1 ■ A A 8 8 n UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL Lit HOVEY Guide Book to the Mam- moth Cave. .**-• . ^^'♦i- r-r::^^ r> \ '.U*i^ ifh •' ^L'^' "pT HORMOE C. HO^eV. SIXTEENTH EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. CINCINNATI : THE ROBERT CLARKE COMPANY. iSfS. (copyrighted.) Hovey's Illustrated Liectares. I. Subterranean Scenery and the Lovely Caverns of Luray. II. The Wonders of Wyandot and Marengo Caverns. III. The Mazes and Marvels of Mammoth Cave. IV. Cliff and Cave Dwellers of Arizona and New Mexico. V. Mountaineering in Colorado: Its Caves and Canons. VI. The Camera on the Tornado's Track. VII. Subterranean Life as bearing on Theories of Evolution. VIII. Acadia: Land of Blue Noses and Home of Evangeline. Magnificent pictures! And the fact that he has seen all he describes adds interest to his very instructive lectures. — Philadelphia Enquirer. Dr. Hovey is one of the foremost cave explorers in the country, and can tell many thrilling stories of underground adventure.— AVw York Tribune. Chickerinir Hall was crowded by the intellectual elite of New York to hear Dr. Hovey lecture on Miininiolh Cove, and ihe general verdict pronounced it one of the most fa.sci- natinj; lectures ever given. As a popular lecturer Dr. Hovey has lew equhls-Srientific American. Whether he treats of caverns, mountains, or tornadoes, the lecturer's own interest in his subject never fails to engage that of his hearers.— Minneapoli.? Tribune. Each lecture is illustrated by a huudred views, taken by expert artists at great original expense and exhibited by a powerful stereppticon. For terms and further information apply to the Redpath Lyceum Bureau, Tribune Building, Chicago, 111., and 120 Treniont Street, Boston, Mass.; or tiirectly to H. C. HOVEY, Bridgeport, Conn. Hovey's Celebrated flmepican Caverns. Celebrated American Caverns, especially Mammoth, Wyandot, and Luray; witli Brief Notices of Caves and Grottoes in other lands. Maps and Illustrations. By Horace C. Hovey, D.D., F.G.S., etc. A handsome 8vo volume. 228 pages. Price, $2.00. Will be sent by mail on receipt of the price. This work is recognized as a standard authority on the subject both in this country and in Europe. In it facts art sifted from fancies, all former material has been carefully col- lated, and much new material added, as the result of the author's explorations. Dr. HiiVey's frimiliaiity with geology ami other branches of natural science, together with tils clfrtmess of .style and vividness of description, make this work one of the most instructive and entertaining ever offered to the public. His monographs on single caverns, in the En- cyclopedia Britannica, and in i-cribner's and other magazines and scientifie periodicals. hiv wiin for the author, deservedly, a wide and lasting fame. The numerous maps and iiiiis a-id greatly to the value of the work; and tlie pictorial illus-trations are from ii^s made expressly for the volume by Barton, i'enell, Lee, and other artists of repu- While the largest space is reserved for the three most famous caverns named in thetitle page, full notices are given of \Vever'.«, Howe's, and Pickett's caves, tlieCave of Cacahna- milpa, Canadian caves, the CI iff Dwellers of New Spain, etc. The prel minary chapters, on the structure, varieties, mineral contents, and arcna:ology of caverns are elear and in- structive. The work is admirably indexed. The Robert Clarke Company, Publishers, Cincinnati, 0. Mammoth Cave GUIDE BOOK MAMMOTH CAVE OF KENTUCKY HISTOPJUAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND DESCPJPTIYE HOI^ACE C. HOVEY C I N C I N N A T 1 THE KOBERT CLARKE COMPANY. 18^5. Copyright, 1882. ir ROBERT CLARKE & iij MAMMOTH CAVE CHAPTER I. Pioneer Patriots — Saltpeter Miners — Discovery of ]\rammoth Cave — War of 1812 — Change of Owners — The Croghan Heirs — The Guides — Early Literature of this Cavern — Its Geological Survey — Its Fauna — Map-making under Difficulties. The pioneers who followed in the wake of Daniel Boone, a centuiy ago, were thrown on their own resources in all respects. Gunpowder was one of the necessa- ries of life for men in daily peril from wild beasts and more savage Indians; hut its importation was attended with expense and difficulty. Hence they sent out such strolling chemists as happened to he among them, to hunt for niter beds. These were found in considerable quanti- ties under the shelter of ledges at the heads of ravines. The jutting crags reminded them of "Gothic cathedrals and the ruins of baronial castles" (as one of them ex- pressed himself in writing to his friends), and therefore they called the smaller ones " Rock Houses," and the larger ones " Rock Castles." The soil and sand-banks, thus protected from the rains, proved to be richly impreg- nated with the coveted saltpeter, and solid masses were sometimes found weighing from 100 to 1,600 pounds. Usually, however, three men would not obtain more than from 50 to 100 pounds a day at the works. The tools and methods used were of the most primitive kind, and the workmen were readily induced to forsake a niter-bed as soon as its yield grew scanty, and were con- tinually searching for masses of pure niter, and hoping to find veins of precious ores. This led to the exploration of calcareous caverns, of which as many as twenty-eight are said to have been found in Kentucky before the year 1800. A Mr. Fowler obtained from tliem more than o Cclcf>i'>iti il Aiiurlciiii (.'tim-iia. J 00,000 pounds of niter, and tlu'V were so faitfroni being exhausted that, actMH'diiiii; to the estimate of local chem- ists, the deposit- rcniaininii: in six of them exceeded 2,000,- 000 pounds. In tiic yvAV ITOii a pioneer, namecl l>alcoc-pt the commonly received tradition that it was discovered l>y a luintcr named Hutchins, in 1809, while ].ursning a wounded boar. The aperture hy which Hutch- ins entered was small at the time, and has since been consid- orablv enlarged. It is not regarded as the original mouth, whicii is supposed to have been in reality the mouth of Dixon's Cave, about a quarter of a mile north of it, a magniticent hall, 120 feet high, 60 feet wide, and 1,500 feet long, as measured by me. The first purchaser of what is now held as very valua- ble property, was " a small, dark, wiry man of great en- erffv and industry," whose name was McLean, and who, for 840, bought the cave and 200 acres besides! He soon sold it to Mr. Gatewood, a brother-in-law of the founder of Bell's Tavern — that celebrated hostelry of by-gone days. After enlarging the works, Gatewood sold them to Messrs. Gratz, of Philadelphia, and AVilkins, of Lexington, Ky., who brought experience and capital to aid in developing the hidden resources of Mammoth Cave. Their agent, lsh\ Archibald Miller, employed a large number of negro miners, who were reported as finding there a quantity of nitrous earth " sufficient to supply the whole population of the globe with saltpeter ! " During the war of 1812, our government being excluded from foreign sources of supply, had use for all that the miners Avere able to furnish under the circumstances. There were lofty mountains and interminable forests be- tween them and the sea-board, but under the two-fold impetus of patriotism and high prices, Gratz ajul Wilkins, and others who embarked in the speculation, though with less brilliant success, transported thousands of pounds of the precious salt by ox-carts, and on pack-mules, mainly to Philadelphia. Let it be remembered by a gratetul people that this Kentucky salt went far toward saving the nation in its hour of deadly peril ! The method of manufacture, as nearly as I have been able to ascertain it, was as follows: The nitrous earth was col- lected from various parts of the cave, by means of ox- carts for which roads were constructed that are in them- Mamynoth Cave. 5 selves surprising monuments of industry, and the soil thus gathered was carried to hoppers of simple construc- tion, each having a capacity of from 50 to 100 bushels. Cold water, conveyed by wooden pipes into the cave, was poured on the charge in each hopper, and in a day or two a solution of the salts would run into the vats below, whence it was pumped into a second set of pipes, tilted so as to let the liquor flow out of the cave. After boiling a while in the open air, it was run through hoppers con- taining wood ashes, the result being, if skill had been used in mixing materials, a clear solution of the nitrate of potash, which, having been boiled down sufficiently, was put in troughs for cooling. In about 24 hours the crystals were taken out ready for transportation. Ordinary " peter dirt," as the miners called it, was ex- pected to yield from three to five pounds of the nitrate of lime to the bushel ; and to make 100 pounds of saltpeter it would be necessary to use 18 bushels of oak ashes, or 10 of elm, or two of ashes made by burning the dry wood in hollow trees. It is stated that " the contract for the supply of the fixed alkali alone, for this cave, for the year 1814, was twenty thousand dollars ; " from which we may infer the extent to which saltpeter was manufactured at that time. When the war was happily ended by the treaty of Ghent, the demand for saltpeter fell ofi* to such a degree that Messrs. Gratz and Wilkins stopped the manufacture at Mammoth Cave, and since then it has been valued mainly as a place of exhibition. The original territory of 200 acres has grown to nearly 2000 acres, a portion of which has some value for farming purposes, while other parts are covered by heavy timber. Most of it was ac- quired for the sake of controlling all possible entrances to the under-lying cavern. Mr. Archibald Miller, aided by his brothers William and James, was the agent of Messrs. Gratz and Wilkins, and remained at the cave to look after their interests and to show the place to visitors. His brother-in-law, Mr. James Moore, at one time a wealthy merchant in Phila- (5 CcJi'hnilnl American Cdrcrvs. (lolplii;i, took ]»ossossioii of the pi-oiici-ty in ll^lO. lie be- t;niic mixfd uj). in some iiiaiiiicr, \\\\\\ tlic conspiracy of r>iirr and lilcniuTliassutt, and was iinanciallj ruined, (iatewood again took charge of Ili«' cave for a number of Years, a period not marked by any inijiortant events, either of manufacture oi- discovery. Mr. Frank (Jorin bouglit tlio ]irr)pcrty in 1837, employ- ing Messrs. Moore and Arcliibald Miller, Jr., as his agents. The circumstance of ^fr. C. F. Harvey's being lost in the cave for 39 hours, determined the proprietor to make more thorough explorations, in the course of vliich he found the great chamber called, in honor of him, " Gorin's Dome." lie also placed Stephen and Matt, as guides, who aided in making further discoveries ; so that, ^vithin the next five years, tlie known regions of the cave were at least trebled. At the close of the Revolutionary war, special land grants liaving been made to officers and soldiers in the vicinity of Green river. Major "William Croghan, a Scotch- man who had distinguished himself in the United States army, was sent to survey and distribute them. His office was located at Louisville, where he also married a sister of General G. I\. Clarke. lie left five sons and two daughters. John, the second son, was graduated from the t^nivorsity of Pennsylvania, in 1813, and studied medicine with Dr. liush, of Philadelphia, afterward taking a sup- plementary course at Edinburgh. During his travels in the Old "World, Dr. Croghan was repeatedly asked for ]tarticulars as to the chief curiosity of liis native state, and the result of his mortification at his inability to reply was that, on returning, he visited and finally purchased the Mainmoth Cave. He continued the management as he found it, but expended large sums on roads, bridges and buildings. Dr. Croghan never married; and when he died, in 1845, he left the estate to trustees, to be managed for his eleven ne}>hews and nieces, the children of Col. George Croghan, Mr. AVm. Croghan, and Gen. Thomas S. Jessup. Seven of these now survive; of whom four re- side in "Washington, D. C, two in New York, and one in 3Iammoth Cave. 7 San Francisco. The business at the cavo has been carried on bj agents, amono- whom may be mentioned Mr. L. R. Proctor, Captain W. S. Miller, and Mr. Francis Klett, and Mr. H. C. Ganter, whose extensive improvements have made the cave more accessible, and whose urbanity and excellent regime have won many friends. A brief description of the guides is here in place ; for while others explore these subterranean reahns occasion- ally, these men do so daily, until they become almost iden- tified with ths rocks, rivers, and crystals found there. Stephen Bishop, the Guide— Mammoth