MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky., a remarkable American cavern, in Edmondson County, 8: miles southwest of Louisville, reached by a small branch line connecting at Glasgow Junc tion with the Louisville and Nashville Rail road. Its areal diameter is about 10 miles, and about 100 miles of passageway have been ex plored, including avenues, chambers, pits, domes and rivers. What is termed the Main Cave is three miles long, varying in width from 40 to 175 feet and in height from 40 to 125 feet Its greatest enlargement is known as the Chief City (or Temple), an oval room 541 feet long 287 feet wide and 125 feet high; anciently a rendezvous of the Indians, whose torches and other relics have been found in abundance. The Star Chamber mimics the starry heavens by reason of its lofty ceiling of black oxide of manganese flecked by snowy crystals of gypsum. The cavern exists in five successive tiers, through which, at various points, shaN have been cut, which are styled pits or dorm according to the point of view. The largest an the Bottomless Pit, Gorin's Dome, the Maim moth Dome and the Maelstrom, and their aver age depth is about 100 feet. Oval depressio• known as osink-holes," drain the pits and chasms and form subterrana lakes and rivers; which finally find an ode to the neighboring Green River. The larger the Echo River, gets its name from the wonder ful reverberations of sound along its coax Boats are provided for short voyages. Eyrie fish abound, of which there are three or> species; besides, blind crawfish, blind cric: flies, beetles and spiders and other abrura fauna are found on the walls and under rocks. The structure and habits of these as mals have been studied with great care.
Beyond River Hall long avenues extol many adorned by marvelous gypsum roseite and brilliant arches of crystal efflorescence n the most fantastic diversity. Cleveland's Clo inet is frequently mentioned as a treasure-hong of cave flowers, hut some of the smaller for instance, Charlotte's Grotto, can boast ni finer displays. The great cavern is said to end at Croghan's Hall, where is the Maelstrom al ready mentioned, but the few who have dared go to the bottom of this profound abyss repo wide and long avenues beyond, which are Yel to be explored. Everywhere, even in the deep est pits, the atmosphere is both chemically and optically pure; the temperature is unifonnlY about 54° F. all the year around, as has been determined by a long series of exact observations, in order to discover the tempera' ture of the crust of the earth.
The discovery of the Mammoth Cave iS usually credited to a hunter named Hutchins, id 1809; but the present manager of the estate finds that the county records, in 1797, fix the entrance to this cavern as a landmark f?e piece of real estate. The locality first game°, notoriety by reason of its immense deposes °` saltpeter, which were used in the of gunpowder during the War of 1812. passing through 'the hands of several owners, the cave was bought by Dr. John Crogltan,w14 willed it to his nephews and nieces, with in structions that at their death it should be sold at auction. An earnest wish has been expressed by many that the famous cavern should even tually become a State or national park. See also CAVE; CAVE ANIMALS.