42 THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 



mile from its present location, constituting what 

 is now called Dickson's Cave. 



This Cave terminates within a few feet of the 

 mouth of Mammoth Cave, but there is at present 

 no direct communication between the two. 

 The voice of a person at the end of Dickson's 

 Cave can be distinctly heard at the entrance of 

 Mammoth Cave. 



The present entrance to Mammoth Cave was 

 formed, and its communication with Dickson's 

 Cave cut off, by the disintegrating action of the 

 water of the spring, which discharges its , con- 

 tents at the mouth of the former, and caused the 

 Cave to fail in at this point, — thus establishing 

 a new entrance, and shortening the length of 

 the Cave about half a mile. This is also the 

 theory put forth by Dr. Wright, and there seems 

 to be no reason for questioning its correctness. 



Dickson's Cave differs but little in size and 

 appearance from Proctor's Arcade in the Mam- 

 moth Cave. 



