16 1ftature'0 



other, and we do not find the water till we get 

 to the bottom of the third underground story, 

 so to speak. There is one place in this system 

 of underground channels where the dripping 

 from the roof of the upper channels has cut a 

 great well hole many feet in diameter perpen- 

 dicularly down through the whole system to a 

 great depth. The sides of this great well hole 

 are fluted into grooves caused by the constant 

 downflow of the water. Although the amount 

 of water flowing down through this well hole 

 is very small, it is continually at work. Like 

 interest on money, it never rests, each minute 

 that passes has eaten away some of the great 

 rock. 



In other portions of the cave the dripping of 

 the water is so gradual that the carbonate of 

 lime hardens and forms what are called stal- 

 actites, that hang like icicles from the roof of 

 the cave. Sometimes the water runs down so 

 slowly upon these stalactites that it evaporates 

 as fast as it appears, leaving behind its little 

 load of carbonate of lime. If, however, there 

 is a drip, there are formations built also 

 from the lime in the dropping water on the 

 floor of the cave, and these are called stal- 

 agmites. In time the stalactites and the 

 stalagmites will meet, forming a great column 

 reaching from floor to ceiling. Some of these 

 formations, when they are free from foreign 

 substances, are very beautiful. They are also 



