Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-29
The Ice Caves of Ulster County.

The landlord who could walk few rods from
his door, enter 0n opening iD the side OF bluff,
aud find stored therein aquantity Of clear, beau
tiful ice, ready for use, without any of the
trouble of securing, carting, storing, or the daily
expense of buying, would no doubt consider
himself lucky individual. Yet, according 10
the Ellenyille IN. " Press, that is what the
proprietor of the Sans Point mountain house
does daily, having for the last few weeks sup
piled himself with ice from caves recently dis
covered near his house.
These caves have been unknown until re-
Gently, even by the oldest inhabitants of the
point, although far surprising the famous caves
above Ellenvillc in extent, capacity and beauty.
The bluffs for a long distance south Ofthe point
have been broken up by some mighty cOnyul-
sions of nature into a series of crevices, which
penetrates them in every direction, forming nu-
meIous large caves, often several hundred feet
in length and of unknown depth, with frequent
openings in the top Of the bluff. On account of
the rough nature of the ground, which is COW
cred with huge rocks and trees, these caves are
not readily accessible from below, but on the
bluffs very easy provision could be made for
affording excursion parties a sight Of these
wonders without any rough clambering.
Beginning at a point several hundred yards
south OF the Mountain house is a nearly per-
pendicular opening into the bluff, down which
streaming sunlight reveals gloomy and mysteri-
GUS depths This is descended with cousidera-
BILE difficulty. AT deDth of one hundred feet
below tDe surface, the cave opens III several
directions, extending one way in a gallery sew
eral hundred feet in length. The width is
several feet, the walls rising perpendiculary
nearly to the surface, where they close in, ex-
cept at frequent places, holding at times I'M
mense bOulders in their rocky jaws. Progress
is barred at a certain point by deep pit extend
ing down toward the bowels of the earth across
the bottom of the cave, but the sunlight shows
an exit few hundred feet distant.
A pistol fired in this cavern sends reverberat-
ing echoes rebounding along the rocky walls.
From the deepest portion of the cave converse
ton can be held with person outside through
a small opening in the top. There is but
small quantity OF ice in this cave. There are in
tervening, before the ice cave can be reached,
two or three other large caves. Finally, the
explorer finds an opening, through which
ascends a heavy mist, resembling smoke. A
long and deep cavern is discovered, the floor of
which is completely paved with thick ice. In
another cave large masses of ice are found COW
cred with snow, and party of eXcurSionists
recently enjoyed the novel pleasure of snow
balling in July. Another cave has trickling
rll OF ice water running through it,
Says late visitor: Language would fail TO
describe the wonders and beauties of these
caves, in which we spent upwards of two hours.
Their extent, l-believe, no one at present has
any knowledge of. The walls are in most cases
smooth and perpendicular, with no hanging
fragments apparently ready to fall at a breath
on the heads of those who enter, as is ithe case
with the ice caves above Ellenyille. tplaceS
large chambers open in the rocks, affording OPP
portunity for the imagination to weave fancied
resemblances TO the homes of bandits IN. Y.