During the war of 1812 America went through a very dodgy period. The British blockade of American ports effectively blocked imports of saltpeter and, hence, production of gunpowder. The upside of this was that it made the mininig of natural reserves of nitrates economically viable and the main beneficiary was the huge Mammoth Cave complex in Kentucky where the whole process of mining and production was carried out.
Huge isn't an understatement. With 365 miles of passage ways it is by far the world's longest system. To paraphrase,"I'm just going underground and may be some time".
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The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.