Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1907-06-04


River. IS miles southwest from
Louisville. 1t is one of the largest
known caves in the world, was dis
covered by a hunter named Hutch
ms, while in pursuit of bear which
he had wounded.
This cave consists of a series of
lcaverns, and has been explored to
the distance of ten miles. The mouth
of the cave is in forest ravine 1874
feet above Green River, and 600 feet
above sea level.
This opening is not the original
mouth, the latter being a fourth Of
a mile north of it, which leads into
a place called Dixon's cave. These
parts are not now connected but
people can be heard talking from
one to the other
Salt-petre was made from the
nitrous earth in former years, but
the cave is now used as a place Of
exhibition. The caverns of Ken
lucky cover over 5000 square miles,
Mammoth cave being the largest and
most wonderful. Throughout its
whole length it seems a mystery of
buried palaces and magic haunts,
not equaled in any other portion of
the globe. The valleys are funnel
shaped depressions, which feed the
subterranean streams. some of which
are navigable. Echo River is the
largest river in this cavern, and is
crossed by a boat. In this river,
plenty Of fish are found, but they
are without eyes, there being not
the least CLEAN of light in the cave,
and there is no need of eyes.
A voyage of a few hundred yards
OH this river, which winds and
branches through the gloomy ex-
panse takes the visitors into fairy
land of labyrinths, flashing in the
light of the torches, with stalag-
mites and stalactites Of every con-
ceivable shape. The natural arch at
the entrance of the cave is a span of
about 70 feet, and from a ledge
above, cataract falls 80 feet to the
rocks beneath, where it disappears.
A winding fight of stone steps
leads down to a narrow passage,
through which the air rushes inward
in winter and outward in summer.
The uniform temperature of the
cave is 81 degrees Fahrenheit
throughout the whole year, and
therefore the water never freezes
over.
The lower levels are moist from
the pools which are.secretly connect
ed with Green River, while the up
per parts are dry. This led to the
erection of thirteen cottages about
mile underground, for the pur-
pose of a resort for consumptive in
valids. In a short time a portion of
them died, and the rest lived only a |
few days after coming out. From |
dwelling in darkness so long, it is
said that the pupils of their eyes
had expanded until the vision had |
become invisible. Only two cottages
now remain. The main cave is from
40 to 300 feet wide, 35 to 1875 feet
high, and is four miles long. At the
end of this four miles, it stops off
abruptly and a winding begins,
in which you can walk distance of
$50 miles, while the cave is only ten
miles in diameter. 1t requires four
hours to go through the cave by way
Of the short route, while the long
route requires nine hours. The main
cave is divided into several vast
rooms. The Rotunda is one of the
special rooms where the salt-petre
works were established.
The "Chief City" has an area of
two acres, which is covered by
vault that is 1876 feet high, and
many rocky fragments, burnt torch {
es, made sofs canes, and many other
signs that it has been inhabited in
earlier years.
Audubon's avenue, the one nearest
the entrance, is seldom visited be-
cause it is full of bats that cluster
about its walls like swarms of bees.
Gothic avenue contains many large
and stalagmites, and the
interesting place in the chapel, which
ends in a dome and cascade. The
vertical shafts are among the most