Cave, The original guide, whose daring exploits and striking traits made him famous, was Stephen Bishop. He was a slave, half negro and half Indian, although the latter point is in doubt. His likeness shows him to have had intelli- gence and wit, and the statements of his employers and visitors agree in according to him an excellent knowledge of geology and other sciences, so far as they related to caverns. He had also a smattering of Latin and Greek, and a fund of miscellaneous information. The remains of this sable son of genius now rest beneath a cedar tree in the tangled grave-yard near the garden. Matt and Nick Bransford, formerly slaves, were for 8 Celebrated American Tafcrns. iii:iii\- vcars cMiiplovcil :is irnidt-s ; l)nt now tlio one is dead, jiiid tlio otlier is rctiivd from sei-vit-o on account of liis intirmitit's. William (Jarvin lias been a guide for twenty-six years and is a y-eneral favorite. Henry, the son of old Matt, Eddie IJisliop, a nephew of Steplien, and several special guides for occasional service, are all thoroughly familiar with the ramitications of the great ( :iv.'i-n, and ready to enliven the trip by drawing on their repei'toire of j(d<;es, original and selected. Civil and re- spectful as these men uniformly are, the tourist will do Well to heed alike tbeir instructions and their authority. Tlieir prompt alacrity has saved more than one valuable life when suddenly endangered; and it is also their duty to jtrotect the cave property from the wanton or thought- less injury that miglit otherwise be wrought by reckless liands. By special acts of tl.e state legislature it is made a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of fifty dollars, to de- face or mutdate any part of any of the several caverns on the Mammoth Cave estate, or to chip oflt or carry away any specimens from them. Protection is likewise ex- tended to the trees, shrubbery, fish and game on said es- tate, and the manager and guides have power to see that these wise enactments are enforced. Canes, torches, tire- works, geological hammci-s and survey ors instruments are for obvious reasons interdicted. Lamps are admissible, and the guides burn chemical tires at various points of in- terest. Choice specimens can be bought at fair prices from the hotel cabinet as souvenirs. Tin- early literature of Mammoth Cave is scattered through many magazines and newspapers. The oldest account that has fallen under my observation is contained in a letter from Louisville, dated July 5, 1814, and pub- lished in the Medical Bcpositortj, vol. xvii, pp. 391-393. It is accompanied by a map and a list of localities. The name given is the "Green River, or Mammoth Cave." The letter-writer describes a mummy " supposed to have been a queen," found a quarter of a mile from the mouth of the cave, but " lately deposited there from a neighboring cave." It is curious to note the old names. Audubou Mammoth Cave. 9 Avenue was called " The Right-hand Chamber ; " the Corkscrew, " The Mountain Room ; " The Gothic Gallery, the " Sand Room ; " the Gothic Avenue " The Haunted Room;" and the Chief City, " The Devil's Chamber, sup- posed to be ten miles from the mouth ! " In the lledical Repository, vol. xviii, is a le' ter from Mr. Gratz, one of the owners of the great cave, and also an engraving of the famous mummy from a drawing by Rafinesque. Mr. Wil- kins, the other owner, wrote an account that is to be found in the Transactions of the American Antiquarian Society, vol. I., where are also letters by S. L. Mitchill, M.I)., concerning the mummies found in Kentucky and Tennessee. The oft-quoted letter of Nahum Ward, M.D., dated Marietta, 0., April 4, 1816, was first published in the ^Yorcestcr Spy, and reprinted in the Monthly Magazine or British Register, July, 1816, with a map of the cave and an engraving of the mummy. The " Great Kentucky Cavern " is numbered among " The Hundred Wonders of the World," in a book with that title, by Rev. E. C. Clark, published in New Haven, Conn., 1821. A survey of the Mammoth Cave was made, in 1834-5, by Edmund E. Lee, C.E., who devoted three months to the task, and his " Map with l^otes " was published by James & Gazley, of Cincinnati, 0. ISText came a brilliant account, in the American Monthly Magazine, May and June, 1837, by Robert M. Bird, M.D. (author of " Calavar"), with an engraving, by Sartain, of the mouth surrounded by the ruins of the saltpeter works. Dr. Dekay gave the first description of the blind fish {Amblyopsis spelceus), in 1842, see Zoology of New York, pt. 3d, p. 187. Profes- sors Locke, Wyman, Agassiz, Silliman, and others, have at difterent times written communications as to the phe- nomena of Mammoth Cave, that have appeared in the American Joinmal of Science and Art; and an extended description of the cave fauna, by Dr. Telkampf, appeared, in 1844, with figures, in 3rdller\s Archiv. " Rambles in the Mammoth Cave, during the year 1844, by a Visitor" (supposed to be by Alexander BuUett, Esq.), with six cuts, and a map, by Stephen, the guide, was pub- lished bv^lorton & Griswold, of Louisville, in 184.5. Col- 10 Cilihrdtid American Cavcryis. liu's " History of Kentucky " (1847), contains quite a full iiocount of tliis cave. "A Pictorial Guide to the Mam- niotli Cave,"' Avilli nine cuts and eleven poems, came from the jicn of Ucv. Horace Mai-tiii. in ISol ; and. in the same year, " An OHicer of the lioyal Artillery,"' gave a most en- tertaining account in Frazcrs Magazine^ republished in LUtdVs Living Age, No. 348. One still more graphic Avas written in 18:)5, l)y Bayard Taylor, for the Xrw York Trib- nne, afterwards published in his "At Home and Abroad." Professor AV right's "Guide Manual" was printed in 1860, jit LouisvilK'. " "The Mammoth Cave and its Denizens," by A. 1). Pinkcrd, M.D., was published, in 1869, by Rob- ert Clarke & Co., of Cincinnati, 0. Photographs taken liy magnesium and other methods, by Messrs. "Waldack, Thuniin, Sesser, Ilains and Darnall, are on sale at the iiotel as cabinet and stereoscopic views, and in fine albums. Forwood's " Historical and Descriptive Xarrative of the Mammoth Cave," with twelve illustrations and a map, passed through four editions between 1870 and 1875. It is from observations made in. 1867, supplemented by infor- mation derived from Messrs. Proctor and Gorin, and others, and embodies the results of much investigation. The illustrated description, by A. P. Waud, in Appleton's •'Picturesque America," vol. II., pp. 540-544, is very fine, artistically considered. The State Geological Purvey of Kentucky — both the former one under Prof. D. D. Owen, and that now in progress under Prof. X. S. Shaler, with an able staff of assistants — contains valuable materials as to the cavern region of the Ohio valley. Admirable monographs on cave animals have been published by Professors Putnam, I'ackard, Cope, S. I. Smith and II. G. Hubbard. The lat- ter gives a table of the fauna of Mammoth Cave, includ- ing all s})ecie3 described down to March, 1880. Omitting scientific details, it may be stated, in a general way, that there liave thus far l)een described, as 8i:)ecies peculiar to this cavern : Vertebrata, 4 ; Insecta, 14 ; Arachnida, 8 ; Myriapoda, 2 : Crustacea, 5 ; Vermes, 3 ; Polygastric In- fusoria, 8; and I'hytolitharia, 5.* •See Appendix for an account of Fauna and Flora. Mammoth Cave. w To all the foregoiiii::: authorities I desire to express my -obligation for facts and suggestions that have been of use in the study of the subjects treated in this volume, and in my former articles in Scribncrs Magazine (April and Oct., 1880), and in other periodicals. The maps made of Mammoth Cave are in themselves an interesting study. A critic would hardly recognize them as representations of the same locality. Few can appre- ciate the ditHculties of an underground survey, amid rug- ged and tortuous paths, deep pits and lofty domes, all "wrapped in darkness but imperfectly scattered by lamp- light. Imagine a map of Pike's Peak plotted from ob- servations taken bv torchlight on a series of moonless midnights ! Then, again, the singular atmospheric condi- tions throw doubt on the barometrical tests, though applied by men of experience. A few facts only, of this nature, seem to be agreed on, and those are mentioned in their place in another chapter. I am informed that a set of levels was run by the State Geological Survey, from Green river to Echo river, but the results, I believe, have not appeared. It should be understood, therefore, that accuracy is not claimed for the accompanying map. The portion this side Echo river corresponds with the recent survey made by Mr. Erancis Klett, conducted independently of all previous ones, and with the advantage of a long experience in the United States Geographical Survey. Yet he only claims for it an approximation to correctness, and that not in de- tail but in the general courses. The part beyond the rivers is modified from older surveys, with the assistance of my artist, Mr. J. Barton Smith, and may serve as an aid to the memory, if nothing more. It is not attempted to in- clude all the 223 avenues that are said to have been ex- plored,* and many of which are never entered by visitors. *"The known avenues of Mammoth Cave amount to 223, and the united length of the whole equals ] 50 miles. The average width is 7 yards, and the height the same. About 12,000,000 cubic yards of cav- ernous space have here been excavated by calcareous waters and at- mospheric vicissitudes." Owen's Geological Sv.rvey of Kentucky, Vol. I., page 81. CHAPTER II. Location and Geolofrioal Relations — "White's Cave — Salt Cave — Short niKi Long Caves — Mummies and Sandals— Gigantic Fossil Remains — Maniinotli Cave without a Rival — Where it is, and How to get there — A Charming llesort— Hotel evolved from the Log Cabin — The Outfit — Necessary Regulations — Entrance to Mammoth Cave — Green ]{ivpr — Dixon's Cave — A Noble Vestibule — The Iron Gate — Blowing Caves — A Changeless Realm. TiiE cavernous limestone of Kentucky covers an area of 8,U0U square miles, and varies in thickness from 10 feet to 300 or 400, the average, perhaps, being about 175 feet. This rock shows few traces of dynamic disturbance, but has been carved by acidulated water, since the Miocene epoch", into numberless caverns. The absence of running streams is one of the striking features of the region, explained by the fact that nearly all the rivulets have long ago eaten their way through to the drainage level, and re-appear as large springs feeding rivers of considerable size. It is said that one may, in certain directions, travel fifty miles without crossing run- ning water. The voyager along such rivers as exist, will observe, at intervals, arches in the bluffs, whence the waters of subterranean streams emerge; and should he ex}ilore these openings, lie would find them the entrances to caverns ascending by tiers toward the general surface of the country. And were he to make his way from stage to stage — a thing not often possible — he would at length come out into a vallc}' shai»ed like an inverted cone, along whose sides grow bushes and trees, usually matted into a dense thicket. These valleys are called " sink-holes," and they serve to drain the surface around them. These sink- holes are said to average. lOU to the square mile; and, ac- Mammoth Cave, 13 cording to Shaler, the State Geologist, " there are at least 100,000 miles of open caverns beneath the surface of the carboniferous limestone in Kentucky." It is said that there are live liundred known caves and grottoes in Edmondson county besides Mammoth Cave, the noblest specimen of them all. Several of these have gained a measure of local celebrity, but only a few of them need be mentioned here. Salt Cave, near to the Mammoth Cave, and belonging to the same proprietors rivals it in the magnitude of some of its avenues, for the exploration of which about twelve hours are needed. It is difficult of access, however, on account of the loose and jagged rocks that have fallen from the roof; and being a dry cave, without any spring or pool, water for the trip must be carried in canteens. Its especial attraction is for the archaeologist, as it abounds in relics of prehistoric occupancy, such as hre-places, torches, piles of faggots, cast off sandals, and numerous other things described more fully elsewhere. Short Cave, noted for the mummies found in it, in 1813, that were afterwards transferred to Mammoth Cave ; Long Cave, rich in niter beds ; Proctor's Cave, the Diamond Cave, and others in the vicinity have their admirers. But the general feeling was well expressed by one of the na- tives who said to me, that " to go from any other cave to Mammoth