Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-04-21
Mammoth Cave.

Having recently visited the
Mammoth Cave with a happy
party of my Blue Grass friends,
l hardly know how to decline
writing something of its beauties
and wonders to the readers of the
EAGLE. The Mammoth Cave
owes its discovery to an accident,
so the story goes, of a hunter
and a bear which happend in the
year 1909.
In a short time it became both
q fact of history and of science.
Saltpetre intended for use in gum
powder and connected with the
war of 1912 was the incentive
which led to more complete ex-
plorations. The very watts, log
pipes and supports used by work.
men in 'speter-dirt" stand now
as well preserved as when left by
them nearly a century ago. The
tracks of the patient oxen and
ruts of the wagon-wheels still re-
main to tell of the underground
toll in getting the much sought
nitrate to the upper world.
A visit to this most gigantic
cavern of the world constitutes
unique experience in ones search
of pleasure and the marvellous.
On every hand he is impressed
with Natures forceful methods.
Its immense gorges, its magnifi-
cent avenues, it's Titanic halls and
star bedecked domes, could but
remind one that the chemical So
lutioa going on is so slow and
crystalization so tedious that they
are measured only by tens of
thousands of decades.
The Echo river with its branches
the River Styx and Dead Sea, is
one of the mos. grand and inn
pressive features. Nearly all
the river is one vast resonator ;
its branching avenues, its lofty
roof of limestone rock, its ancient
battlemented scores, all serve as
reflectors of every sound, no
matter how slight, and are only
to be brought back attuned and
and strengthened a thousand
times into one sweet harmonious
volume. This subterranean water
journey over its clear waters and
with those skilled in music is one
of the unique experiences of the
world, nowhere else can it be du.
plicated.
The chemist or naturalist finds
paradise here if he stop in Fairy
Grotto to question the coral ano
fossil forms which stud the cliffs
and lodges, and if he takes note
of the varied formations of sui.
plate of lime and calcite. If he
tarry along Crystal Avenue he
will see those wonderful gypsum
crystals, of ''purest ray serene,
some tinted with oxides, as they
grow and spread out into ter
thousand fantastic, flowery forms
The beautiful though eyeless
fish, the blind insects and crusta.
nous, and the snow white toad
stools, all are meaningless te
those who have never questioned
the physical cause of vision.
The crystal Bridal altar is sc
attractive that it has been respon-
sible for the consumation of q
number of beautiful weddings
A recent bride trying to be true
and yet escape her promise "nev-
ev to marry any man on the face
of the earth," goes hero and is
welded. After passing the Bri-
dial altar the next thing in order
are the Wasps Nests, Martha
Washington Statute, the Bottom
less Pit, Hall of Pompey, Nppo-
Icons Dome, Mammoth Dome
and the Egyptian Temples with
their giant columns are only a
few of the things of special in
terest here which must be seen to
be appreciated. For me to do
justice to this mammoth subject
here would be to attempt the i'm
possible. But as long as these
scenes of eternal gloom recall
scenes made famous by the i'm
mortal Dante then Mammoth
Cave will never cease to attract
visitors of every degree and from
every land. A. B. L.