CORNELL UNIVERSITY — CASCADILLA. 4 1 



great hotel. The dining hall was filled, and the large 

 reception room was the scene of many pleasant social 

 gatherings, as well as of the more formal Commence- 

 ment receptions. This room contains a convenient 

 stage, and in later years has been occasionally used for 

 amateur dramatic performances. 



Beyond Cascadilla the road runs along the brink of 

 the ravine, while to the right the land rises in a graceful 

 terrace to Willow Pond, which supplies water for the 

 building. Presently the road crosses the ravine by an 

 iron bridge. Here, when the University opened, was 

 only a wooden foot-bridge much farther down the bank 

 than the present structure. The latter was built in 1874 

 at an expense of $7000. Directly under the bridge is 

 the Giant's Staircase, one of the prettiest of the Casca- 

 dilla cascades. The distance of the base of the fall 

 from the roadway is one hundred feet. The view from 

 the bridge looking down the glen and across the valley 

 to the hill beyond is at all seasons exquisitely beautiful 

 — "one of the glories of Ithaca, — an exquisite bit of 

 scenery scarcely excelled even in the mountain valleys 

 of Piedmont." An electric light now stands at the 

 approach to the bridge, and its light thrown upon the 

 sides of the ravine and the interlacing branches of the 

 pines, makes a striking picture, especially in winter, 

 when the snow-laden boughs and the ice-sheeted walls 

 make an effect as weird as it is impressive. 



Above the bridge walks are laid out on either side of 

 the ravine. The one on the south winding along be- 

 tween a bright little brook on one hand and the dark 



