The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-01
A NATURAL ICE FACTORY
CONTRARY TO THE Ia US OFNATURE
IT FREEZES An SUMNER.
A Wonderful Phenomenon In the Noun
tsins Of Scott County-Curious
Characters.

there Is "A natufal Ice tdctofS - -
world-one that gOes right on WIN i.s
work through summers heat OF winner
SHOWS: vet such a phenomenon Is present.
ed by this (ScotD county. TINS phehone-
non has been questioned as TO It's exist
ence by scientific men, who regafu sucn
thing as impossible and contrary 10 the
well-regulated laws OF nature. Inc writer
himself doubted the glowing stories ne
had heard OF It till he went there MN
self and had an ocular domonsuauoi Vi
its existence.
stony creek is a clear, bold stream,
that thunders down over rough bouldefs
from Stone and Powells mountains, on
the north side of this county. ana emp
ties into Ciinch river at Fort Biackamole'
the first place settled In all this section.
About five miles from the mouth OF
Stony creek Is the mouth OF an ainueht
known as the Devils Fork. one mile aud
quarter up this stream is the iceberg
as ii is known In that section
II Is said that several years ago a man
(now dead named Marion Carter Claimed
TO have discovered ice in summer. lie
did not disclose the location Of his dis
covery, and his story was regarded as
myth. Three years ago a young man
named William Green. in passing through
the unhrOken wilds, accidentally discoN-
cred the phenomenon, and from his dls-
covery the wonder was made known TO
the world.
Your correspondent, having heard this,
and desiring 20 verify or contradict the
story. visited the locality and procufea
the services of Green as guide. We
rode over a rough road TO within three
quarters OF mile of the berg, ana
dismounted, as we could take our horses
no further. Then through the laurel ana
dense brush We threaded our way-now
on the verge Of a precipice, now iioun-
dcring our way over the accumulated
boulders of sandstone, and ieopardizing
! our limbs In various other ways. TIL we
/ came 10 a small open space on the bank
| Of the stream. The guide then pointed 10
| the summit Of an activity on the OppO-
| site side Of the stream, and SAID mat
upon II lay the ice-bank. We crossed
the stream on boulders and tlambered I'd
! through the dense laurel. perhaps sixty
| feet. and there before us 10y the wonder
| in tho presence Of which profound scien-
| lists stand appalled,.
All around this place the laurel aud
| birch grow so denscly that il is with the
| greatest difficulty one gets through II.
! The basin on which the berg" Is situated
! embraces about half an acre. On the
| north side the precipice makes a gentle
| curve, and on the south side there IS a
/ curvi-iinesr indentation i'm the mountain
| giving the basin an elliptical form. The
| open space IS an immense aggregation OF
| huge bouiders. 1t was a humid. rainy
/ morning, and the rocks over which We
had been walking presented no appear
ance OF ice. But the instant we stepped
! into the opening embracing the berg
! the rocks were sheathed I'm ice and we
had TO take heed 10 our footsteps. We
| then paused and looked down into the
| openings in the rocks There were the
| solid blocks Of ice, completely filling the
| crevices and giving the appearance that
| TIE whole place was prepared by nature
as a storehouse for that which alleviates
| the intensity OF summers merciless calo-
| ric. Everywhere was ice, crystal and
| clear. Under the lodges appeared stalag-
mites Of ice. and down the neither sides
| of the rock a resemblance TO honeycOmb
| At one point an opening ten feet In depth
was made last summer and from IL great
| blocks of pure solid fee were obtained.
| Those who made the excavation say that
It was so cold in summer that they could
remain al the work only few minutes.
From all indications the ice extends to
| the depth of many feet and covers "A
| large surface. People Of the vicinity go
| there I'm August and without trouble get
| ice. There is variety Of moss. long
| and fleecy, growing upon the rocks and
adjacent trees. in which they can wrap
the ice and carry It long distances.
Many theories have been advanced con-
corning the phenomenon, but your cor
respondent differs from all Of them and
advances the idea that II Is simply the
result Of Il compound action Of the air
in caverns below. producing an effect
similar TO that brought about by our
| ice factories.
Mr.. W. l.. Beverly, Of Gate City. who
has accompanied nearly all the biologists
and other scientific men In their explora-
| ton Of this section, and who is quite con-
| Versaut In natural phenomenon, accom-
| panied your correspondent and conceded
with his opinion as TO the origin Of this
| wOrder.
While your correspondent was in the
! vicinity Of the iceberg" he ran upon
some characters worthy Of mention.
About three-fourths Of mile from the
berg lives man named Noah Baldwin.
| who enjoys the reputation OF being one
OF the talest men IN the country. lie
| measures six feet and seven ana one-half
inches. lie IS about fifty years OF age,
and has never had a razor TO his face.
His skin is as smooth as womans.
| lie weighs rs ponds.
Two miles from the berg live Enoch
| and David Young. Contradicrng their
! name. they are the Oldest men in the
| county. Enoch is one hundred and nine
| years OF age and David Is said 10 be
| only eight ycacs his junior. When quite
| young they were brought by their pa
| rents from Tazeweil county. Va, and
! have ever since resided at their present
abode. Neither ever married. and to-
| gether they have lived in IA little log
hut, 12xi4. with IA door five feet high ard
| not a window in it, EnOch has woven
| on an old hand iooom the goods that has
| made their clothing. and has done their
| sewing, while Dave has had absolute con-
| troll OF the culinary department. When
| Mr. Beverly and the writer visited their
| home we found Dave out husking corn,
| and he came IN active and wiry. lie said
he had never thought Of dying as ne
| was too young" for any consideration
| of that kind Enoch is quite feeble, and
| seldom leaves the house. They were once
| famous hunters, and told us many stories
of bringing down Bruin in his native
! wilds. They bake their bread on an
| old oven lid, have no book in their house
| except the old family Bible. and live in
| the most crude and primitive fashion.
| They have never owned any knives and
| forks. dishes or anything else in the way
| Of tableware. They are confirmed stoics.
| and believe that because they are honest
II cir death will simply mean translation
! to heaven. They own over one thousand
acres Of very good land well timbered.
and have several Yenters. They never
| spend any money in the stores. and IL is
a wonder as TO what becomes Of the pro-
ceeds OF their farm. They are talked OF
! far and wide, and no more notable char
acters exist in all this section Of country.
Another man We visited while "on the
| north side" was Major Harvey Gray.
~ a IL. 4.