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

VVO JdlAos
This includes Gorin's Dome, which
you can see from the middle Of tn,
side of the coffin, and many regarC
it as the finest room in the cavern.
Others admire more the Mammoth
Dome, at the end Of Sparks avenue
here a cataract falls from a height OF
$50 feet,and the wallsare draped with
stalactites. The Egyptian Temple
is a continuation of the Mammoth
Dome. which contains crystal fbers
that curl outward from the center
of the group. Spotless arches of SO
feet span are covered with floral
clusters and garlands, which cover
all the gray limestone. This Temple
has six chambers, which are so feet
high.
Mary's Vineyard is covered with
formation of clusters of roses and
grapes. Again there are chambers
of snowy crystals, which are formed
from sulphate of magnesia. The
ceiling is so thickly covered, that
when it is shaken in anyway it will
fall like snow storms. There are
many deep and dangerous pits, the
more trlghtful for the chaos of dark
ness that enwraps them; among them
are the side-saddle and the covered
pit, the latter being Is feet in dame
ter, and nearly covered by a thin
plate of rock. By putting the ear
to the edge, the sound of falling
water is heard in the fathomless
depths below, The Bottomless nit
for many years, but it is now crossed
by a wooden bridge. The water
flows by a serpentine way, called
the River Lethe. These shafts have
been cut deeper, and on account of
its narrowness it has been called the
Fat Mans Misery" The walls are
only eighteen inches apart, and it
changes its direction eight times in
los yards, while the distance from
the sandy path to the edge above is
but five feet.
The rocky sides are cut by the
waves and ripples, 1t contains six
columns, two of them quite perfect,
and are 80 feet high, and are 25 feet
in diameter. The combined length
of these chambers is 400 feet.
These are connected with Audu-
bon's avenue by a crevice from
above. Of all these vertical shafts.
Lucy's Dome is supposed to be the
loftiest, being about 300 feet high.
The most remote spot from the
mouth of the cave is THE Mael-
strom," in Croghan's Hall; there are
some fine stalactites near this pit.
A son of Prenice the poet, allow.
ed himself to be lowered to the bot
tom of this pit in 1869. The wealth
of crystals in the Mammoth Cave is
remarkable. They are endless in
variety and fanciful beauty.
The sparkling vault of the Star
Chamber is 300 feet long and 80
feet high. Besides this there are
walls covered overhead with feecy
clouds, or thickly set with imitation
balls, etc., on the walls and
ceiling.
Cleveland's Cabinet and Marion's
avenue are each one mile long, and
are adorned with gypsum rosettes,
and curiously twisted crystals, called
"oulopholites." These cave flowers
seem to be unfolded by pressure, as
if a sheaf had been forced through
a tight binding, and as if running
water had suddenly been petrefed.
By this winding route one is con-
Quoted to River Hall, and beyond
this lies the crystalline garden.
Years ago it was believed that if
this place were blocked up, escape
would be impossible; but lately an
intricate web of assures, called the
has been discovered. By
means of this web, a good climber
IAN by ascending only few hundred
'eet, land about 1000 yards from the
mouth of the cave, and therefore
tut off one or two miles.
The water which enters through
he numerous domes and pits, and
alling, during the rainy seasons.
n waterfalls of great dimensions,
which finally collect in River Hall,
where they form several extensive
axes, and are known to be connected
With Green River in two deep
prings at its brink.
In the spring when the water gets
Ugh in Green River, the streams in
he cave are Joined into a continuous
,ody of water, and sometimes
Use about sixty feet above the
DIV water mark. The gradual !
mixing within is less rapid than the
Use; and the streams are impossible
1