160 GLEANINGS FROM NATURE. 



of those grand subterranean rooms which characterize 

 Wyandotte Cave. This has been dubbed the "Hall 

 of Representatives," accurate measurements showing 

 it to be 100x160 feet, with the ceiling 35 feet above 

 those masses of fallen rock which in the past filled 

 the space of the broad overhanging dome. Where 

 these large rooms occur, the old river-winch formed 

 the cave must have flowed over a softer portion of 

 rock and eroded or dissolved a great basin in the bed 

 or floor of the channel, perhaps escaping by an outlet 

 now hidden. In time the roof, no longer self-support- 

 ing, came tumbling down and partially tilled the basin. 

 From most of the rooms, as from the Hall of Repre- 

 sentatives, one must climb twenty or more feet to the 

 mouth of the passage leading onward. 



Beyond this hall we descended the " Hill of Science'' 

 into a lower portion of the cave, from which a low, 

 wet side passage turns to the right. Here for the first 

 time we encountered mud, and the floor of the " No. 

 10" passage, as it is called, is for the greater portion 

 of the year covered to a depth of several inches with 

 standing water. We next arrived at the junction 

 room, called "Jordan's Wait," where that noted 

 scientist, Dr. I). S. Jordan, once had several hours for 

 cool reflection, having been left in total darkness liy 

 the accidental extinguishing of a candle which he had 

 no means of relighting. This junction room is located 

 at the foot of the Continent, where the passage which 

 turned to the left around that body, meets the one 

 through which we had traveled. 



Proceeding onward, we entered the most southern 

 arm of the cave, and, passing through a damp-floored 



