The International Monthly Magazine, Volume 5, No. 1, January, 1852Various
History
The International Monthly Magazine, Volume 5, No. 1, January, 1852
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
The rivers of Mammoth Cave were never crossed till 1840. Great efforts
have been made to discover whence they come, and whither they go. But
though the courageous Stephen has floated for hours up to his chin, and
forced his way through the narrowest apertures under the dark waves, so
as to leave merely his head a breathing space, yet they still remain as
much a mystery as ever--without beginning or end, like eternity. They
disappear under arches, which, even at the lowest stage of the water,
are under the surface of it. From an unknown cause, it sometimes happens
in the neighborhood of these streams, that the figure of a distant
companion will apparently loom up, to the height of ten or twelve feet,
as he approaches you. This occasional phenomenon is somewhat frightful,
even to the most rational observer, occurring as it does in a region so
naturally associated with giants and genii.
From the Jordan, through Silliman's Avenue, you enter a high, narrow
defile, or pass, in a portion of which, called the Hanging Rocks, huge
masses of stone hang suspended over your head. At the side of this
defile, is a recess, called the Devil's Blacksmith's Shop. It contains a
rock shaped like an anvil, with a small inky current running near it,
and quantities of coarse stalagmite scattered about, precisely like
blacksmith's cinders, called slag. In another place, you pass a square
rock, covered with beautiful dog's tooth spar, called the Mile Stone.
This pass brings you into Wellington's Gallery, which tapers off to a
narrow point, apparently the end of the cave in this direction. But a
ladder is placed on one side by which you ascend to a small cleft in the
rock, through which you are at once ushered into a vast apartment,
discovered about two years ago. This is the commencement of Cleveland's
Avenue, the crowning wonder and glory of this subterranean world. At the
head of the ladder, you find yourself surrounded by overhanging
stalactites, in the form of rich clusters of grapes, transparent to the
light, hard as marble, and round and polished, as if done by a
sculptor's hand. This is called Mary's Vineyard; and from it, an
entrance to the right brings you into a perfectly naked cave, whence you
suddenly pass into a large hall, with magnificent columns, and rich
festoons of stalactite, in various forms of beautiful combination. In
the centre of this chamber, between columns of stalactite, stands a mass
of stalagmite, shaped like a sarcophagus, in which is an opening like a
grave. A Roman Catholic priest first discovered this, about a year ago,
and with fervent enthusiasm exclaimed, "The Holy Sepulchre!" a name
which it has since borne.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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