Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-09-30

feet. That was the first step in the
formation of Ice Mountain as it exists
now.
The mountain is composed Of rocks
easily broken under pressure. The cliff
which was once there was destroyed
by the rocks breaking loose and fall
ing to the base, in course Of time ac-
cumulating in enormous quantities. At
the present time the only portion of
the cliff visible is the summit. The
whole lower and middle portions are
buried under loose rocks from above.
One high crag still looms above the
debris, and is called Raven Rock.
Now, the mass of loose rocks col
lected at the base of the cliff, and
rising hundreds of feet above the base,
is the ice-house. Water percolates
through the stones in winter, freezes
and forms beds of ice far below the
surface. The summers heat is not
sufficient to melt it. The base Of the
mountain, where the ice is, is shaded
by trees, and so steep is the mountain
that the sun little more than rises
above it, on the south, until noon, even
in summer. Thus the rays lose much
Of their power.
said in the first part of this article
that the most difficult part to explain
is the freezing. Under ordinary con-
ditions ice will not freeze two feet un-
der ground, nor in the ground at all,
deeper than few inches. In the
longest winters, in our climate, it is
seldom that the ground freezes foot
deep. Why, then, should the debris
at the base of Ice Mountain freeze to
depth of probably ten or fifteen
feet? | will offer a theory of my own
without, however insisting very strong
ly on its acceptance by others. The
mass of angular and broken rocks
along the base of the mountain is not
compact solid, like ordinary earth.
The rocks fit so loosely upon and
among one another that air can cir
culate freely all through them, to un-
known depths. 1t is well-known
principle that cold air is heavier than
warm air and that when cold and
warm air come together Gf their densi-
ties are practically the same) the cold
air settles to the bottom and the warm
air rises, or in some other manner gets
ont of the way.
That is, I think, precisely what takes
place at Ice Mountain. In severe win
ter weather the cold air works It's way
down through openings and cavities
among the rocks, and expeIs the warm
er air found in the lower interstices.
The air thus introduced is cold enough
10 freeze the water which finds its way
to the depths at each rain or melting
snow. Little by little the ice accumu-
lates, and in the course Of a winter it
has formed beds of considerable but
unknown thickness.
The same principle of philosophy
which causes the cold air of winter to
circulate among the rocks, prevents
the circulation of the warm summer
air. The warm air cannot work down
from above, because it is light and will
not penetrate where the heavy cold
air is. 1t might be answered that the
light warm air of summer would pene-
trate the openings among the rocks
near the base of the mountain, and
thence rise through the interspaces of
the broken rocks, and melt the ice.
1t would DO so, and Ice Mountain
would have no name, had not nature
prevented the entrance Of warm air at
the base of the mountain by covering
the rocks, to height of two or three
rods from the river, with compact
soil, through which air cannot pene-
trate. 1t is thus seen that the cold
air of winter can enter from above,
work its way down among the rocks
until it fills all the space under the
thick soil; but the warm air cannot
enter from below to drive the cold air
out. The essential conditions for form
ing and preserving ice are fulfilled ;
the cold air can circulate from above
and freeze the ice the warm air can
not penetrate to the icy depths. If
the whole face of the mountain were
covered with soil as the lower part is,
the cold air could rot enter and there
would be no ice. If the whole face
were destitute of soil, as the upper
part is, the cold air might enter and
freeze ice; but warm air would enter
from the bottom in early spring and
melt it.
Visitors to Ice Mountain are in the
habit of digging holes in the soil and
rocks to find ice. A considerable num-
Der of these excavations are in evil