Event Title
Start Date
9-10-2008 10:55 AM
Description
The distinctive lanterns used at Mammoth Cave from the middle 1800s until 1938 appear to be a locally derived design. Early whale oil railroad lanterns share some characteristics of the Mammoth Cave lanterns, but L&N Railroad lanterns do not appear to have influenced the design. At this time, the design pathway appears to lead from simple open-flame tin candle lanterns to the same lantern with a petticoat lamp affixed in place of the candle, and then finally to the font or oil container being soldered onto the lamp base as one unit. This basic Mammoth Cave lantern varied somewhat over the decades, and was probably the primary light source used by Max Kaemper and Ed Bishop in their survey and exploration work. It is possible that Max and Ed had a carbide headlight or even a gas lantern to augment the feeble light from the Mammoth Cave lamps, but there is no record of such use.
Recommended Citation
Olson, Rick, "The Lamps That Lit Their Way" (2008). Mammoth Cave Research Symposia. 6.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/mc_reserch_symp/9th_Research_Symposium_2008/Day_two/6
Included in
Animal Sciences Commons, Forest Sciences Commons, Geology Commons, Hydrology Commons, Other Earth Sciences Commons, Plant Sciences Commons
The Lamps That Lit Their Way
The distinctive lanterns used at Mammoth Cave from the middle 1800s until 1938 appear to be a locally derived design. Early whale oil railroad lanterns share some characteristics of the Mammoth Cave lanterns, but L&N Railroad lanterns do not appear to have influenced the design. At this time, the design pathway appears to lead from simple open-flame tin candle lanterns to the same lantern with a petticoat lamp affixed in place of the candle, and then finally to the font or oil container being soldered onto the lamp base as one unit. This basic Mammoth Cave lantern varied somewhat over the decades, and was probably the primary light source used by Max Kaemper and Ed Bishop in their survey and exploration work. It is possible that Max and Ed had a carbide headlight or even a gas lantern to augment the feeble light from the Mammoth Cave lamps, but there is no record of such use.