Cave, was like going from a log-cabin to a palace." More particular mention, however, should be made of the White Cave, about half a mile from Mammoth Cave, of which it is thought really to be an arm. The exact point of communication has not yet been found, but is supposed to be with the extremity of either the Little Bat Room, or of Audubon Avenue. It is well worth visiting both on account of the beauty and variety of its stalac- tites, and for its interesting paleontological contents. Pass- ing through an iron gate, we first enter an oval chamber, irregular in contour, with a low roof and a muddy floor. In a second room we find a fine piece of stalactitic drapery called the " Frozen Cascade ; " the roof is decked with 14 Celebrated American Caverns. ]>t'iult'nts of all sizes ; aiid tlio tioor is cut by very crooked fliaiuiols, tlie rilU in whicli ai'c so transparent as to be al- most invisible, lluniboldt's I'illar is a stately shaft of alabaster. In a tli.inl and lai'L'"er room huge masses of limestone have fallen, around \vbieh luiture has kindly- drawn curtains of alabaster, rudely broken through here and tbere by exjilorers trying to force their way to regions beyond. ITisboji's T)oine is the farthest point yet reaehed, a deeji i)it with ornate walls, into whose dejtths Eddie Ijishop, for whom it is named, alone has thus far descended. Some seventy years ago, a certain Mr. Clifford, a Ken- tuckian, exhumed from the floor of the White Cave a num- ber of huge fossil bones, that, after passing through various hands, finally came into tlie possession of the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia. These curious bones, as described by Dr. Kichard Harlan, were relics of the megalonyx, the bear, bison, and stag. With them, but of a presumably later time, were found a few human bones. These remains seemed to belong to the same era as those found in the Big Bone lick. "Strictly speaking," ob- serves Dr. Ilarlan, " these bones were not fossilized ; they retain a XQvy considerable quantity of animal matter, but are more brittle and are lighter than recent bones ; most of the articulating surfaces are still more or less covered with cartilaice. The bones are mostly of a yellow ocherous color, and it is stated they were found on the surface of the floor of the cave." The entrance to the White Cave dips below the horizon, and was originally so small as to admit of the ingress of but one person at a time. My theory is that the animals whose bones were here found must have fallen through a sink-hole near by. The location of ^fammoth Cave is exactly 37° 14' X. latitude, and 80^ VI' W. longitude. It is easily reached by trains on tlie Louisville and Xashvillo Tiailroad, passen- gers being transferred at tlie Glasgow Junction to the Mammoth Cave Railroad runniuir to the niarsriu of the Mammoth Cave. 15 park in front of the hotel ; a decicled improvement on the okl line of coaches that used to wind in and out among' the sink-holes. The hotel register shows an aggregate of from 4,000 to 6,000 visiters a year. Many of these come from the North, and a few from various parts of Europe, drawn by their curiosity to behold this far-famed locality. The majority, however, are from Louisville, I^ashville, Memphis, Kew Orleans, and other cities of the Sunny South ; and he who wishes to meet the best types of southern society, will be sure of finding them here. The spot is a charming resort, aside from its peculiar attraction — the cave. The region around it is a hunter's j)aradise, in which quail and grouse abound, and not a few wild turkeys and deer. The grounds have been laid out Avith taste, ornamental shrubbery being interspersed among ancient oaks, over-shadowing a well-kept lawn. Exten- sive gardens supply the hotel with fresh vegetables of every kind, and the table is furnished amply with whatever the season and the market may afford. The hotel itself is an architectural curiosity. The origi- nal cabin, built by the miners in 1812, still stands and is used as a wash-house. Next came a more stylish log-house with a wide hall between two large rooms. As visitors multiplied the cabins also multiplied, until they stood in a long row. These isolated structures were, at a later day, connected with each other and weather-boarded, the halls and rooms remaining unchanged. Then a spacious frame- house was erected in front, with offices, parlors, ball-room, and other appointments in modern style. Finally wide verandas were added, having about 600 feet of covered portico. The structure thus evolved from a log-cabin germ, is shaped like the letter L, and a more airy, delight- ful place can not be found in the State of Kentucky! Loitering amid the long colonnade, on the evening of our first arrival, we looked out between the tall white pillars, and the night-air floating through the noble grove of aged oaks and across the blue-grass lawn, seemed redolent of 16 Celebrated American Caverns. ronmntic associations. IIow many thousands of tourists, savants, and lov(>rs liavc liere strolled in the moonlight! At 11 r. M. tiu- Itand left the ball-room for the veranda, and, according to their custom, gave tlie signal for retiring liy i»laying "Home, sweet liome;" and the next morning, at six, the same musicians awoke us b}' playing " Dixie " — that tune dear to every Southern heart! The convenience of visitors is consulted by the establish- ment of two i)rincipal lines of cave exploration, designated as the Long Route and the Short Route the fees for which are, respectively, three and two dollars, including the services of a competent guide, with lamps, fire-works, and all essentials. Special terms are made for tourists wishing to make a leisurely exploration, and also for large l)arties. Facilities arc likewise furnished, if desired, for visiting "White's Cave, and other caves in the vicinity. It should be added, to correct an erroneous impression, that while guarding their property rights, the management of the cave has always encouraged scientific investigation. Xo restraints were laid on the members of the American Association, when they visited it, at the close of the Cincin- nati meeting, except those heartily approved of by them- selves. And I take this opportunity of expressing my ap- preciation of the aid given me by the present and the former manager, and of the faithful assistance rendered by the guides in my explorations. Regular hours are fixed for entering the cave, and all needed attentions are paid to the general conven- ience of the guest. At the lamp-cabin, as the hour ap- proaehfs, the guides may be seen trimming their lamps, and prej-aring the outfit of the visitors whom they are to escort. The lanij) used is a simple aflair for burning lard- oil, and swings from four wires twisted into a handle, with a tin shit'ld to protect the hand. Each visitor is expected to carry one of these lights, but it is not given to him till he enters the cave. The guide's appearance is unique as he stands ready for duty. Xo uniform is worn, but each, white or black, Mamynoth Cave. 17 dresses according to his own taste. The bunch of lamps, sometimes strung on a stick if there are many of them ; the flask of oil swung by the side; the oddly-shaped bas- ket carried on the other side, containing an assortment of chemicals for illuminating the larger rooms, together with any thing else that may be needed — makes a queer tout en- semble. At the ringing of a large bell the party to go in on that trip gather in the garden, clad in any dress that suits the wearer ; the ladies often donning a gymnastic dress trimmed, perhaps, with spangles and tiny bells ; while easy shoes, close-fitting caps, and a comfortable temper are desirable for all. Matt., the Guide — Mammoth Cave. The entrance to Mammoth Cave is reached by a shady path down a wild ravine, and is about 300 yards from the hotel on the bluff. Another hotel stood, formerly, in front of the entrance, but it was burned about fifteen years ago, and the scorched trees carry the scars of the fire. A plat- Ig Ct((}n-(ttt(l American Caverns. loi'iii has Ik'oh k'vi'l»'y ice. The air, as well as the water, of the cave is of uniform temperature the year round. The mercury in the set of Smithsonian thermometers kept at the hotel, may have indicated 100° when you began your walk down into this shady dell, but at the cave's mouth it falls to GG° at noon, and 65° at night, with very little regard to what kind of weather the rest of the world is having. Stand on this bench of stone and lift your hand above your head, and there you will find the fervid heat again. The current of cold air may be traced for a long distance before it min- gles with the mass of common atmosphere. Within the cave, as we shall have occasion to observe, the temperature is several degrees lower than at the mouth. As I have already remarked, the ancient outlet of the subterranean region before us was through what is now known as Dixon's Cave. A small opening on our left as we stand fai-ing the present entrance, points in the direc- tion of Dixon's Cave, but the guides say there is no open- ing through, although persons in one cave can make them- selves heard in the other, as was proved by the miners in 1812, whose i>icks could be heard as stated. * Mammoth Cave has a noble vestibule ! Amid tulip trees and grape-vines, maples and butternuts, fringing ferns and green mosses, is the gate-way to this under- ground palace. The fingers of a rippling rill pried the •rocks apart, i»erhaps ages ago, and when the roof fell in, thia chasm that we see remained. The rill still runs, and from a frowning ledge above it leaps fifty feet to the rocks. Marmnoth Cave, 19 TbeJDvv, ^vhere it instantly disappears as if its work were done. The aroli has a span of seventy feet, and a winding flight of seventy stone steps condncts ns around the lovely cascade, into a roomy ante-chamber under the massive rocks. The prevailing coolness and uniformity of temperature led the late Dr. Croghan to excavate a deep hollow here to serve as an ice-house. The passage-way suddenly grows very narrow, at a point about 300 feet within, and here there is an iron gate made of rude bars crossing each other. This was built by Capt. "W. S. Miller, in 1874, as a safeguard against secret sur- veys, spoliation, and the escape of fugitives from justice. Each guide carries a key, and the gate is unlocked and locked again for every party that rnay enter. The current of air that had already been quite noticea- ble, increases to a gale as we cross the portal, so strong indeed that our lamps are blown out. This phenomenon is due to several causes operating together. The most ob- vious one is the difference of temperature between the air within and that without. During most of the year in this bland climate the outside air is warmer than that of the cave, and therefore the current is outward. But when it is otherwise, the current is reversed and blows into the cave. It is not necessary to assume the existence of some lower opening as a cause for a ventilating current; yet, if there are such openings, they may help to keep the air in motion. Prof. Silliman, who visited the cave in 1852, offered still another explanation. Regarding the mouth of the cave as the only communication between the external air and the vast labyrinth of galleries stretching away for miles in the limestone, he accounts for the purity of the air on chemical principles. Calling attention to the incredibly extensive niter beds, he says: "The nitrogen consumed in the formation of the nitrate of lime must have its pro- portion of free oxygen disengaged, thus enriching this subterraneous atmosphere with a larger portion of the ex- hilarating element." The result would be that the cave- lid Celebrated Amerlean Caverns. air, Ix'iiiL'" l)otli more |iiiri' and more dense tliaii that out- side, would cxpiind and How outward whenever pressure was lifted 1)V a rise of tem])Oi-atnre al)0\'e its own, which I'cniains constant . 'flic word for cavi'. l)otli in Latin and Greek, signifies '•a /)r(til/>iii(/-j>/(ic( ." as if tliese places were the mighty lungs of Mother Kartlu through whicli she iuliales and I'xhales the \ital air. The classic fahle of ^olus also comes to mind, in which the god of storms is represented as confining all the winds iu a vast cavern, where he has liis thi-one.