The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-21
A WONDERFUL MOUNTAIN
In Hampshire County, West Virginia,
That Has AttrAo ted Wide AtcntIon-ico
Found at IT'S Base In midsummer.


Found at It's Base In nIIdSummsr.
Special Correspondence.
RoMNEY, W. Va. Aug, 20,-About
twenty miles east of Romney In Hamp-
shire county, Is a mountain which has
long attracted attention from the fact
that along Its base ice may be found
short distance beneath the ground, In
midsummer. For more than century
1t has been observed. A few days ago
l paid a visit to 1t for the purpose OF as
certalning, II possible, what was pecu-
liar In the material or situation OF the
mountain which caused Ice to freeze
underground In winter and refuse 70
thaw In summer. To me the only mat
ter difficult OF explanation IL the freez-
Ing process. There is no mystery about
the Ices resistance to the melting pow
err OF the summers heat. Il Is simply a
natural ice house on a gigantic scale.
Approaching the mountain along the
road leading from Slanesville 1t is seen
to be portion OF the range rising very
abruptly from the east bank OF the
rocky and turreted with crngs above,
but covered with thick forests near the
base The broken rocks, which In mil
lions OF tons, cover the face OF the
mountain, appear black from distance,
but when examined near at hand are
found to be white sand-stone,yery pure.
North river washes the base OF the
mountain where the Ice Is found; and
after crossing that stream, climbed
few feet up stony bank, covered with
trees and at once was conscious OF
the presence Of Ice The GOODNESS OF the
air was instantly felt. A large spring
Eushed from the base Of the mountain,
and the water had the peculiar taste OF
water obtained from melting snow. The
whole slope OF the mountain, down to
the rivers edge, Is covered with broken
rocks, each rock usually weighing less
than one hundred pounds, and many OF
them Weighing only two or three
pounds BY removing these rocks to the
depth OF couple OF feet, ice is found.
The cold Is sufficient TO numb the hand
II thrust down through the cavities In
the rocks: and by standing In freshly
dug hole, the feet will soon grow palm
fully cold The cool air rises every
where from the ground In the vicinity.
/ had no thermometer but l judge the
temperature anywhere In the noighbor-
hood Of the Ice is twenty degrees low
or on a hot summer day than In the
open country beyond the river.
Now as to the reasons for the pecu-
liar phenomenon. People In the vicln-
ily explain It by saying there Ia a vast
cave under the mountain and the cold
comes from the cave, That explanation
is neither scientific nor satisfactory.
There 10 no cave under the mountain.
Mountains Of that kind have no caves,
But, II there were cave, air freezing
cold would not come out OF It. Ice IS
found In strip about six hundred feet
long parallel with the river and about
forty feet vide, extending from near
the edge OF the water two or three rods
up the mountain At this point North
river, after making n sweep around the
point OF hill some distance above,
strikes Ice mountain almost at right an
gles. In past ages the river cut Into tho
mountain and carried away immense
quantities Of rock and soil. The evil
dcnce Is conclusive that the river cut
away the side Of the mountain untll
cllT almost perpendicular rose from tho
water several hundred feet, That was
the nrsl step In the formation OF Ice
mountain az 1t exists now.
Tho mountain Is composed OF roeks
enslly broken under pressure. The
elm which WIS once There was destroy
ed by the rocks brcll,lug loose ana fall-
Ing to the base, In courne OF tlno nccu.
INITIATING TT enormous quantities ~
tho present time the only portion Of tho
clln visible vs. tho summit The whole
lower and middle portions arc buried
undor loose rocl,s from above, one hIgh
orng sim looms above the debris, ana
| ~ called Raven Rock
Nov, the mass Of loose rnoka collected
nj tho base OF tho olilr and rising hun
dfodf of feet above the base Va the leo
house. water pcreolltos through tnr
stones In wlntcr, fttc2o7 aud forms bodB
Of ice far below the uuritcc The sum
mefa heat IA not sulilcont 90 mott W.,
The base NJ thc mountain, where the req
10, IN shaded by lfooH, and 20 aloep w
the mountain tina che sun little moro
| than rlBOB nbovp H. On The south, uhlW
| noon, even In simmer Thuh the inyh
| tose mitch ~ tbeir power
I said IN the fret part " thus article
! that tho most dlnculI part to explain ~