222 GEOLOGY OF ILLINOIS. 



There is r at Prospect Hill, iu the limestone marked "Cave rock" in the 

 above section, a subterranean cavern, which has acquired considerable 

 local notoriety. Accompanied by Mr. Temple, one of the proprietors of 

 the salt works (to whom I am under many obligations for acts of kind- 

 ness), I undertook to explore this cave, but we forgot to supply ourselves 

 with candles before leaving the salt works, therefore we had to under- 

 take the task with a glass coal oil lamp, which was procured from a 

 farm house close by, but with a light so liable to accident a partial 

 examination was all that it was deemed prudent to make. ' The entrance 

 is through a hole not more than two feet high, by three feet broad, 

 down which the descent is rather abrupt to the bottom of the cave, 

 where we found ourselves in a narrow, tortuous gallery, averaging from 

 three to five feet in width and twenty feet in hight. We went along 

 the main gallery and a number of its branches and cut-offs, until it was 

 supposed that we had penetrated at least a quarter of a mile beyond 

 the entrance, still we saw no end nor any appearance that seemed to 

 indicate that the exploration might not be continued much farther, yet 

 it was thought advisable to return on account of the danger to be 

 encountered, should we have the misfortune to break the lamp, for not- 

 withstanding every branch or turn that was passed has been marked 

 by some thoughtful explorer with the figure of an arrow scratched on 

 the limestone wall to indicate the direction to be taken in returning, 

 nevertheless this unfailing guide would be of no avail amidst the intense 

 darkness of subterranean passages. The walls and roof were covered 

 with moisture, but the floor was quite dry. It is said that the cave 

 usually contains a spring of cool sulphur water, and we hoped to obtain 

 from it a refreshing drink, but no water was seen along our route ; the 

 bed of the sulphur spring pointed out by Mr. Temple, was now dry, 

 probably from the effects of the severe drouth which had prevailed in 

 this county for several months. A great many bats were observed 

 clinging to the roof, with their heads hanging down, some of which 

 were alarmed by the proximity of our lamp, and taking wing, whizzed 

 about our faces, as if to scrutinize closely the enemies who dared to 

 penetrate into their dark abode. The occasional widening of the gal- 

 leries formed small, irregularly-shaped rooms, some of which gave evi- 

 dence of having been at one time very beautiful, but the stallactites 

 with which they were once adorned, have nearly all been broken off by 

 thoughtless visitors, who thus wantonly destroyed the sublime architec- 

 tural works of quaint and inimitable patterns that were brought into 

 existence during long periods of chemical action, in Nature's great work- 

 shop. One cannot help expressing deep mortification on contemplating 

 the ruthless and blind destruction of that which makes these subterra- 

 neous grottoes beautiful as Aladdin's garden, and the defacers merit 

 universal condemnation. 