^- The current of air dies down, as we advance, and only a iew yards hcyond the Iron Gate we have no difficulty in relighting our lamps. Here we catch the last ghmpse of dayliglit shining in through the entrance, and all that lies bevond us is in absolute darkness, A strana^e sensation is usually felt by the visitor at this point, and occasionally one is found who shrinks back from the journey he has undertaken. The story is told of a Scotchman who had come to America as a tourist, led to do so by the hope of seeing the great cave, as a special object of attraction ; but, ■when he readied this spot, and found to his surprise that it was dark in the cavern, he positively refused to enter I Most visitors, however, find a certain romantic charm on entering these regions of perpetual silence, where the pleasing alternation of day and night is unknown, as is also the change of the seasons, summer and winter being alike, and vernal and autumnal airs the same. "Whatever * There are many " blowing caverns " in existence, and in some of them tlie bhist is marvelous and inexplicable. I find the following .statement in Johnson's Physical Cieography, though I do not vouch for its correctness: "From a blowing cave in the Alleghany moun' tains, lOn feet in diameter, the current of air is so strong as to keep the weeds prostrate to the distance of sixty feet from its mouth. But the most extraordinary example is the great cave of Ouybe, of un- known extent, in central Asia. The tempests that rush from it are sometimes so violent as to carry off every thing on the road into an adjoining lake! The wind coining from the interior of the earth is said to be warm in winter, and so dangerous that caravans often stop for a whole week till tlie tempests have subsided! " Mammoth Cave. 21 tremendous energies may once have hurled the loose rocks to the floor that now lie scattered ai'ound, no convulsion has disturbed the strata forages, and there is no safer place above ground than is here below. The loudest thunder- storm may roll jtcross the heavens, but its din does not in- vade the profound quiet of theae deep vaults. OULOPHOLITES, OR CiTRVED CRYSTALS OV GtPSTTM. CHAPTER 111. The Main Cave— The Narrows— Saltpeter "Works— "Rotunda— Audu. bon's Avenue— Bat Kooms — Skeletons — Temperature of Mammoth Cave — Kentucky Cliffs — Methodist Church — A Subterranean Sermon — Standing Rocks — Grand Arch — Water-clock — Wandering Willie'a Spring — Grotesque Fancies — Giant's Coffin — Acute Angle — Rude Monvunents — Stone Cottages — A Strange Sanitarium — Star Chamber — A pleasing Incident — Salts Room — Proctor's Arcade — Kinney's Arena- Wright's Rotunda — Black Chambers — Cataracts — Solitary Chambers — Fairy Grotto — Chief City — St. Catherine's City — End of Main Cave. Whatever route one takes, "he must traverse for a longer or shorter distance, what is fitly designated as the Main Cave, hecanse it is like a great trunk, from which the avenues seem to branch. I shall, therefore, dcA^ote this chayiter to its description, together with some of the les? frequented places not now included in any regular route. For perhaps fifty yards, after leaving the Iron Gate, th(^ way lies under a low ceiling, and is walled in hv fragments of rock piled up hy the miners. Beyond the Xarrows, as this passage is called, and where the way grows wider, there is a well-marked cart-road, and places where the oxen were tied up to be fed, corn-cobs also lying scattered around. The carts could not have been driven in through the Narrows, but were brought in piecemeal and put to-' gcther again inside. The oxen, likewise, were unyoked and led in singly. Wooden pipes are laid in the earthen floor, each being al>ont 20 feet long and 10 inches in di- ameter, bored lengthwise and joined together by iron Ijand.s, Such of them as were for convevino- water into the cave are decayed liadly, Avhile those used to conduct the alkali out to tlic l)oiler» are in excellent preservation. 3fammoth Cave. 23 Suddenly the roof lifts above our heads, and we are in the Rotunda, located, it is said, directly under the dining- roon> of the hotel. On our right are three huge vats, built of oak plank, and partly full of nitrous earth. The tall frame that once held the pump is now made useful for holding any superfluous wraps we may feel like leaving — for it is not well to be too warmly clad. \f The area around us, including about half an acre, is rug- ged with heaps of rubbish that might have been leveled long ago, had it not been for their flavor of antiquity, and the guide's satisfaction in telling visitors that " these piles of lixiviated earth are monuments of the War of 1812 ! " Looking aloft, we are impressed with a sense of the mag- nitude of the room we have entered, but, when we come to figures we miss the accustomed objects of comparison. " Guess how wide this chamber is ! " says the guide. One thinks it can not be less than 150 feet ; another says 200 or 250 ; and yet another is sure it is fully 300 feet. " Guess how high it is ! " We look up to the dim ceiling and estimates vary again. To one it seems 50, to another 80, to a third, 100 feet high. The lack of charity shown for errors in guesswork is sometimes very amusing to one who has used the tape- line in underground surveys, and knows how easy it is to be deceived in mere estimates of distances. The atmos- phere of the cave is optically pure ; i. e. no motes nor dust floats in it, and therefore the rays of light are not distrib- uted as in ordinary air; while at the same time, as it is also chemically pure, the lamps burn very brightly. This combination of causes leads to a confusion of ideas as to the nearness or remoteness of objects. Apply the tape-line to those two arches that open out from the Rotunda. One is found to have a span of 46, and the other of 70 feet! Our path lies through the latter, but let us make a brief digression into the other that trends away to the right. This is Audubon's Avenue, so named in honor of the famous naturalist. It used to be called Big Bat Room, and the branch from it, running to Crevice Pit, was called •j4 Celebrated American Caverns. Littlo Bat Ixooiii — ;i titlt- that clings to it vet. Here myr- iads of bats taki; iij) tlicir winter (jiiarters, congregating tor the purposo from all the region around. Deposits of ))at-guano abound, and this is supposed to be connected with the quantities of nitrous earth, which is richest here. Not a stone in these two rooms but what has l)cen upturned for *'peter-dirt;" and one can not refrain from admiring the energy and diligence of those old-time miners. Au- dubon's Avenue, as measured by me, is three quarters of a mile long, to where it ends in a group of stalactites. It is seldom visited. The miners are said to have exhumed two skeletons, in 1811, in the Rotunda, at the entrance to Audubon's Ave- nue: one, that of a child; the other of a giant seven or eight feet in height! Mr. Gorin, as quoted by Dr. For- wood, states positively, that " no mummies were ever found in Mammoth Cave; and that no bones, either human or of the lower animals, except the two skeletons already spoken of, were ever found therein." Before proceeding further, it may be as well to speak of the temperature of Mammoth Cave. It has been roughly estimated that twelve million cubic yards of limestone have been displaced by this immense excavation ; and the importance occurred to me of ascertaining exadbj the temperature of such a body of subterraneous air. On inquiry I learned that this had never been accurately done. Hence I made a series of observations in 1878, that sat- isfied me of the need of still more careful work. Accord- ingly, in 1881, armed with two standard thermometers, one a Casella from the Kcw Observatory, England, and the other a Green from "Winchester Observatory at ISTcw Haven, Conn., I took a number of observations with the utmost care. Among my conclusions were the following : That the highest degree reached at any time in any part of iNIammothCave is 56° Fah.; and the lowest 52|° Fah. : the mean for summer being 54°, and for winter, 53°. The latter is probably the true temperature of the earth's crust in the region where this cave i ^ located. Mammoth Cave. 25 The above conclusions are confirmed by the readings of an ordinary thermometer placed by Mr. Klett in the Ro- tunda and left there till it was, so to speak, acclimated. This gentleman reports, as the result of almost daily in- spection by himself or the guides, that during the period of six months, the mercury did not rise above 54° nor fall below 53° Fall., the fair inference being, that there was not, at any time, a variation of more than one degree \'^ At a point some distance beyond the Rotunda, and ex- actly half a mile by my pedometer, from the top of the hill, the guide calls our attention to a shelf of rock on the left, and informs us that there is the entrance to " The Corkscrew." This is a short-cut by which visitors, on re- turning from the Long Route, save themselves a mile or two of traveling. Advancing in the Main Cave, we pass under over-hang- ing ledges called the Kentucky Cliffs, and about four feet from the floor we examine a cluster of little openings, like pigeon-boxes, that show the peculiar action of the water by which they were eaten out. "We next come to the Methodist Church, about eighty feet in diameter and forty feet high, where those ancient *As this is a matter that has been under dispute, former observations by scientific observers having agreed on 59^ Fah. as the correct temper- ature, I give below a tabh^ of my main observations, which were most carefully made with practically perfect instruments, on the 13th, and 15th days of August, 1881 : At the hotel on the hill the mercury indicated 92 deg. Fah. At the mouth of the cave (at noon) 65K " '" *' " " (7P.M.) 60 " At the Iron Gate, 100 yards within, where tlie current is strongest b2}i " " In the Rotunda ( 1.000 yards within) 53 " " In Audubon's Avenue 54 " " In Little Bat Avenue 54 " " In the Gothic Avenue (oldest and driest portion) 56 " '' In Richardson's Spring (in the water) 54 " '• In the Arched Way 5i.}i " ■' At the Bottomless Pit (top) 54 " "' " " (midway) 50 •' " ,' •' (at the bottom) 53 " " In the Mammoth Dome (top, 230 feet above bottom) 54 " " " " (midway; 53>i •' " " (bottom) 53 " ■' At the Echo River (in the water) 55 " " " " (in the air) 56 " " •' " (where it empties in Green River) 53 " '' 2G Celebrated American Caverns. inincrs used to lioartlio Gospel preached l»y itinerant min- isters, wlio souglit their welfare. The logs that served for henches are still in jiosition, and many a sermon has been delivered from the rocky pulpit since the days of the pio- ni'i-r worshipers. The Avriter can not soon forget a re- lifious service he liad the privilege of attending in this natural temple, one summer Sabbath. The band did duty, as orchestra, the guests and guides were seated around the pulpit in decorous order, the servants from the hotel were a little in the back-ground, the walls were hung with a hundred hun}>s, and the scene itself was beautiful. Then the ii>alm arose, led by the instruments, and waves of har- mony rolled through those rocky arches till they died away in distant corridors. The text from which the cler- gyman, himself a visitor, wove his discourse was peculiarly adapted to the place and the occasion : John xiv : 5, '■'•How can we know the ivai/?"" For the next 150 yards the old cart ruts run between mountainous heaps of "lixiviated earth," and the hoof- prints of the oxen remain as if they had lately drawn loads to the hoppers. Here are more ruins of niter-works, eight liuge vats, lines of wooden pipes, pump-frames, and other signs of former activity. "What a busy set those old fel- lows must have been ! One can almost credit their boast that they could dig saltpeter enough from Mammoth Cave to supply the whole world. Leaving, for the present, the Gothic Galleries, where these ruins lie, we pursue our w^ay under the Grand Arch, about sixty feet wide and fifty high, and extending for many hundred feet. On our left are the Standing Rocks, four in number, thirty feet long, and Aveighing may be twenty tons apiece. What a shaking there must have been when they fell from the h>fty arch above and buried themselves in this upright position in the earthen floor! New objects of interest meet us at every step, as we ad- vance. During a moment's pause we are startled by what' seems the loud ticking of a musical time-])icce. It is but the measured melody of water dripping into a basin hid- den behind, the rocks. It is only a small basin, and the llammoth Cave. 27 drops fall but a few inches, yet such are the acoustic effects of the arch that they can be heard for a long ways, as they monotonously fall, drop by drop, just as, perhaps, they have fallen for a thousand years. Not far from this natural water-clock, is a symmetrical recess chisled by a tiny rill, whose limpid water is col- lected in a pool. The story is told of a blind boy who rambled over the country, winning