Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-25
ICE CAVES In MAINE.
4 Visit TO Weird Caverns Where There is Ice
the Whole Year Around.

A Visit TO Weird Cayerns Where There is Ice
the Whole Year Around.
A party Of Norway and Oxford ladies
and gentlemen visited the ice caves of
Greenwood, Wednesday of this week
These natural curiosities are about a
dozen III number, and are situated about
three miles from the little village known
as Greenwood City. It is a good road
Jrom Norway to within quarter of a
mile of the caves and we enjoyed every
part Of the way.
The caverns are on land owned by Mr.
E5en Wentworth, and the entrance to
them is about two thirds of the way up
Mt. Split, as he named this elevation. 1t
is rather a suggestive, If not an appro-
pirate designation. The path TO them
lies through heavily wooded tract of
land where there IS no opportunity of
seeing the surrounding country, and had
it not been for Mr.. Wentworth, who act
ed as guide, it would have been difficult
to follow the trail.
Having rested. we moved up the noun
tain and soon reached the mouth of
Valleys cave, one of the largest in the
whole lot. It is double stored cavern.
the lower chambers being some 400 or
500 feet in length and about dozen fee
in width. The exit is at the top of 5he
mountain. The upper chamber is verv
much smaller and is connected with the
first by passage large enough for half
a dozen to pass abreast. This cave was
named by the late DR.. TrRe, of Bethel. for
Mr.. Valley, Of Boston, whose daughter
was the first lady to pass through the
entire length of the cavern.
One of the caves is shaped like we'll
and is from TWEEN ty to thirty feet in depth
There are regular steps which wind
around the sides to the bottom. Here
are two chambers running in opposite
directions, one of which leads nearly to
Observation rock. It is called Snake pas
sage, and to pass through it one is
obliged to crawl on hands and knees. The
other chamber leads into a cavern which
is large snd somewhat triangular, having
several chambers, one of which connects
with Well cave. The walls of this cham
Der rise upward some seyenty-fve feet
or more.
| In one of the caves ice is to be seen al
| the year round. Our torches produced 6
beautiful effect upon the CLASSY surface
| of the ice and the cavern walls, UNCHANGED
| by the total darkness but a short distance
| from our lights. There is an exit to the
cavern on the other side of the mountain
and one into Amphitheater cave.
There are two great riffs in the noun
tain, one running northerly and the other
in the opposite direction. These are
great curiOsitjes and attract the attention
| of all who visit the caves, and probably
these riffs gave the name to the mount.
Table rock is the highest of series Of
Lodges or shelving rocks that reach nearly
TO the foot Of the mountain. The view
from here is magnificent and is only ex
celied by that at the summit. While
few of the party were extended ct full
! length upon if looking down from tn,
rock into the great amphitheater below
they were startled by the exclamation O.
S. S. Smith, who was seated in the sspul-
pitt" small circular place in the ledge
SECT off from there. You don't know
where you are! You are out away owe
creation"
They drew back to investigate, cns
found that they had been hanging on
some fifty or sixty feet in midair upon /
shelf of rock only five or six feet in thick
ness.