THE MAMMOTH CAVE. 147 



hung a gigantic mass of rock, which, in its folds 

 and masses, presented a wonderful resemblance 

 to a curtain. It had a regular fringe of stalac- 

 tites, and there was a short outer curtain over- 

 lapping it at the top. The length of this piece 

 of limestone drapery could not have been less 

 than one hundred feet. In a few moments, 

 Alfred, who had left us, reappeared at another 

 window on the right hand, where he first dropped 

 some burning paper into the gulf, and then kin- 

 dled a Bengal-light. It needed this illumination 

 to enable us to take in the grand dimensions of 

 the Dome. We could see the oval arch of the 

 roof a hundred feet above our heads ; the floor 

 studded with stalagmitic pedestals as far below ; 

 while directly in front the huge curtain that 

 hung from the center of the Dome — the veil of 

 some subterranean mystery — shone rosy-white, 

 and seemed to wave and swing, pendulous in the 

 awful space. We were thoroughly thrilled and 

 penetrated with the exceeding sublimity of the 

 picture, and turned away reluctantly as the 

 fires burned out, feeling that if the Cave had 

 nothing else to show, its wonders had not been 

 exaggerated." 



Gorin's Dome was formed in the same manner 

 as the Side-Saddle Pit, which, it will be reraem- 



