The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1903-05-14

On Thursday night, April 2nd.
twenty-seven young people left Hen
derson under the care of Prof. f C.
McDoyle for the Mammoth Cave.
We took the l.. d y. at Humboldt
for Bowling Green, Ky. We bad
plenty of time and IA good oppOrtun-
ity to sleep IN the train, but the
crowd vas too h~igh-spirited TO sleep.
We reached Bowling Green al $40
a. m. and took a car for Glasgow
Junction, where we got breakfast
and went out to the Cave at $40 on
the Dummy Line The ride was
short, but pleasant. We reached
the Cave Hotel at $50 and in thirty
minutes We had donned u costumes
for the underground journey, which
commenced at9:20 a. m. We descend
ed a very steep hill back of the hotel
and entered the cave coming back
toward the hotel. The first descent
underground was down % feet of
stone steps, then we went back 200
yards, the cave becoming smaller
until we could reach the top. Here
we came to an iron gate which is
kept locked; we, ever accordingly,
"~lOcked" on the inside. AS we lose
ourselves from the light of day, we
feel more and more Sensibly the
strong current of cold air, until
becoming chilled, We begin to fear
our Io~velyi?l cave costumes Of the
heaviest waterproof wooden vii.
prove insufficient 10 keep us com
Portable.
The visitor TO the Mammoth Cave
must not forget the surface world
when he walks through its immense
gorges, It's magnificent avenues, it's
Titanlike halls, its star-bedecked
domes. On every hand he sees a
wealth Of features which always
emphasize the aspect Of the outer
world and explain them in new Ian
guage. He will see solution SO slow
that it is measured by tens Of thous-
ands Of decades in many ways will
he be impressed with the persistency
~ natures foTceful methods.
The cave was discovered in 1909
by a hunter named Hutchins, who
followed a wounded bear TO it's
mouth.
| We first came 10 see the saltpetre
works which were used in mining
powder for the war of 1872. The
watts are still In perfect condition.
We then pass through large rotun-
da. Here the ave is 20 feet high.
We passed the noted Kentucky
Cliffs, which were high and rugged;
next the Methodist Church, with a
pulpit as natural as ifmade by hand.
In the main a y We passed several
monuments erected of loose stone in
the name OF different states and
institutions. We climbed a wooden
ladder about 80 feet high into Goth
ic avenue and erected a monument
and placed il in the name Of Georgia
Robertson Christian College, Hen
derson, Tenn. Prof. McDoyle made
a short talk defeating the monu-
ment 10 the q. X. {. &. We came
to Post OAK Pillow, a solid rock
extending from floor to ceiling, and
here we saw u first s~tAlactite and
stalaRmite. The former is a fOTma-
ton from the ceiling and the latter
from the floor. Where they came
together, Our guide informed us,
they were mighty tight Next to
the Pillar Of Hercules, a solid rock
pillar from the floor to roof, II feet
in diameter. A smaller n near by
the guide told us Hercules grand
SON Bridal Altar is a beautiful
arch Of solid rock I'm the center of
the cave. They have already wit
messed a dozen real weddings under
this triune arch, beginning with the
one in which the young lady prom
Used her mother she'd never mar
ry on the face OF the earth She
was faithful 10 her promise. The
guide then points to some splendid
rE4aaVfnFfg of sEnrnata UaHfE -
next thing after Bridal Altar! Here
is the long, slender, hazardous look
ing projection called Lovers Leap.
Doubtless bis last leap. Some of
these avenues wind around, forming
peculiar turns and angles. In this
unique arrangement is found the
noted statue of Martha Washington,
a marvellous Illusion bearing a strik-
Ing resemblance to "a liie-sized plas-
ter-Ot-Paris statue tprofiel of that
distinguished lady, mounted on a
high pedestal. To our right is the
Giant Coffin, a monster rock de-
tached from the wall and very much
the shape of a burial casket; length,
- feet; height, IS feet; estimated
weight, more than two thousand
tons. We next enter the Two Stone
Cottage built of smooth, square
stones neatly laid ia cement, where
for while some cOnsumptives dwelt,
hoping thus L. effect "a cure, but
only Fastening their deaths. We
came 10 a cool, clear spring which
was very refreshing. We also found
"a sumptious dinner spread near the
spring which vas enjoyed by all
We next saw Minerals Dome
CAIRNS Dome, Shelby's Dome anc
Bottomless Pit. the latter being Is.
feet deep while Shelby's Dome, JUS
over it, is las feet high, making {
pit or dome OF almost 100 feet. w