The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-06-12
An Iowa Cave in which Ice Forms in
Summer and MeIts in Winter.
DEBORAH CJa.l Republicsn n.


the phenomenon l. discussed at con.
siderable length in the Science Observer
Tor April, monthly journal published
by the Boston Scientific society. One
article is paper by N. NJ. Lowe, read
before this society April 9, treating of
this paradoxical phenomenon generally,
and our ice cave particularly. This is
ccmmunted upon and enlarged By an
editorial of considerable length, agreeing
in the main with the theory OF Mr.. Lowe.
This is as follows: Ga The phenomenon,
then, of ice being found there (the cave
at Decorah) in the summer can be re-
| terred, | think, to the theory of the liberia
ton of compressed air brought down from
a considerable height BY stream OF
water falling or flowing through a natural
conduit or assure in the rock, embodying
the principle Of the ancient and we'll
known Ironlp used in the Catsiine forge,
and still in use in Corsica, Sardinia, Savoy
and other places. 1t is only necessary to
imagine such imperfection in the conduit
or fssure at the initial point, which is
supposed to be on the top of the bluff, or
far up the mountains side, as would
admit air to come in contact with the,
water after it had obtained q velocity of
more than one foot second. When the
air has reached the bottom, and Is
liberated in the cave, it will be from a
pressure equal to the height Of the
column of water, and it will have lost by
conviction in the mass through the con-
duit passes, the heat due to its compress
sion, and on being liberated it will imr.
mediately absorb from the air an6 the
water in the cave the heat which it has
lost in its downward passage. The most
remarkable fact, that the cave freezes
only in summer, and as the cold of actual
winter comes on, the ice In the cave
gradually melts and disappears, is caused,
| will venture to state as an opinion, by
the gradual freezing of the surface at the
top of the bluff or the source OF the sir to,
a considerable depth, thus sealing up the
aperture through which the sir enters
the conduit. As to the theory we can
say but little that will be of value, from
a scientific standpoint. Its defect isthat
the data is materially incorrect. 1t is
not exact TO say that "the cave freezes
only in summer, and as the cold OF
actual winter comes on, the ice in the
cave gradually melts and disappear"
The fact is that the develoment OF ice
begins with the warm weather of spring,
reaches its maximum in early summer,
and melts before the warm weather has
passed away. Ice always disappears
entirely several weeks, and frequently
three or four months, before the ''cloud
of actual winter comes on" This, it
seems 10 us, destroys the opinion con-
tanned in the last paragraph OF the fore
going quotation. Another theory relst-
ing to the cave is known as the eyspora-
ton theory. 1t certainly suits the known
facts better than the compressed air
theory. In brief it il this: During the
late summer snd fall water percoiates
through the soil and among the fssures
Of the limestone rock This is frozen
during the winter, and one wall OF the
rock being protected from the direct rays
of the sun, thawing does not commence
in the other wall until warm weather has
set in and when it does begin, ice devel-
OBS. as it will upon a frozen apple or
potato that is immersed in water.