The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-09-12
WONDER CAVE.
A. Startling Phenomenon in Wayne
County, iPennessse-Reported DIscov-
cry of Ice that Never f1elts. .a-la-


From the Nashville Banner. September 81
The following curloustperhaps sensational,
statements concerning Che discovery In q cave,
In Perry County, of q remarkable phenomenon
connected with rock formations are made by
the correspondent Of Waynesboro' paper, in
a letter dated The 2lst nltimo, from Linden, in
Perry County. One OF the gentlemen cited In
the correspondence as endorsing the state
ments made IT. II. Brashear) is well known
in this city, wher he made many acquaint-
ances during the sessloapf the Legislature, 10
which he served as a. member Of the lower
house. The following is the letter:
LINDEN, PERRY COUNTY, TENN,
August 2t..ls72.
There has been perhaps the! most remark
able and extraordinary discovery made In our
county that you or any . else ever heard OF.
Some ten days since TIN. Brashear, our late
representative from this county, Major J. l..
Webb, our excellent sheriff, aud J. P. Wilson,
our efficient TAX collector, we're together az
Major Webb's, and Tor recreation took a walk
In and around his farm; when coming 10 the
hills on the south OF Major iWebu's place they;
approached The mouth ola cave In the side, ot
the hill, from which In wet weather q stream
OF water usually flowed. Feeling very warm,
they concluded " enter the cavu 10 cool of:a
little, and upon entering the month OF the cave
were surprised at the unusual coldness that
pervaded the cavern; thinking there must be
something in the dark recesses OF the cavern
10 produce such unusual GOODNESS IN The at
mosphere, they concluded to penetrate still
further into the cave to 1ee II they could not
clear up the mystery. AocurlDg lights, they
entered the cave, and aRer proceeding some
scyent -flvuf feet, upon @rsffB- eu -urBfo stoy'
beheld TO their establishment the whole .inte-
rior OF the cave fcstooned with the most beau
tttul slalagmltes the eye OF man ever beheld.
Holding up their lights, they gazed upon the
beautiful sight with pleased establishment, and
upon O nearer approach they found The stalag-
mites to resemble the hardest, clearest Ice,
and cold as the touch of the ice-klng him.
self. Becoming by this time chilled through
with the GOODNESS OF the place, each OF The
gentlemen broke off q lump OF this strange
wonder and started to return. Before reach.
Ing the mouth of the cavern their hands were
30 chilled they could scarcely hold the strange
substance, aud upon reaching the outer alr
they laid it down upon the ground, thinking
IL would soon acquire The Temperature OF the
atmosphere. After resting fifteen or twenty
minutes, they started Tor MIR. Webo'5 resi-.
dence, each carrying, as best he might, his
lump Of rock ice. for / know OF no other name
by which to call iI. Arriving at the house,
they placed the crystals On o table, and walled
patiently to see II it would melt, or even turn
warmer. Alter waiting some half hour, and
finding that It still retained Its former cold
ness, one of the party suggested that they
should try It in q pitcher OF water. This was
done, and TO their infinite astonishment the
glass pitcher in which IL was placed was soon
covered on the outside with moisture, similar
to that produced by Ice. Not being yet salts
fed, they concluded to drink of the CONTENTS,
and the question now was as 10 VINO snouia
give The tirst trial. Mr.. Wilson at length said
as he was the youngest, and consequently the
stoutest, he would try It, and he thereupon
drank o hearty draught, and declared 1t
equal to the best ice-water. The
olher two gentlemen also drank of the
water, and Mr.. Brashear assured tha writer
OF this that 1t was equal to the best Ice water.
At dinner they tried 1t with milk, and 1t soon
made Mrs. Webb's excellent buttermilk as
cold almost as ice itself. It produced the
same effect upon butter as Ice, and still re-
tained Its original frig!dity: A number of
persons haye since visited this wonderful
cave and carried off portions OF this rock,
which they are using for all the purposes of
ice. and it susLaIns no jiminull0n In bulk or
loss of coldness. Strange and improbable as
this may seem, yet 1t can be certlied to by
numbers Of our best citizens. DR.. Black Is
using it In his practice, and IL proves an ex-
cellent ane sthetic, having the same effect as
Ice when mixed with salr. Mr.. Thomas
French and Colonel Waggoner, hotel-keepers
10 Linden, used 1t in their hotels during
court week to the establishment of their
guests. Specimens will be sent TO our State
Biologists for analyzation. If any one doubts
the above plain statement of simple tacls they
are referred to 7. III. Brashear, q. Il. Nixon,
:John A, pitts. Major John l.. Webb, Joseph
Wilson, Thomas French, Captain Easley, pro-
lessor in the academy, and q number of others
of the most reliable mel 10 our county.
Resnectfully, r. A. 8.
p. ST. will send you q box OF this rock Ice
by the first conveyance to your place.