a precarious living by his violin, and who, as he said, was resolved to see the cave for himself. He lost his way, and when found by his companions, was quietly sleeping beside this basin, which ever since has been called "Wandering Willie's Spring." Singular effects are produced by the devices of the guides. At certain spots wonderful shadow profiles are cast by the projecting buttresses. One long admired was that of George Washington. But it is now eclipsed by what is styled the bust of Martha Washington, which really is a magnificent illusion. The guests are stationed under the Grand Arch, and their lamps withdrawn. Then at a place 550 yards distant, the guide burns magnesium, he himself being out of sight, and the result is the remark- able effect described. What we behold seems to be a sculptured mass of Parian marble instead of simply a mass of white light amid the rocks. The incrustations of gypsum stained by the black oxide of manganese, seem to cut gigantic silhouettes from the ceiling of creamy limestone. At first we ridicule these fancies, but at last they fascinate us. Wild cats, buffaloes, monkeys and ant-eaters — indeed, a whole menagerie is on exhibition, including the old mammoth himself, and Bar- num's fat girl. There is an especially fine side-show of a giant and giantess playfully tossing papooses to and fro. It is well to observe the large rock on our right very carefully, not only for the interest it excites by its singular resemblance to a mighty sarcophagus, but because the Giant's CoflBn, as it is called, is one of the most important land-marks in the cave. It equals in size one of the famous blocks of Baalbek, being forty feet long, twenty wide, and eight or more deep. Often as I have passed it, 2S Celebrated Auifrlcan Caccnis. whc'tluM- alone or with a Imiidrod coiii}»anions, it has ever Itt'i'ii with a fceliii^ii; as if I liad intruded into some sacred muusoh'nni. Tliis ponderous roek hides behind it the ereviee that, until recently, was the only know^i way of access t(^ the wonderful region of pits, domes and rivers, that we are to visit another day. The Giant's Coffin. At a point 100 yards beyond the Giant's Coffin, the trend of the Main Cave turns upon itself at an acute angle, on tlio left, and sweeps around in a magnificent amphithe- ater on the right. This enchanting place should not be hastily passed. The effect of fire-w^orks here is remark- ably brilliant, and the sublime scene thus illumined is one to 1)0 remembered long. The apex of tiie acute angle is marked by McPherson's monument, a rude pile of stones in memory of a gallant soldier. More than 300 such monuments liave been erected in (litTerent portions of the cave, in honor of various indi- viduals, literary institutions, and the several States of the Union. Some of these pillars reaeh from floor to roof, each tourist who chooses to do so, adding a stone. An i Mammoth Cave. 29 incidental benefit of the custom is that it has helped to clear the paths. -rSasr^v- mm mm .„, '.i , 6»iiaii,;'iEai r.imim': '-' &S-R--J ■MM' ■ ■■" •^•"- •- A Strange Sanitarium. The roofless remains of two stone cottages are next vis- ited, as having a melancholy interest on account of their history. These, and ten frame ones, now torn down, were built in 1843 for the use of fifteen consumptive patients, who here took up their abode, induced to do so by the uniformity of the temperature, and the highly oxygenated air of the cave, which has the purity without the rarity oi the air at high altitudes. The second stone house was a dining-room ; all the rest were lodging rooms, and were well furnished. The cottages were not all at this spot. One was about 100 yards within Audubon's Avenue; in which a Mr. Mitchell, from South Carolina, lived for five months, and then died. He was buried in the little ceme- tery nearthe cave, and his body was afterward taken away. The next cottage was near Wandering Willie's Spring. Still another was erected in Pensico Avenue. All the others, nine in number, stood in a line, about 30 feet apart, extending from the acute angle onward. The 30 Celebrated American Caverns. experiment was jin utter failure ; as was also tlie piti- i"ul attempt on tlie i>ai-t of these poor invalids to make trees and slii-ul)bery grow around their dismal huts. The open sunshine is as essential to rosy health as it is for green leaves. The salubrity of the cave, so far as its eliects on the spirits and health of visitors are concerned, is decidedly marked. The air is slightly exhilarating, and sustains one in a ramble of five or ten hours, so that at its end he is hardly sensible of fatigue. In one of the earliest accounts of the cave, published in 1832, it is said that " the niter diggers were a fiimously healthy set of men ; " and that, on humanitarian grounds, it was customary to employ la- borers who were in feeble health, " who were soon restored to good health and strength, though kept at constant la- bor ; and more joyous, merry fellows were never seen." It certainly is noticeable that most tourists, whether it is due to the delicious air or some other happy cause, gen- erally mingle a jocund feeling with the awe and solemnity that one would suppose should be awakened by scenes so sublime. A strangely beautiful transformation scene is exhibited in the Star Chamber, a hall from 200 to 500 feet long (ac- cording to the place you measure from), about 70 feet wide at the iioor and narrowing to 40 at the ceiling, which is 60 feet above our heads. The light gray walls are in strong contrast to the lofty ceiling coated with black gyp- sum ; and this, again, is studded with thousands of white spots, caused by the etilorescenee of the sulphate of magne- sia. Th'3 guide bids us seat ourselves on a log bench by the wall, and then collecting our lamps, vanishes behind a jutting rock; whence, b}' adroit manipulations, he throws shadows, flitting like clouds athwart the starry vault. The effect is extremely fine, and the illusion is complete. The ceiling seems to have been lifted to an immense distance, and one can easily persuade himself that by some magic the roof is removed, and that ho looks up from a deep canon into the real heavens. Mammoth Care. 31 *' Good night," says the guide, " I will see you again in the morning ! " With this abrupt leave-taking he plunges into a gorge, and we are in utter darkness. Even the blackest midnight in the upper world has from some quarter a few scattered rays ; but here the gloom is without a gleam. In the ab- solute silence that ensues one can hear his heart beat. The painful suspense is at length broken by one of those outbursts of laughter that come when least expected ; and then we ask each other the meaning of this sudden deser- tion. But, while thus questioning each other, we see in the remote distance a faint glimmer, like the lirst streak of dawn. The light increases in volume till it tinges the tips of the rocks, like the tops of hills far away. The ho- rizon is bathed in rosy hues, and we are prepared to see the sun rise, when all at once the guide appears, swinging his cluster of lamps, and asking us how we like the per- formance. Loudly encored, he repeats the transforma- tions again and again, — starlight, moonlight, thunder- clouds, midnight and clay-dawn, the latter heralded by cock-crowing, the barking of dogs, lowing of cattle, and various other farm-yard sounds ; until, weary of an enter- tainment that long ago lost its novelty for him, he bids us resume our line of march. It is doubtful if one visitor in fifty goes farther into the Main Cave than to the Star Chamber ; but none fail to see this favorite hall of illusions. The path to it is dry and so Avell-trodden as to be quite dusty. A pleasing incident comes to mind, showing how easily it may be reached, although a mile under ground. One evening, after tea, I had entered thus far alone, without a guide, and after studying for a while the peculiar effects of light and shade, I sat down on the log bench and put my lamps out, in order to enjoy the luxury of darkness, silence, and solitude. But ere long voices were heard, and mysterious peals of laughter. Soon the day-dawn effect was unexpectedly produced, by the approach of a party of jocund youths and maidens, with lights, who, having dressed for a hop, first paid a visit to this enchanted 32 Celebrated American Caverns. ground : niid, ;is cave dust never flies nor sticks, they did so without u speck on }»olis]ied boot or trailing robe. It may be well to say liero that the remainder of the Main Cave is one of the " Special Routes," and those wlio wish to visit it should make their arrangements for doing so at the start. As we pass along under a mottled ceiling that changes, from the constellation just described, to a mackerel sky with fleecy masses of floatingclouds, many curious objects are pointed out to us. Here is a stout oak pole, project- ing from a crevice, now inaccessible — put there when, and by whom, and for what purpose? There are snow-drifts of native Epsom salts, whitening the dusky ledges. Spaces arc shown, completely covered by broad slabs, under- neath which are the ashes and embers of ancient fires. Side-cuts occasionally tempt us from the beaten path, into which we return by a circuitous way. These are gen- erally short, though some of them are several hundred yards long. Proctor's Arcade, the next considerable enlargement be- yond the Star Chamber, is said to be 100 feet in width, 45 in height, and three-quarters of a mile in length. Its pro- portion, are very symmetrical thrcfighout, and when illu- minated by blue lights, burning at several points, deserves the encomium pronounced on it by Dr. AVright, of being '•the most magnificent natural tunnel in the world." Kinney's Arena is a hall about 100 feet in diameter, and 50 feet in height. Here another stick in the ceiling is pointed out, concerning which there has been much spec- ulation. After passing the S Bend, which has no special points of interest, we enter a spacious chamber, thus described by Prof. C. A. Wright, in whose honor it is named : '• Wright's Rotunda is 400 feet in its shortest diameter. The ceiling is from 10 to 45 feet in height, and is perfectly level, the apparent diflTerence in height being produced by the irregularity of the floor. It is astonisdiing that the ceiling has strength to sustain itself." " When this im- mense area is illuminated at the two extremes, simultane- "II^H .sjaipAoa •IT •S}pq.XaBi[0 -01 ••BIIAOS -6 •ojjoif) s.aiipBiJV '9 •}3UiqB0 S.AaAOH 'S •8010(1 S.UIJOO •£ •raooH lAvog uapoo^w 't "X ^^?^14 ~^-^^ Mawrnofh Cave. 33 ously, it presents a most magnificent appearance." Nich- olas' Monument, named for one of the guides, stands at one end of this large hall, a column four feet in diameter and extending from the floor to the ceiling. In this part of the cave the path, which I liave said was very free from incumbrances, grows extremely rough, and the floor is but a bed of angular blocks, over wdiich we make slow progress. We are willing to take the guide's word for it that Fox Avenue is worth exploring, and that various other spots are curious or beautiful. "We clamber over the big rocks, however, to survey a mass of ruins known by the ominous name of the Black Chambers. The walls and ceilings are here completely coated with black gypsum. We find that the funereal darkness defies magnesium, and refuses to be cheered even by red fire. Crossing to the right hand side from these baronial ruins, we ascend through the Big Chimneys to an upper level, and, as we proceed, we hear the sound of a water- fall, which increases as we draw near, until we find our- selves at the Cataracts. I have never happened to see this spot except in a dry season, and then, although there is quite a cascade, there is nothing to correspend with the frightful torrents that are said to pour down after heavy rains, "with a roar that resounds afar, and seems to be shaking the cave itself from its foundations." The water, be it more or less, falls^from large perforations over-head, and is instantly lost to sight in a deep, funnel-shaped pit. 