Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-09-20
ICE CAVE OBSERVATIONS.
A Paper on the DEBORAH and Brainard
ice Caves, by Prof. Alois F. K0var-
TX, of DEBORAH Institute.

Being requested by several noted
Haen of science to keep up the observa-
lions at the DEBORAH Ice Cave this
spring and summer, 1 endeavored to
do SO. What is given below is short
report of this summers observ alton,
and also a few remarks about the little
ice cave at Brainard, Iowa.
Visiting the cave March IL, 1899,
picture recurring in the spring of every
year was before us. The walls about
the entrance were coated with the
-beautiful, heavy, fan-shaped frost of
every size, while beyond the "Divi-
sion, little or no frost was noticeable,
hut instead the rocks appeared bare
a.ad gloomy. Though this difference
nj first seems strange, it can easily be
explained. The change of tempera-
fuEe outside the cave would be notice
able near the entrance sooner than at
tine end, on account of the depth and
the protecting rocks which overhang
tine path below the division" There
fore, when difference of temperature
outside and inside the Cave occurs, the
moisture of the air is condensed and
deposited on the cold rock. When
this difference of temperature increases
las it does constantly in the spring
this moisture in the form of frost is
found also in the Ice Chamber, where
this year it reached its highest point
of beauty about May, q. The ice
made its first appearance about April |.
III gradually increased in quantity so
that by May 81, the ice covered the
north wall at locus glacialis from A to
5 meters in width, and from the floor
10 the ceiling in height, with a thick
ness of II en-. At this time, the floor
and all the walls at the Division slope
were completely covered with ice,
making picturesque and rather ro-
mantic scene. This is the first time
that have noticed such quantity of
ice at Division. For all the years that
4 had visited the cave, no ice worth
mentioning was found here. By May
~. the ice at the Division reached its
inaximum, but not 40 at Locus Glacia-
lis where it continually increased till
~sbd0t June "a when the north wall
was completely covered-from the
overhanging rock to the end of the
cave--with the maximum thickness
OF about 2S en-. at Locus Glacialis.
From now on, it decreased in quantity
50 that Aug. Z, only about 2 meters of
wall were covered with ice and by
Aug. 25 only little of the ice was
left; this being on the floor may possib-
ly stay there, in decreased quantity,
ill the middle of September.
Temperature-It is folly that pre-
walls with some people that on hot
day it is very cold in the cave, and on
n cold day, that it is very warm there.
The phenomena is perfectly natural
1nd there are no freaks about it. The
temperature at the division is some
what affected by the change of the
temperature outside, but it is not effect.
cd in the opposite direction (the Divi-
SION being near the large and open en-
sxEanoe.D The temperature in the Ice
Chamber changes gradually. The
coidest is in the winter, about Febru-
aEy, and not in thesummer. Ofcourse,
the greatest difference in temperature
0utside and inside the cave is in the
simmer, and it is this, / believe, that
started the above stated folly.
10 see the change in the temperature
throughout the year, l would refer the
reader to the Scientific American sup.
No. lls5, where it is given for the COM
pete years lS97-'9s. Below 1 give
fhis years temperature in degrees GEN.
f1grade.
Tme % Valley Division Locus Glacialis
Nay u 80 -l-l7'2 -1'2 LIS