62 a T). Walcott—Tlie Natural Bridge. 



bridge that extends from the plain alcove down to the stream 

 below. It is described as follows : 



" The passage was probably created by a stream of water finding a 

 crevice in the limestone mountain, and by the gnawing of gases, the 

 same causes that created the natural bi'idge. But it has all the appear- 

 ance of design and purpose. A brief description by one who has recently 

 seen it in the light of hundreds of candles shows at the entrance a room 

 about twenty feet by ten, with a ceiling sixty feet in heiglit, then a low, 

 arched doorway into a room narrower than the former and extending 

 forty or fifty feet up a steep flight of steps. The arches here are from 

 fifteen to twenty feet in height, and their color a liquid blue. There are 

 a few stalactities from the ceiling and many crystal forms on the wall. 

 Turning here from a direct course through another ai-ched doorway, 

 beautifully decorated, about six feet in height, there is a round room, 

 twenty feet in diameter and perhaps fifty feet from pit to dome. Out of 

 the side of this si^rings a stone cascade, perfect as any waterfall, trans- 

 parent at the lower edge, about ten feet in length and eight in breadth. 

 As the light is thrown upon this it has all the appearance of a living 

 waterfall. A passage under this, over a bridge, leads to a labyrinth barely 

 wide enough for one to jmss. The arch is about fifteen feet in height and 

 the walls glisten like polished marble. These windings extend about 

 thirty feet and open into a well-shaped room not at any point more 

 fifteen feet in diameter and opening, about thirty feet above, to the 

 sky." 



From the description it is evident that the passage was worn 

 by percolating waters that found their way from the plain al:)Ove 

 to the baselevel cut by the stream below, along some previously 

 existing crevices. Tliis process of erosion may he seen at the 

 " Underground river " between Natural bridge and Lace falls, 

 where a strong current of water flows through a channel in the 

 limestone that is about ten feet above the level of Cedar creek 

 and only exposed to view for a few feet of its length. All of 

 the phenomena observed at Natural bridge and in the canyon 

 of Cedar creek are repeated in many limestone regions. Some- 

 times they give rise to underground caverns, as at Mammoth 

 cave, and more rarely to canyons and natural bridges. The 

 illustration at the natural bridge is one of the finest known, 

 and worthy of study by any one interested in geologic phe- 

 nomena or the beautiful in nature. 