'No creeping nor crawling has to be done in the Main Cave, the average width, throughout its entire extent being about GO feet, and its height about 40 feet; the length is estimated at nearly four miles, of which we have, thus far, traversed less than half. For the sake of variety, let us digress to visit the Soli- tary Chambers ; to reach which we have to pass for per- haps 20 feet under a low arch. Pursuing our way across these lonely apartments, we finally, by dint of much crawl- ing, arrive at the Fairy Grotto, once famous for its ten 34 Celehraicd American Caverns. thousand stalactites, as varied in foi-m as the shapes visible ill the kaleidost'Oi»e. Ruthless hands have marred this Vicautitul place, demolishing its exquisite creations, until it is difficult to realize the truth of the earlier descriptions. Entering the Main Cave again, near the Cataracts, we continue our walk, clambering over great masses of frag- ments, taking care not to break our necks, until we find ourselves beyond this rocky pass, and under the stupend- ous vault known as the Chief City. Amid its wonders we linger long. Bayard Taylor's estimate of this colossal room shows the vigor of his imagination : "Length, 800 feet; breadth, 300 feet; heighth, 125 feet; area, between 4 and 5 acres ! " Another, whose imagination was still more lively, estimates the area at 11 acres ! There prob- ably are about two acres ; but the reader who has never ex- plored this underground realm, will find it tax his mind to realize how large even such an area would seem, clothed with eternal night, built in by walls of massive rock, and over-arched by so vast a dome as to make us hold our breath, lest if silence were broken it would fall. '* "Why doesn't it fall? " I heard a timid visitor ask the guide. " I know of no reason why it should not fall at this very moment," said he, solemnly, '•' and I never come under- neath without some degree of fear. Yet the arch appears to be a solid, seamless block of limestone, and it may stand for a thousand years." Immense rocks are thrown about in the wildest confu- sion, and it is evident that mighty forces were once here at play. But all is quiet now, and the dust of ages lies on those huge blocks. The guide picks out from interstices between the stones, half-burnt bits of cane, which he as-l sures us the red men used to fill with bear's fat and burn, in lieu of torches, to light them in their solemn councils, or during their search for hidden treasures of flint or alabaster. The fact that no weapons have ever been found here shows that the councils held were of a peaceful nature; and the absence of human remains proves that they were not hero on a funereal errand. But certain it is Ifammoth Cave. 35 that Indian cTiiefs saw this city centuries before we saw the light of day. It should be added, concerning the cane torches, that although now comparatively few, they were formerly so numerous as to furnish materials for hundreds of bon-fires by which the guides were accustomed to illumi- nate the mountain and the dome. Dr. Bird speaks (in 1837) of the supply as inexhaustible, filling the rocky crevices in " astonishing, unaccountable quantities." The stern features of the scene are best surveyed from the summit of a rugged ascent, called quite appropriately, a mountain. Here we sit, while, again and again, the guide lights red fire and burns Roman candles, and dis- charges rockets that find ample room to explode before they strike the far-distant walls. The probability is that electric lamps will be placed, at an early day, in these dim regions, and then every nook and secret recess will be brought into view ; but it is doubtful if the picturesque efiects could be heightened beyond those now caused by the pyrotechnic glare that, as it flashes and dies away, over the long slope of irregular rocks, and athwart the gigantic vault, brings to view such glories as no torch-bearing mound-builder ever saw or dreamed of seeing. The majestic dome appears to follow us, as we retire from it, overarching us at every step ; as is the case with the sky, that bends the same canopy of blue above every meadow and valley, as the traveler moves from place to place. This phenomenon, first noticed by Mr. E. F. Lee, affords an impressive proof of its symmetrical proportions and vast dimensions. And while the crimson light stains the arches and pinna- cles, we take leave, with many a backward look, of this prehistoric council-chamber of sagamores and dusky braves. Resolute pedestrians may cross the Chief City, and ex- plore St. Catherine's City — which presents few novelties — and then go on under overhanging clitfs, to a place where, beneath a ceiling about fifteen feet high, the cave spreads out to a considerable width, and curious botryoidal forma- tions grow. This branch ends in Symmes' Pit, a well 30 Celebrated American Caverns. thirty feet deep. Tlic Blue Spring Branch is a long pas- Hiii^e, with very rough going, that leads on to a place where the rocks lill the cave from tloor to roof, hopelessly obstructing further progress. And this is the end of the Maiu Cave. Saltpeteb VaX3. CHAPTER IV. The Short Route — Gothic Gallery — Gothic Arcade — Mummies — An- cient Relics — Short Cave — Salt Cave — Haunted Chamber — Register Hall — Gothic Chapel — Aged Pillars — Romantic Marriage — Old Arm Chair — Main Cave Again — Deserted Chambers — Wooden-Bowl Room — New Discovery — Arched Way — Pits and Domes — The Labyrinth — Side-Saddle Pit — Gorin's Dome — Putnam's Cabinet — Hovey's Cabinet — Bottomless Pit — Pensico Avenue — Scylla and Charybdis. The Short Eoute may be taken either by day or by night, as suits the convenience of the visitors ; but those coming for a brief stay prefer the latter, as it leaves the entire ensuing day for the longer journey. The time re- quired is four hours; hence those who enter at 7 p. m. may expect to come out again by 11 p. m,, and with no more fatigue than will insure a sound night's rest in a hotel where a mosquito never has been seen, and where locks and bolts are only ornamental. Passing without further mention points already de- scribed in the preceding chapter, we pause first at the Gothic Gallery. Here in the foreground are the old vats and pump-frames ; and a stairway beyond them leads to the gate of a long avenue we are shortly to explore. From this ample gateway a narrow gallery, or rocky ehelf, sweeps entirely across the Main Cave — really forming a bridge, whereby one might pass to the other side. Should he do so, he would find indications that this was once a continuance of the avenue, and both representing the highest level known in the cave. Taken as a whole, the amphitheater is a noble one, and you are not surprised to be informed that here Edwin Booth once rendered selec- tions from the play of Hamlet, taking yonder rocky plat- ;;s Celebrated American Caverns. [\n-\\\ on the right as his temporary stage. Fire-works are generally exliibited here, and to great advantage. Ascending the steps we enter the Gothic Arcade, and alter proceeding abont forty yards, our attention is di- rected to a niche in the lett hand wall, which we are told is the Seat of the Mnniniy. The legend is that here were once found the dried bodies of a woman and a child, un- like modern Indians, and probably belonging to some ex- tinct and ancient race. Such contiicting statements have been published concerning these remains, that many have classed the " Mammoth Cave Mummy" with the numerous hoaxes with which ingenious perversity has amused itself at the expense of a credulous public. The facts are these : In 1813 a scientitic visitor, probably Mr. Merriam, of Brooklyn, X. Y., saw what he mentions as " a relic of an- cient times, which requires a minute description." This description is substantially as follows : That some miners had exhumed a female body while digging saltpeter-earth in the Short Cave (not any portion of the Mammoth Cave, but a small cave in the neighborhood). The grave was covered by a flat rock, and contained the wardrobe, as well as the body of the woman. The latter was in a sitting^ posture, with the arms folded, and hands crossed and bound by a small cord. The inner wrapping was made of two deer-skins, closely shaved and ornamented with vines and leaves marked in white. ]N^ext came a woven sheet, in texture like fabrics made by the South Sea Islanders. The hair on the mummy's head was red and clipped vrithiu an inch of the skin. The teeth were white and perfect; the nails long; tha features regular; the color dark but not black ; the body free from blemish, except a wound l)etween the ribs and an injury to one eye ; the frame that of a person about 5 feet 10 inches in height; the flesh hard and dry upon the bones ; and the weight, at the time of discovery, but 14 pounds, though it gained 4 pounds more by absorbing dampness. A knapsack, a reticule, and a pair of moccasins, all of woven or knit fiber, lay by tho mummy's side. The articles contained in the reticule and knapsack wore head-dresses of feathers ; a cap of woven Mammoth Cave. 39 bark ; several hundred strings of beads tied up in bunches ; a necklace of red hoofs of fawns ; an eagle's claw and the jaw of a bear; folded skins of rattlesnakes; vegetable colors done up in leaves; bunches of sincAvs, thread, and twine ; seven needles (or awls) ; a deer-skin hand piece, to protect the hand in sewing; and two whistles of cane, bound together by a cord. After explaining that the cause I'of such perfect preservation was not due to any embalm- ing process, but merely to the antiseptic properties of the nitrous earth, combined with the extreme dryness of the cave, this writer concludes his fanciful description, by say- ing, " The features of this ancient member of the human family much resembled those of a tall, handsome Ameri- can woman. The forehead was high, and the head well formed." This same mummy was found by Dr. i^^ahum Ward, of Marietta, O., in 1815, in the Gothic Avenue (according to Mr. Proctor, a former proprietor of the hotel), and sent by him to the Antiquarian Society of "Worcester, Mass., where it now is. The gentleman to whom the credit of finding is really due, was Mr. Charles Wilkins, of Lexing- ton, Ky., one of the owners of Mammoth Cave. In a let- ter dated October 2, 1817, in reply to the inquiries of the secretary of the Antiquarian Society, Mr. Wilkins first describes the mummy of an infant about one year old, found in a cave about four miles from Mammoth Cave, and which, with its clothing, had been thrown into the furnace by the workmen. He regretted this so much as to offer a reward for the next that might be found. The result was the discovery, a month later, of the one that was afterwards sent to Worcester. His agent (Mr. Miller) sent for it and placed it, for safe-keeping, in the Mam- 'moth Cave, and quite possibly he laid it in the niche of the Gothic Avenue that is now pointed out ; but this is doubted by some. Wilkins, in a matter of flict style quite in contrast with the flowing sentences of Merriam, tells the same story, confirming the account of the uten- sils, ornaments, and articles of dress, Samuel L. Mitchill, M. D., of j^ew York, also wrote to 40 Cclebrafrf/ American Caverns. the Secretary, giving an account of other mummies from tlie caverns of K(>ntucky and Tennessee. His letter is dated, August 24, 1815, and is preserved in the published Transactions of the Antiquarian Society. He states that " In exploring a saltpeter cave near Glasgow, several hu- man bodies were found enwrapped carefully in skins and cloths." He particularly describes one that had " a deep and extensive fracture of the skull, near the occiput, which probably killed him." In the Medical Kcpository (vol. xviii, p. 187), is pub- lished, a letter from Mr. Gratz, one of the owners, accom- panying a parcel of curiosities sent to Dr. Mitchell, from which we may fairly conclude that, besides interlopers from Short Cave and elsewhere, there were genuine Mam- moth Cave mummies. Mr. Gratz says: " There will be found in this bundle two moccasons, in the same state they were when dug out of the Mammoth Cave, about 200 yards from its mouth. Upon examination, it will be perceived that they are fabricated out of dif- ferent materials; one is supposed to be a species of flag, or lily which grows in the southern parts of Kentucky ; the other of the bark of some tree, probably the pawpaw. There are also, in this packet, a part of what is supposed to be a kinniconeke pouch, two meshes of a fishing net, and a piece of what we suppose to be the raw material, and of which the fishing net, the pouch and one of the moccasons are made. All of which were dug out of the Mammoth Cave, nine or ten feet under the ground; that is, below the surface or floor of the Cavern." Mr. Gratz also describes " an Indian bowl, or cup containing about a pint, cut out of wood, found also, in the Cave;" and adds " lately there has been dug out of it the skeleton of a hu-i man body, enveloped in a matting similar to that of the pouch." During the progress of the recent State geological sur- vey. Prof. F. AV. Putnam, through his connection with it, was able to examine the archfeology of the various rock shelters and caverns of Kentucky ; and his report was pub- lished in 187.'