The Newtown bee., 1906-04-13


along its upper margin.
The ceiling is one great expanse of
whitiSh limestone unsupported by
pillar or column.
The rotunda is formed by the juno
tiOn Of two large avenues, which at
last take shape as our eyes become &C.
cuStOmed to the gloom. The great
avenue to the right is Audubon ave-
nue., aud leads to Olives Bower, which
contain the nearest and most beauti-
full stalactites to be found in the cave.
To the left stretches away for miles
the main cave; wonderful avenue of
great dimensions fun of ATTRACTIONS
for the interested observer. AS we
passed along we noticed several pieces
of round timber possibly 20 feet long
and 10 or IL inches diameter that
were in a perfect state of preservation.
Through these, holes had been bored
some six inches in diameter perfectly
smooth and exact. A difficult piece
of work requiring exceptional skill
and patience.
HOW IT WAS DONE IN THOSE EARLY
TIMES
Is an unsolved mystery. 1t would be
difficult to-day with all of the science
and mechanical invention that could
be brought to ones aid. They were
used for bringing water into the cave
from the outside world needed in the
manufacture of salt petre, by a COM
pany who came into the cave soon aft
er its discovery in 1909. Petre dirt as
it was called, was found here in such
quantities that it made fortune for
the prOprietOrs of the cave in the war
of 1872. Archibald Miller, the super
intendent of the works, reported to
his employers that he could supply
the whole world with salt petre from
the Mammoth Cave alone. This seems
to have been prOvidentfal discovery
as it is claimed that our war with
Great Britain in 1872 would have end
ed in failure, had it not been for this
discovery of salt petre, one of the es-
sential ingredients of gun powder, at
a time when by general embargo we
were entirely cut off from foreign
sources of supply. Several other evil
dences of these works still exist. We
in teaching the petre dirt, this being
brought in OK carts, the tracks Of
which are still to be seen, also the
footprints of the patient oxen who
here bore their share of the toll for
the maintainence Of our national in
tegrity among the peoples of the
earth. In this vicinity is what is
called the corkscrew, a wonderful in
tricate passage that leads to the River
Route below.
Passing on, we soon found ourselves
in another great hall. formed by the
union of the main cave with another
avenue. This was called the Church
for the reason that Sabbath visitors
occasionally held service there. These
services they told US we're very i'm
pressive as the sounds Of sacred words
and song swell to great volume as they
echo and reverberate among the walls
of rock, creating solemn and inSpir-
Ing feeling. From the church we
wound along through narrow passages
that open into spacious ones, then
close and become so low that a person
must stOop very much to pass through.
At all times from the entrance of the
cave until we passed out our guide
was throwing his Bengal-lights into
every unseen and interesting place,
which brought indescribable sights
and scenes into view. showing wide
forms and figures of every conceivable
shape and size that abandoned nature
could produce. There we're grottoes,
alcoves, statues, monuments, wild and
weird groups of every name and kind.
just beyond one of these unique scenes
we came to the numerous and beauti-
full Stalactites and stalagmiteS in
Olives Bower. Stalactites are formed
by the constant dripping of carbonate
OF lime water, which forms into mass
resembling an immense icicle and at
tached like an icicle to the roof
Stalagmites are formed in the same
ma by the water dripping upon
the earth, they growing upward.
These were of peculiar forms and
shapes to which imagination has given
various names. Such as Gothic Chap
ell, Pillar Of Hercules, The Arm Chair,
The Bridal Altar and many others,
will attempt to describe only few.
Many of the stalactites resemble
lunches of grapes. The Pillar of
Hercules is a great matted series of
stalactites, which have grown down
to meet the masses of stalagm;tes be-
meath, still the group is by no means
solid. Similar in it's formation but
distinct in its integral parts is the
Bridal Altar. The guide told us that
several weddings had taken place
there. The Altar is made up of three
and smaller below and SO placed as to
form a triangular chamber where
stood the chief actors in life's drama
The Arm Chair was a stalagmite some
two feet in height with a fiat
surface, on both sides of which |
we're still higher formations
thus making it appear true to name.
For the novelty of the thing most of |
rs sat down in it for few moments, !
then passed on to other marvels. We !
'oon found ourselves on the brow of a
steep hill looking out into the dark
lesS. When we became accustomed |
10 the gloom by the use of our lanterns
We discovered deep pit below US. |
Projecting over the cliff on which we
we're standing was
\ LONG, SLENDER ROCK CALLED Low
ER'S LEAP.
From the point of this rock the illu-
ninatiOn by the means of the Bengal
light shows mass of rocks down
which leads narrow passage way to
below. just beyond we enter
! large hall three quarters of mile in
ength, where was the first dome we
lad seen. We saw several pits and
lomes, but as they were all similar, |
hall attempt to describe only one of
ach. Looking above we saw huge
pening in the walls of rock that ex-
end upward many feet with fantastic
igureS and forms innumerable. This
vas a small affair compared with what
We saw little further on. Squeezing
through small opening on the right,
called Fat Mans Misery the light
vas thrown down small crevice and
re found ourselves hanging on two