The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1908-08-06
1 Remarkable KY. Cavern
E5monson County Has Natural Won
Der, Second Only 10 Mammoth
Cabe, IN Mysterious Silence

TIE World. II is located in the Wild
Ell PORTION OF Edmonson county,
Kentucky. and that means that It is
located among wilds unsurpassed by
nnY feRion on earth. Cliffs tower
ri oImost 400 feet, deep gorges and
111rio4 mountain streams are seen
q every side. The location Is
6boo( three fourths Of mile from
NoIyn liver on Briar creek. This
10 nol Tar from the famous Dismal
This cavern has been known TO
The natives in this section for more
than one hundred years. but so care
fully have they guarded their secret
that this is the first information the
oo1>Ide world. will have Of the ex-
kn(<nce Of this natural wonder. The
cevSrn was first discovered by
William May in the year 1882. He
md RoGer Barton, both OF Virginia,
vefe Iocating lands at the time
wien they we're attacked by bear.
The hear was wounded and retreat
"a Into this cavern. They pursued
Il nnd Uncovered this natural wonder
which has been known TO the ma
lives ever since.
The entrance is at the base of
cliG. which is about 200 feet in
height. When the explorer enters
he Immediately feels that there is
ookncihinf different from other
caves. The passage is narrow. not
over tvcnty-hve feet in width, and
the walls are absolutely dry. The
6oor Il Of dry sand. He does not
n far until he realizes that ne is
going down. down into the very
bowels Of the earth. Upon investiga.
tion he learns that the floor is a per-
feet incline and that the angle is
about twenty-five degrees. He
! moves rapidly and the silence Is OPP
{presoIve Not living insect is seen
or heard and not a sound OF drop
ping valer.
After having travelled a distance
Of about khree miles and when he
ben reached depth Of about 900
fcc( below The entrance he stops en-
(rnncod md awe-struck at the spec
tnclo which he sees before him.
W1o| Mat ghostly apparition that
BAN ~ passage1 BY the torch
y light ~ sees a sheet Of waving white
that oo1rletely closes the cave. He
s<oro al lIstens but hears no sound +,
yc( ~ proeence is there. beckoning
hin y COME. He approaches lit
IL n11fcJ and covers against the
vo|I rhen BEHOLD All the colors Of
IL <aIoboV burst upon his vision and
he tnovo the white object upon which
be 9fso1 b water. Such is the case.
IA (ho end OF the cave is a solid
column Of vater dropping from above
nod falling through the floor beneath.
q n nc( Z cataract. Nothing like II
~. c1cf been seen. 1t is volume
q V11of, falling through the cave
+ s(rl<os ncthing beneath the floor
u dry. Il comes from no place
above- 4 drops out Of space, through
spocc ard INTO space.
All thIo n wonderful but the most
von6oglu| hing is the eternal silence
Ihc1o1n1c 81 tons OF water all fall
nc coo<|noously and still no sound.
The oUploger stands in awe before
lhe GAoo(l7 spectacle. He knows
That " h many hundred feet below
= The III q any known stream Of wat
er y ~ cection, still here is this
Gfeo1 vclcmc descending. He wond-
en- WHIT \ Beyond the water but he
knows (ho< there is no way TO find
OUT. Ho vonders how deep is the
d hasuro Into which this stream falls,
% pot v1oa ho thinks to approach near
% oo1 cast stone tied to a string,
n hIs tnoco quake and he draws furth
,f >r AMY, Al last overcome with his
10 rorEolln1|nGs he turns to flee from
sn too 11os but he finds il no easy
~<+*### > - thNtiiC - BiCdt anu n
Win 8ov and weary step he plodi
be v1I back toward the entrance.
!, VII pause on his way Ions
a,a ouco ~ viii see that centuries ago
t1l1 ave vas explored by another
A. Nan ours. There is the i'm
dug 3r|r< - bare foot which was made
thd 2 "a nord 20 long ago that the sane
100 - 1>cono solid rock. BY sctua
, IS no1I11>oent the length Of this tract
N@@1 ~ hose with brave heart
co1 c1|cr This cavern. The silenc,
- roosiye that the nerves be
vef 11@ 'c<fung and when face Il
-ss, @hIs moving. living BODY
wv, ..siS 4 Is more than the veal