>, in the Proceedings of the Boston Society of Mammoth Cave. 41 I^atural History. lie collated all known facts concerning the relics here mentioned ; examined the celebrated mum- my in the museum at Worcester, finding ample proof of the general correctness of the earlier accounts ; and also exhibited exceedingly curious fabrics from Salt Cave, a small cave near Mammoth Cave, and belonging to the same proprietors. Indian fire-places, with ashes and embers remaining; imprints of feet shod with braided moccasons or sandles, as distinct as if made but a few days previous ; numerous cast-off sandles, artistically braided from the leaves of the cat-tail flag ; woven cloth, dyed with black stripes, and in one corner showing that it had been mended by darning; bunches of bark, and pieces of bark-twine and rope ; fringes and tassels of fibers ; wood cut by a stone ax ; a few arrow-heads, and various fragments — these were among the curiosities found by Prof. Putnam in the Salt Cave. It is to be hoped that this enthusiastic lover of sci- ence may find his example of thorough research imitated by those who do not have to travel a thousand miles to do their cave hunting ! On the old maps of the cave the Gothic Avenue is put down as the Haunted Chamber, on account of an adven- ture that befell one of the saltpeter miners. The story runs that a raw hand disdained the guidance of an older work- man, and trudged oiF alone to dig his lot of " peter-dirt," and was forgotten by the other miners until dinner time. Then a few negroes, half-naked, as was their custom when working, started to hunt him up. The poor fellow had filled his salt-sacks and started back, but finding the way longer than it had seemed when going in, concluded that he was lost. In his fright he became thoroughly bewil- dered, and, to make matters worse, fell over a stone and put his lamp out. His sins came in remembrance, and he gave himself up to alternate frenzy and prayer. " It was at this moment," says Dr. Bird, who tells the story, " that the miners in search of him made their appearance ; they lighted upon his sack, lying where he had thrown it, and (Set up a great shout, which was the first intimation he had 1:2 Celebrated American Caverns. of llitir iippi'oacli. Tic started up, and seeing them in the distance, the half-naked negroes in advance, all swinging their torches aloft, he, not doubting they were the identi- cal devils whose appearance he had been expecting, took to \\\> lu'cis, yt'lling lustily for mercy. Xor did he stop, notwithstanding the calls of his amazed friends, until he had fallen a second time over the rocks, whore he lay on his face, roaring for pity, and only by dint of much pulling and shaking was he convinced that he was still in the world and in the Mammoth Cave ! " The Post Oak is a pillar about twelve feet high, bearing some resemblance to a trunk of a tree, and is formed by the meeting of a stalactite and stalagmite. It stands at the entrance of the Register Hall, on whose smooth ceil- ing hundreds of names have been inscribed in lampblack, before the rules of the cave had prohibited that cheap method of gaining immortality. As a substitute for this rocky album, convenient places are provided for visitors to leave their cards, which, in this extremely dry portion of the cave, will remain fresh and uninjured for many years. Thousands of cards, from all parts of the world have thus been left, and it affords amusement to look over them. Here are also many memorial heaps erected by ad- mirers of celebrated persons, each pile having a sign to show in whose honor it stands, and by whom it was erected. On reaching what are called the Pillars of Hercules, the guide collects the lamps and arranges them with fine effect among the arches of the Gothic Chapel, which he then invites us to enter. The roof of this room seems to rest on groups of stalagmitic columns, once beautiful, no doubt, but now sullied by sacrilegious smoke. I counted eight, and found fragments of thirty more of them. Their growth was slow, requiring centuries to develop their pres- ent dimensions ; but I can hardly accept the conclusion of Dr. A. D. Binkerd that 040,000 years were needed for their completion. It should be remembered that the rate of increTuent varies with changing conditions. Some of them are still dripping slowly, while others are perfectly Mammoth Cace. 43 dry. Hence any estimate as to their age in 3'cars is idle and fruitless. It is only certain that they are very old. Three pillars are so grouped as to form two Gothic arches, and before this unique altar once stood a runaway bride who had promised an anxious mother that she would " never marry any man on the face of the earth." She kept the letter of her promise, but was married after all to the man of her choice, in this novel Gretna Green. Several romantic marriages have since been celebrated here. This entire avenue is more than a mile long, and abounds in grotesque curiosities. The Old Arm Chair is a stalagmite resembling the object for which it is named; and one of a lively fancy might say the same of the Ele- phant's Head. Other objects pointed out are Vulcan's Shop, the Lover's Leap, Gatewood's Dining Table, Lake Purity, and is^apoleon's Dome — grand in its symmetry and size. The avenue ends in a double dome and a small cas- cade. Retracing our steps to the Main Cave, and proceeding as far as the Giant's Coffin, we leave it again, by a crevice behind that huge sarcophagus, and presently find our- selves in the Deserted Chambers, in one of which was found the wooden bowl mentioned by Mr. Gratz. The opening on the left is called Ganter Avenue for Mr. H. C. Ganter, whose skill and perseverance have made the passage avail- able. It is indeed a combination of avenues on three dif- ferent cave-levels, and it winds about in the most extraor- dinary manner. In March, 1891, it was surveyed by Mr. Ben Hains and myself, and found to be 8,500 feet long. There are at least 200 changes of direction, but the gen- eral trend is for the first 6,000 feet to the south-east, and thence to the westward for about 2,500 feet, to an opening into Serpent Hall, completely beyond the region of the lakes and rivers. The passage was formerly so very nar- row as to be impracticable for public use. But by ingen- ious engineering, widening certain crevices, and building stairways of stone where needed, blasting away projecting rocks, etc., not only have several interesting rooms been 11 Celehmtcd American Cavenis. ni:i'l<' arccssihlc. Itiit wliiit is far iiiopc important, a way of i-xit has ln'iMi secured i'roin the romoter i)ai'ts of the cave in case of a smhlcn rise in the subterranean streams. There is also another way out from the Wooden Bowl Koom, by a stairway on the right, bearing the whimsical name of the Steeps of Time. Down this we go to a lower level, and proceed along the Arched Way, leading to a wonderful region of pits and domes. Early writers men- tion the finding of moccason tracks near a basin here called Kichardson's Spring, where every body stops for a taste of the clear water flowing down from the rocks. Plodding quietly along for 150 yards, the guide suddenly cries, " Danger on the right !" Beside our path yawns a chasm called the Side-saddle Pit, from the shape of a pro- jecting rock, on which we seat ourselves, and watch with fearful interest the rolls of oiled paper lighted by the guide and dropped into the abyss. Down they go in a fiery spiral, burning long enough to give us a view of its corrugated sides and of a mass of blackened sticks and timbers sixty-five feet below, the distance being thus measured by a line and plummet. The opening is twenty- five feet across, and above it, or nearly so, is Minerva's Dome, thirty-five feet high. Descending a stairway, 50 yards beyond, we enter the Labyrinth,* a narrow, winding passage, barely wide enough for two persons to go abreast; and after climbing a second stairway and going down a third, and turning about till we are almost bewildered, we find ourselves peering through a window-like aperture into profound darkness. The gloom is intensified by the monotonous sound of drip- ping water that seems to fall from a vast height to a dis- *The original Labyrinth was near Crocodilopolis (Arsinoe), not far from the Lake Moeris, in Egypt. Herodotus describes it as "consist- ing of 1,500 chambers excavated under ground, and as many above the surface, the whole inclosed by a wall." He explored a number of the mazes. No traces of it now exist Perhaps filled uj) with sand. A second labyrinth was made in Tuscany, a third in Lemnos, and » fourth in Crete. "As the Crcthn labyrinth of old With wandering ways, and many a winding fold, Involved the weary feet without redress, In a round error which denied rQQcss."— {Virgil's uEneid.) Mammoth Cave. 45 mal depth. The guide bids ns stay where we are, .while he goes to a smaller window still further oii, through which he thrusts blue lights and blazing rolls, disclosing inde- scribable wonders to our gaze Igniting magnesium (of which it is well to have a supply, as it is not furnished by the guides), we discern the floor far below us, about an acre in area, its general level about 90 feet lower than the iwindow. A small pit in it leads to a body of. water 12 feet deep, making the total distance to the lowest point 117 feet. The height of the vault over-head seems to be about 100 feet ; which gives 217 feet as the extreme alti- tude of this mighty chasm known as Gorin's Dome. It used to be called 500 feet high ; but as the distance from the surface to drainage level is now known to be only 328 feet, that fact effectually disposes of such exaggerated estimates. The perpendicular walls are draped with three immense stalagmitic curtains, one above another, whose folds, which seem to be loosely floating, are bordered with fringes rich and heavy. These hangings, dight with figures rare and fantastic, fit for Plutonian halls, were w^oven in ]N"a- ture's loom by crystal threads of running water ! Putnam's Cabinet, and Hovey's Cabinet, still further on m the Labyrinth, are smaller domes, where concretions known as cave-pearls, are found, and also some of the finest alabaster in the cave. Here, too, are specimens of oolitic limestone, which under the microscope has the ap- pearance of being made up of tiny eggs. The passage terminates in Ariadne's Grotto. On retracing our vay out of the Labyrinth, we next come to the famous abyss known as the Bottomless Pit, above which expands Shelby's Dome. This frightful pit was long regarded as constituting an impassable barrier to further progress ; but its terrors have been greatly over- drawn. The author of "Warwick, or the Lost JSTational- ities of America," makes his hero descend many miles into the Bottomless Pit, by the aid of Stephen the guide ! The depth of the chasm has ordinarily been given as more than 200 feet. It is really a double pit, being nearly divided by a tongue of rock that juts into it for 27 feet ; from the 41) Celebrated American Caverns. point of whicli, in 1S37, Stephen threw a ladder across, and vontnri'd into the unknown regions beyond. A sub- stantial bridge now spans the gulf, which, for safety is re- newed every four years. Leaning over the hand-rails, we safely admire the gleaming rolls as they whirl to and fro, slowly sinking till they vanish, lighting up, in their capri- cious progress, the wrinkles and furrows made by the tor- rent's flow during untold ages. Bringing the mysterious abyss to the severe test of line and plummet, we find its depth to be, on one side only 95 feet, and on the other 105 feet. Shelby's Dome overhead may be 60 feet high, and the space between 15 feet, thus making 180 feet the great- est distance from top to bottom of the entire chasm. Reveler's Hall, the first room beyond the Bottomless Pit, is about 40 feet in diameter and 20 feet high, and was formerly a place where parties stopped to dine. The path to our left leads to the Rivers, which are reserved for another time. That on the right is Pensico Avenue, about a mile long, and containing various objects of interest. The Sea Turtle is the first of these to which our attention is called ; a rock fallen from the roof and shaped like the carapace of a huge tortoise, 30 feet in diameter. "Wild Hall is next entered, where the great rocks are strewn about in the most amazing disorder, under a roof of elab- orate lancet arches. A low passage on the left, called Bbuyan's AVay, communicates with River Hall, but is sel- dom traversed, as visitors take the more direct path men- tioned above. Proceeding still through Pensico Avenue, we admire the snowv nodules incrustinof the Snowball Arch, beneath which we go