Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/94

 gfl MAMMOTH CAVE interest are Silliman's avenue, about H m. long, from 20 to 200 ft. wide, and from 20 to 40 ft. high; Marion's avenue, of about the same dimensions; the Star chamber, about 500 ft. long and 70 ft. wide, the ceiling of which, 70 ft. high, is composed of black gypsum, and is stml.I.-d with innumerable white points, which by a dim light present a most striking resem- blance to stars; and Cleveland's cabinet, an avenue about 2 m. long, spanned by an arch of 50 ft, with an average central height of 10 ft. By many the last is regarded as the most won- derful object in the cave. "It is incrusted from end to end with the most beautiful for- mations in every variety of form. The base of the whole is sulphate of lime, in one part of dazzling whiteness and perfectly smooth, and in other places crystallized so as to glitter like diamonds in the light. Growing from this, in endless diversified forms, is a substance re- sembling selenite, translucent and imperfectly laminated. Some of the crystals bear a stri- king resemblance to celery, and all are of about the same length ; while others, a foot or more in length, have the color and appearance of vanilla cream candy ; others are set in sulphate of lime, in the form of a rose ; and others still roll out from the base in forms resembling the ornaments on the capital of a Corinthian col- umn. Some of the incrustations are massive and splendid ; others are as delicate as the lily, or as fancy work of shell or wood." Proctor's arcade is a magnificent natural tunnel three fourths of a mile long and 100 ft. wide, cov- ered by a ceiling of smooth rock, 45 ft. high. The Temple or Chief City is a chamber having an area of between four and five acres, and covered by a single dome of solid rock 120 ft high. Lucy's dome, the highest of the objects of this class, is over 300 ft. high and about 60 ft. in its greatest diameter. Mam- moth dome and Stella's dome are each about 250 ft. high, while Gorin's dome is about 200 ft Sidesaddle pit, over which rests a dome 60 ft high, is about 90 ft. deep and .20 ft. across. This and some of the other pits and domes in the cave have been formed out of the solid rock by the solvent action of water charged with carbonic acid. The deepest of the pits are the Maelstrom, 175 ft. in depth and 20 in diameter, and the Bottomless pit, of about the same depth. There are several bodies of water in the cave, the most con- siderable being Echo river, which is about three fourths of a mile long, 200 ft. wide at some points, and from 10 to 80 ft. deep ; its course is beneath an arched ceiling of smooth rock about 15 ft. high. This river has invisi- ble communication with Green river, the depth of water and the direction of the current in the former being regulated by the stage of water in the latter. The river Styx, 450 ft. long, 15 to 40 wide, and from 30 to 40 deep, is spanned by an interesting natural bridge about 80 ft. above it. Lake Lethe is about 450 ft. long and from 10 to 40 wide, and varies in MAN depth from 3 to 30 ft. ; it lies beneath a ceil- ing about 90 ft. above its surface ; its waters sometimes rise to the height of 60 ft., in consequence of freshets in Green river. The Dead sea is a gloomy body of water somewhat smaller than the preceding. Two remarkable species of animal life are found in the cave, in the form of an eyeless fish and an eyeless crawfish, which are nearly white in color. Another species of fish has been found with eyes, but totally blind. Other animals known to exist in the cave are lizards, frogs, crickets, rats, bats, &c., besides ordinary fish and craw- fish washed in from Green river. The atmos- phere of the cave is pure and healthful; the temperature, which averages 59, is about the same in winter and summer, not being affected by climatic changes without. The Mammoth cave was discovered in 1809, and has always been the property of private individuals. For some time after its discovery saltpetre was made here. In this vicinity are also Proctor's cave, about 3 m. in length; White's cave, Diamond cave, and Indian cave, each about a mile long. Several accounts of this wonderful curiosity have been published, the most recent and complete being "The Mammoth Cave," by W. Stump Forwood (Philadelphia, 1870). MAN. See ANATOMY, ARCHEOLOGY, COM- PARATIVE ANATOMY, ETHNOLOGY, MAMMALIA, PHILOSOPHY, and PHYSIOLOGY. MAN, Isle of (Manx, Mannin, or Elian Van- nin ; Lat. Monapia), an island belonging to Great Britain, in the Irish sea, about mid- way between England, Scotland, and Ireland, its centre lying in lat. 54 16' K, Ion. 4 30' W.; length N. N. E. and S. S. W. 31 m., greatest breadth 12 m. ; area, 227 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 54,042. The coasts are very irregular, and on the east and southwest are precipitous. There are numerous bays with good anchorage. A ridge of mountains trav- erses the length of the island, culminating in Mt. Snaefell at an elevation of 2,024 ft. above the sea. Its prevailing geological formation is clay slate, varied on the E. side with large masses of granite. The principal rivers are the Neb, Colby, and Black and Gray Waters, all of which are very small. The climate is mild and equable, the mean temperature of summer being about 60 F. and of winter 42. The chief mineral resources of the island con- sist of lead, zinc, copper, and iron ; lead is ex- tensively mined. The soil is fruitful, but agri- culture is not in a very forward state. Oats, barley, wheat, potatoes, turnips, and hay the principal crops. A native breed of small sturdy horses, an inferior kind of sheep, horned cattle, and pigs in great number, among the domestic animals. The island sesses a breed of cats having either no at most a merely rudimental substitute for it. Sea birds and some rare kinds of fish are found. The fisheries of herring were formerl the principal reliance of the islanders, but late have become inconsiderable. There