Times-promoter. (Hernando, DeSoto County, Miss.) 1898-1970, 1908-12-04
THROUGH MAMMOTH CAVE
Detailed Description Of Interesting Under
ground Realm.

Below we publish the greater por-
tion of letter from Miss Mary Powell
to her parents, DIR. and Mrs. w. A.
Powell. It is an exceedingly we'll
written account of a visit to Mann
moth Cave, recently paid by party
from Belmont College, where Miss
Powell is student:
Belmont College, Nov. %, 1908.
Dear Father and Mother:
We arrived at Glasgow Junction
about 1O:3O a. m. and stopped off at
the Mentz Hotel for an hour, after
which we got on the craziest little
train operated by the cave estate and
went nine, slow, putting miles. 1t
was beautiful though. Before, the
scenery had only been slightly chill
ly", and now it was almost noun
tains the knobs being more perfectly
rounded than in East Tennessee and
also covered with forests which made
them much prettier. The little val
leys were so nice and cozy looking,
when we reached the gate of the
hotel grounds was almost sorry we
hadsto stop looking at the country.
The grounds were rail-fenced, and
everything was left perfectly natural
the dead leaves unraked, and every
thing as rustic as possible. The hotel
itself was a long row of one-story
houses, joined by porches, and at the
front of them big white three-story
box addition, where the offices, din
ing rooms, curio shops, parlor, ball
room, and our rooms were. By the
way at the present time the ball room
is used for drying clothes. I don't
know whose clothes, however, for the
days we were there | only saw twelve
visitors besides ourselves.
lone, Effie, Edith, and I got room
together and "primped upo SO much
that we were late for luncheon. The
best luncheon-a regular old-fashion-
ed dinner in reality, with chicken,
spare ribs, all sorts of vegetables,
celery, pie, etc. Then we put on our
gym suits and caps, fand then, skirt
less, went down stairs to buy post
cards.
The eight of us managed to get into
the first party at the front of the line.
The girls were divided into two par
ties of fifty each, with a guide at
each end. Eeach couple had torch,
which was more like chimney-less
lantern. We started down back of
the hotel, apparently into the woods.
Finally we came to a mountain path
leading down into a I'ayine. We fol-
lowed that a littlo way. | was look
ing to the front for the cave and all
at once felt a breath of cold air from
the left, and there was the great gulf
back Of us, and we were going further
up to some steps which would lead us
into the cave.
When we got to the bottom of
the hundred and fifty steps and were
well in the great subterranean hall
and out from the draught, which
poured from the mouth, our torches
were lighted.
The guide then made a speech. He
said his name was Bishop, and that
he wanted us to know something
about the cave when we went back
to Belmont, 80, that though he want
ed and expected us to have just as
much fun as we wanted to, yet when
ever he said listen, to stop talking
and let him talk.
That said, he opened an iron door
in the rock and let us into the cave
proper.
The first thing we saw was the rotun-
da. 1--WE took two trips, and on the
first one, Bishop didn't stop to ex-
plain there, but on the second he did,
and this is what he said.) These were
the remains Of vats used to mine salt
petre in 1872. The government owned
the mines then and the even temper
ature of the cave has so preserved
the things that the bark is not off the
logs which form the vats and the
wooden pipes are still perfect.
The rotunda was directly under
meath the hotel, and was 80 feet high,
with a perfectly circular dome. From
this place three avenues branch Off
one Maniac's AAe., another Audubon
and the last and greatest, Broadway,
which ON any route one has to travel