on to the Grand Crossings, where foi»v avenues meet. This place is much admired. The sam*' »s true of Mat's Arcade, 50 vards lou2:, 30 feet wide ano* GO high, where ^Slat himself pointed out to us the series -^f cavern floors that had successively given way leaving four narrow terraces along the entire length of thOj walls. A large white column is called, for some unknown reason, the Pine- Apple Bush. A little beyond this forma- tion is the Hanging Grove, where the stalactites resemble Mammoth Cave. 47 branches of coral rather than those of trees. About a hundred yards on and we arrive at Angelica's Grotto, sparkling with crystals. This is the end of the Short Rente ; and here this chap- ter might also end, were it not that I wish to describe • certain remarkable pits discovered, in February 1881, by Mr. J. T. Hill and William Garvin the guide. These are not ordinarily exhibited, on account of their dangerous surroundings; and, indeed, I was assured that I was the first visitor who had been permitted to explore the locality, though it had been seen by several persons connected with the Cave. The approach is by a low, creeping passage, opening from the Arched Way, and leading across what has for many years been known only to be shunned — the Covered Pit. This treacherous chasm is imperfectly concealed by loose slabs of limestone, between which the black depths seem to be lying in wait for the heedless explorer. Cau- tiously crossing it, and crawling on our hands and knees for some distance further, we stopped, and William told me to listen to the slow dripping of a waterfall. Throw- ing a pebble in the direction of the sound, I could hear it bound from side to side as it descended, until, after a long interval, it fell into a body of water below. On examina- tion we found that we lay on a rocky partition between the old Covered Pit on the right, and a new one on the left. The latter proved to be a pit within a pit, as we found on throwing lighted paper down its mouth. The upper one is about 90 feet deep, and at its bottom we could just dis- cern the orifice of the lower one. I was anxious to find a point from which to examine this inner pit to better advantage. Creeping back from ofi" the partition, we made our way around a rocky pillar for perhaps 40 yards, and came upon the further edge of the pit that had excited our curiosity, and also found an- other horrible pit on the left, separated from the first by a ridge only six feet wide ! The proximity of the two chasms suggested to Mr. Klett the names of Scylla for the 4S; Celebrated American Caverns. first, and Charybdis for the second ; in memory of the classic line : " Incidis in Scyllun cupicns vitare Cliarybdim." (You may fall into Scylla, trying to shun Charybdis.) "Willing to run some risk to uccomplish my object, I cliimbored a short distance down into Scylla, to a ledge overhanging its very deepest portion, and cleft by a ser- pentine crevice about five inches wide. Dropping pebbles through this crack, we timed them as they fell unob- structed, and by repeated trials found the time taken in reaching the bottom to be exactly five seconds by the watch. This, by a well-known formula for calculating ac- celerated motion, would give 402 feet as the depth in vacuo. Making due allowance for the resistance of the atmosphere, and for the time necessary for the sound to return, the space passed was not less than 200, nor more than 250 fecL "William, not satisfied with scientific guess-work, produced his ball of cord, fastened a lamp to its end, and let it down into the darkness. The glimmering light served to show the irregular walls of the abyss, as it descended, until ai- length it caught on a projecting rock. In his eftbrts to shake it loose, the cord was bufncd oft'; but the lamp ve- mained where it had lodged, shining on as if determined to do its duty to the last ! The part of the cord that was drawn up measured 135 feet, leaving us, after all, to con jocture the remaining depth. I'robably the pit perforates the limestone down to the drainage level — a distance ac- cording to the barometer, of 220 feet. Glad to forsake the thin crust on which we stood, over- hanging such prodigious depths, we climbed out of the jaws of Scylla, and made experiments on Charybdis. Here, again, the pebbles were five seconds in reaching the pool below. Along the perilous rim William led the w^ay to still another chasm, which we identified as the farther edge of the Bottomless Pit. Regaining, not without some difla.- culty, the bridge over it, we proceeded a short distance on the path that leads to River Hall, and then turned back, by a passage under the rocks, to an opening into the side of the Bottomless Pit, about 40 feet below the bridge. Mammoth Cave. 49 Here we saw the famous pit in a new light, and also ob- tained the best view to be had of Shelby's Dome. The ac- companying picture of the Bottomless Pit was taken from this point of view. While we were standing there, on the occasion referred to, I noticed a volume of smoke issuing from a window be- yond us. Investi- gating this phe- nomenon, we found ourselves looking again into Charyb- dis, though not at its deepest part. The smoke came from the blue light we had ignited just before leaving it. Thus, as we havi shown, there are within an area whose diameter does not perhaps exceed 600 yards, six of the largest naturally formed pits in the known world, besides sev- eral others of small- er dimensions ; and the entire group is joined together by connecting p a s s - ages. An inspec- tion of the accom- panying diagram The Bottomless Pit. (opposite page 45) will enable the reader to get an idea of this extraordinary locality. On inquiring of Mr. Klett if there was any sink-hole in the vicinity to correspond with this cluster of chasms, 50 Celebrated American Caverns. lie diivctiMl mo to a })ioco of unbroken forest, less than half a mile from the Mammotli Cave Hotel, where all the requiroments of the case seem to be met. This vast de- pression embraces many acres, and is so deep that, when standing on its edge, one can overlook the tops of the trees growing in the central portion. It remains to be proved by further explorations whether there are any hidden tunnels of communication between it and the re- markable group of domes and pits I have been trying to describe. A Snow Clo^l.. i^See page 59.) I CHAPTER V. Tiie Long Roale--Main Cave once more — Beyond the Pits — Fat Man's Misery — Bacon Chamber — Spark's Avenue — Mammoth Dome — Egyptian Temple — A Lamp Lost and Found — River Hall — Dead Sea — A Jolly Crowd Crossing the Styx — Lake Lethe — Echo River — Eyeless Fish — Subterranean Music — Silliman's Avenue — El Ghor — A Purple Vintage — Dinner in the Shade — A Crystal Paradise — Cleveland's Cabinet — Cave Flowers — Rocky Mountains — Croghan's Hall — The Maelstrom — A Daring Exploit — The Corkscrew — Old Matt in Danger — Out of the Cave and under the Stars. Mammoth Cave has gained a reputation as a cave of " magnificent distances ; " and many a critical visitor has set himself to correct the over-estimates of others. Yet the fact remains that the Long Eoute is a day's journey under ground. The signal for starting is given at 9 A. M., and the return is about 6 p. m., after nine hours of steady walking over a road, a little rough in spots, hut for the most part quite smooth and easy. I was one of " a rapid transit party," one day, that tried to see how quickly the trip could be made. jSlone but fast walkers were in- cluded, and no stops were made, except at points of special interest; and the time consumed was just seven hours. Allowing, therefore, two miles an hour as the rate of travel,, it follows that the Long Route is not less than 14 miles, nor more than 18; and this estimate may as well be ac- cepted until the distance is exactly measured. Long as the trip is few persons find it fatiguing, being sustained by the variety and novelty of the scenery, and also by the cool and pure air for which the cave is celebrated. Down the valley again, and under the thick horizontal plates of limestone, from whose green and mossy ledge the wild pattering rill falls on the rocks below ; on through the ,",_> Cdihrafcd American Caverns. Khitows, and tlio Rotunda, where perhaps a generation <»r dead mon sloop; climbing the piles left by the niter- diii'ii'crs of" old, or led by the musical ringing of the guide's i()olstci»s on the hard rocky floor; between heavy but- tre^^!('s bending beneath the gray ceiling above, or walls liollowcd into low-browed niches and nobler arches — thus wc go through the wide and lofty Main Cave until the Giant's Cofiin is reached. This rock was originally chris- ened the " Steamboat," and the early accounts explained the points of resemblance, and had poetical things to say about her "reposing in her river of stone." Creeping around her bows, we next descend into those dens of dark- ness, the Deserted Chambers, and soon hear the faithful guide call out '' danger on the right ! " Safely by the ter- liblo pits, we pause to take breath, meanwhile blowing our lights out in order to prove by the "horror of a great darkjiess" what a blessed thing light is. Happy are we in the knowledge that the lamps are still near, and our pockets full of matches ! A brief imprisonment in an at- mosphere that seems to have been suddenly solidified to a mass of coal suffices, and we relight our lamps and mai'ch on. "March," however, is not just the right word; for progress now is by the Valley of Humility, a low passage four feet high, conducting us into the Scotchman's Trap, where a canny Scot paused lest the broad rock, suspended by the tip, might fall and bury those venturing through the circular orifice beneath. Less timid than he, we dive down the trap-door, and presently are made acquainted with the famous and original Fat Man's ^Misery, of which all others are but base imitations. Some fastidious soul once tried to change this name to " the Winding Way," but the attempt was a failure. Here the path enters a serpentine channel, whose walls, 18 inches apart, change direction 8 times in 236 feet, while the average distance iVoni the sandy floor to the ledge overhead is but 5 feet. Tlie rocky sides are beautifully marked with waves and rii)])les, as if running water had been suddenly petrified. Tin re s.'oms to have been first a horizontal opening be- Mammoth Cave. 53 tweeu two strata, by taking advantage of which this singular channel was chiseled, from whose too close em- brace we gladly emerge into Great Eelief, where we can straigliten our spines, and enjoy once more the luxury of taking a full breath. The question is sometimes asked, " How fat a man is the fattest man that can get through the Fat Man's Misery?" Some reader may be comforted /by learning that, in August, 1881, Mr. Abraham Meuks, a colored man from Lebanon, Ky., whose weight was pre- viously 282i^ pounds, succeeded in the attempt. He did without help till he came to the place where the floor comes up and the roof comes down, to bother tall men as well as fat ones, and then William, who is equal to any emergency, helped him through. " How did you manage it ?" said a listener to the story, as it was told at the hotel that evening. "Easy enough," gravely answered the guide. "I took him through in sections." Meuks himself claimed to have lost 15 pounds in the operation, and the guides, to this day, point out places where the rocks had to bend to let this jolly fat man through ! It was formerly supposed that if this passage were blocked up, escape from the regions beyond would be im- possible. But another mode of exit was discovered by William, in 1871, through the Cork-screw. This intricate web of fissures was known as long ago as 1837, but not as a passage through to River Hall. In the oldest published accounts of Mammoth Cave it is stated that " among the Kentucky Cliffs, just under the ceiling, is a gap. in the wall, into which you can scramble, and make your way down a chaotic gulf, creeping like a rat under and among huge loose rocks, to a depth of 80 or 90 feet — pro- vided you do not break your neck before you get half way." Since William made his way through, the obstruc- tions have partly been removed, so that now, by mounting' three stairways, crawling through narrow crevices, and leaping from rock to rock, one may ascend for what would perhaps be a vertical distance of 150 feet, and thus reduce the journey from the mouth of the cave to Great Relief b}^ 54 Celebrated Am rricnn Caverns. nearly a mile. Visitors wlio conio in one way, generally (8 o o E E C8 < o ■ z ■-pT'»l"' ->T» ^T •>, • UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY AA 000 880 285 2 ^s: ■'