Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-07-19
THROUGH THE MAMMOTH CAVE.
With the Help of Guide Who Tells
Funny Stories.


Mammoth cave. in Edmonsen coun-
ty. Ky. Is one of the greatest natural
wonders of the world. People from
all civilized countries visit this gigan-
tic underground cavern. II Ken
tuckian expects to travel out of his
state or abroad, he should first see
Mammoth cave, because when you
meet persons in your travels they Will
say: You are from Kentucky. Tell
us about Mammoth cave You VIII
have to confess that you have not
seen this great wonder of your own
state.
The guide told us that Mammoth
cave was discovered in 1902 by man
who followed a wounded bear into the
cave in pursuit of his game. Do you
suppose he overlook him. The cave
has Teen explored t5s miles and the
end of il has not yet been found.
The majority of visitors take rautes
and in seeing the cave. The first
route is six miles and the second three
miles long, While you feel some ell
fects of the trip afterward. yet the
even temperature and the braelng at
mosphere of the cave. together with
the interesting things to see. make one
forget he is walking.
There are five guides. two white ana
three colored men. who are paid s5e a
month all the year round OF course
these guides are tipped" by the Vlsl-
tors. Our guide was white man ana
a man of pure Anglo-Saxon blood. lie
added very much to the trip by ms
fun as well as by his information
At the entrance of the cave is an
iron gate that is kept locked all the
time. Your attention is at once CAMEO
to the wooden pipe lines leading from
the saltpeter watts, which are larthei
in The cave. 1t was here that our
forefathers made gunpowder for the
war of 1872. Near the watts l saw the
ok track and wagon-wheel marks thdl
wore made more than 100 years ago
Near these saltpeter watts is the Meeh-
odist church, where it IS salo tiiat q
Methodist minister preached fesuialiS
to the men making gunpoWder- ne
writer assembled the high pulpit anu
nreaebed a short sermon in real ear
nest IN II persons from the golden
There are five different Levels III
the cave. 1t is certain that the TOP
most level was the first bed OIL .ie
river in ancient times. On inns 'op
most level are the stalactite ana sta
Iaemife formations. These peculiar
,,,,7,,,s ~ Nature are of all sizes, from
tt,a smallest to those of immense size
tn come places the two have unlteu,
forming great pillars. l saw wa -
these columns that | would can Ja1i .ii,
ona Roaz on account of their staphi,y
.,a strength. 1T is in this place ina,
tho staiaetites especially are torpleu
"a overv conceivable shape. You see
tho dressed turkey, the eiephaht
head. the bear climbing Tree u,
loaded camel, the armchair the VI ias.'
altar. and the human face whleh 10 :"
stalagmite formation
The guide at this point introduced
some of his funny and catchy jokes
He said that the human face was ina
~ a man. Some asked: WHY lie
eaid 4Recause he has his mouth
closed " We were told that a NUMBER
of people had been married at tne
bridal altar, but that the authorizes
had forbidden any more marriages
since guide had gotten married there
1--WE wears ago We asked: Why dio
they do that?. The guide said. BE
cause it was running matrimony too
far into the ground Near TINS piacs
we came to Bird spring. Whlle we
were drinking the water passed TO us
by the guide. he was asked why 1t was
called Bird spring. He said; Don
Won hear the swallows?" We came TO
very deep pit which the guide SAID
was four feet deeper now than form
erly what caused it?'' asked a by
stander. The guide replied that a dog
fell in it a few years ago, and in get
ting him out they took out four feet.
on the second level is the Giants
coffin, which is A feet long, II feet
high, and % feet broad. What would
this solid sarcophagus of limestone
weigh?
The Methodist church and the staI
chamber are on this level near the
coffin At the star chamber the guide
had us sit down. He took our lanterns
and made dark shadow pass over the
ceiling 40 feet above our heads. This
brought cut more plainly to the vision
the bright white spots in the dark
dome above us. At this point the
guide disappeared, leaving us in tota
ana awful darkness. Directly We
heard the chickens Growing, then the
dogs barking. somebody cutting wood
and a general stir around the farm
house. Then came daybreak. with the
fret faint StraaLg af lipht hcrase tha
eastern horizon. We soon saw the
golden sun rising in the east. which
proved to be the guide with his bunch
of lanterns.
The Martha Washington statue and
the ascending balloon are made visible
by burning certain lights and standing