The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1896-02-25
ICE CAVES Of JAeAN.
Located In Lava Beds. They Present .
Beautiful Appearance.

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Beautiful Appearance.
4 Some eight or nine miles from
Shoji, in the woods, is the entrance
to the great ice cave we had come
so far to see, n natural circular de-
preston or basin in the ground in
the middle of the forest, some 80
yards across and about 40 feet deep.
At the foot of one of the sides is a
dark opening in the lava, few feet
down which may be seen the top of
a wooden ladder. This is about 90
feet long, and at the foot of it are a
heap of blocks of lava, down which
we scrambled for some 80 or 40 feet
more. till floor of solid ice more or
less fat was reached. Very careful
progress along this had to be made
to avoid slipping down and extin-
gushing the torches. For the first
so yards frequent blocks of lava rise
through the ice of the floor, while
farther on there is nothing but ice.
The lava roof is sometimes 80 or 40
feet above ono's head, sometimes
only A or 5 feet from the floor
The light of the torches glanced con-
, tinually on icicles many feet long
pendant from the roof. Presently
we passed some large blocks of ice,
which had been cut by the country
people for sale at Kofu, some miles
off. At nearly 400 yards from the
entrance about 90 wonderful ice
stalagmites, from 2 to feet in
height, rose from the floor close to a
lava wall forming apparently the
end of the cave, to meet icioles hang
ing from the roof, from which water
at this time of the year continually
drops on to them. The tops of these
stalagmites form hollow bell shaped
cylinders, giving out faint note
like a gong when struck They are
partly filed with the water which
drips on to them from the icicles
above.
Soon by the side of them, on the
left, low arch in the lava on the
level of the floor about feet high
may Le seen. Down this is strong
current of air, there is a rapid de-
scent for some 30 feet, and thence
the course of the cave has been fol
lowed for another 200 yards or SO;
but, owing to the strong current of
air which constantly extinguiShes
the torches, and the smallness of the
passage, which slopes down rapidly
from the entrance, no detailed de-
scription of it can be given, but un-
doubtedly the cave runs on for some
distance, perhaps to another outlet,
for the current of air is very strong
at the extreme point to which any
one has yet penetrated.
The ice has probably remained
frozen in the cave from the winter
months, the action of tine higher
summer temperature being INSULT
cient to do more than affect the sur
face of the ice floor, form few pools
VI NdUCI anu LlOAu leaA VI pAO iSO
stalaGtites and stalagmites. The
temperature of the cave in summer
seldom exceeds 50 degrees F., and
that in the deolivity or basin in the
ground at the entrance some 10 de-
grees or IL degrees higher. On co.
ing up from the latter to the level
of the ground in the wood a rise of
some 20 degrees on warm day is at
once experienced.
Here we staid the night at the
town of hajika -Zawa and next day
made the exciting descent of the
rapids of the Kujikawa, which need
no description here, as an excellent
one is given by Messrs. Cham berlain
g. Mason in their guide, referred to
above. AT Iwabuchi, As miles from
Kajika. "a wa, reached III little over
six house, entered the train for XII
oto, in which l spent most wretch
ed night, in company with number
OF mosquitoes, whose powers of pen
etration believe are unequaled else
where, clothes forming no protection
whatever--a somewhat unpleasant
termination to an enjoyable trip
London Field.