses of white limestone
Projecting out Of black shasiows of
the faraway walls and ceiling of an
immense, almost circular room
about 20 feet high, which our guide
proclaims the rotunda-
We note the peculiar musical eff
feet of the human voice. Years ago
1t was my good fortune to hear a
celebrated German musical society
sing in this rotunda l went far
away in one of the great avenues
leading from here. blew out my
light and sat alone in the darkness
and listened while the grand an
thems rolled and reverberated
through the lofty corridors in ma
jestic waves of melody. l could
then appreciate the einestimable priv
lege of the few who heard Jenny
Lind dng here and who in the star
chamber heard a member of her
party render on his violin the pray
ar from Der Freischutz-
When the rotunda is illuminated,
We note the perfect clearness Of the
atmosphere, the freedom from dust
particles of any kind, and we soon
learn that nowhere in the cave will
even dust rise upon our shoes We
note also the exhilarating effect of
the air upon the members of our
party. 1t is believed that the air
has become oxygenated by chemical
process; certainly, from its purity
and dryness. it enables one to un-
& ergo exercise for hours without a
ssnse of fatigue. Here before us is
evidence of the wonderful dryness
Of the air. The saltpeter watts erect
cd in 1919 and the timbers which
have remained in their present posi-
lion since then show no evidences
Ct decay. In these watts the saltpeter
/, ms leaohed from the nitrous earth
/, bounding in the upper and middle
ry avenues and used for the manu-
/: .cture of gunpowIer.
The war of 1912 was fought. on
,e American side, with gunpowder
iade from saltpeter taken from
K lves, and Mammoth cave supplied
( le greater part. One wonders how,
the absence of germs and of de
~, the earth becomes charged with
iitrogen. 1t has been claimed that
(. itric acid in the atmosphere, com
lining with the limestone, forms nj
rate of calcium, and the disintegrat-
I l waste from the walls and ceiling
ields the great supply of nitrogen
/, ,boundine in the cave.
1t requires a day and half 10
make the regulation Journeys
through the cave. one half a day ~
what is known as the short route
and an entire day to the long or
river route But that by no means
sxhausts the objects of interest. and
one may spend days IN visiting ave
pues and chambers anu domes not
included in the regular routes