The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-08-05
YARMOUTH CAVE
LARGEST IN WORLD
Continued from Page one)


and may be taken at 0 in the morn.
ing or 2 Il the afternoon Tho rule
OF tie management is that any route
VIII be covered at the scheduled
time, even II but one person pre-.
sents himself at the entrance with
ticket. This route is known az
the Echo River Pits and Bones
Route. A short distance from the
entrance the party turns down a
H'nClng passage leading to the
lower levels and the region of the
PITS and domes. The walking Is not
difficult and there are very few
places where one has to stoop to
pass beautiful spring is passed,
several deep pits and interesting
branching passages ilumined by
burning wads of oiled cotton, tho
Bottomless Pit crossed on sub.
stantial bridge, Echo Chamber EN-.
tered where the guide produces
tones which reyerberate in the most
surprising manner, Grand Crossing
visited (where we are directly be.
meath the main passage along which
we walked when we first entered
me cave, the amusing and laugh.
able experiences of Fat Mans Mis-
cry passed, and we soon enter River
Hall. River Hall follows the River
Styx and Echo River for ab-ut a
mile. Part OF this distance we walk
on the cave floor and part of the.
way along bridge work erected
along the side of the hall. Large
numbers OF colorless, blind cray.
lshes may be observed in the wa.
ter be'ow us and at times a blind
iish Will be seen, Eyeless cfickets
crawl along the cave side and the
bridging. All of these animals are
extremely sensitive to Jar or
,ouch and they are entirely harmless
and very timd. At the end of River
Hall We reach the boat landing
which to many of the party Is the
objective point on the trim. The
length of the boat ride on Echo
River and the beauty OF tone re-.
produced from notes sung by the
guide depend on the height of the
water. At times OF low water the
boat passes under the arch and the
! de is quite an extensive one. At
times of high water the trim Is nee.
cessarily abbreviated. but under any
conditions, If the party is quiet and
attentive, the wonderful effects of
the echoes are well worth the cost
and effort of the entire, trip. Re
turning from Echo River through
River Hall, we branch off side
passage leading to Mar>noth Dome
and the Ruins of Karnak. The
Ruins of karnak for beauty and
fascination are unriyaled by any.
thing within the cave The effect
is that of a great Egyptian temple
in partial ruins. The ruins consist
of eight ornamented and fluted col.
umns eighty feet in height and
y semiclrcle. When lighted up this
temple is perfect reproduction Of
Egyptian art. The exit from Route
IS m through tho Corkscrew ca
long, narrow, winding crevice) to
point near the entrance.
Route @ known as the Scar Cham
Der Route, is the shortest and most
EASILY Travelled OF the routes, and,
next to No. /, the most popular.
This route may be taken at 9 a. m.
and at 2 and 100 p. M No person
should ever visit Mammoth Cave
and neglect the trip over Route ..
II time is so limited that but four
or five hours can be spent at the
cave take this route in preference
to any other unless inquiry at the
desk shows the river to be so low
as to get the very best effects from
the echoes on No. l. If only a sin
gle day or an afternoon and an
evening can he. spent take No. and
follow 1t by No. 2. No other route
shows at once so much of historical
interest scenic beauty and scientific
fact. Passing from the entrance the
route leads along vertable under.
ground avenue known as the Main
Cave or Broadway We see the site
of the activities of 1925, when
our country was perhaps saved by
the mining of saltpeter, from which
gunpowder was made. The old watts