The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-08-07

away from the foot of the snow
capped peaks of Mt. Badly and Mt.
Gilbert to where the ceaseless flow OF
the waters of Green river for centuries
has worn the mighty chasm that is
| known as the LAHORE CANON.
! one OF the most remarkable features
of this wonderful formation that is
/ just now attracting the attention OF
| the mining world, through its deposits
of copper and lead, is the fact tnat II
! forms a dead line over which the clear
mountain streams that spring into eX-
istence along the crest OF the great dl-
/ vide never cross.
These streams, which invariably have
their source in the red sandstone for
nation which overlies. the lime belt,
are as invariably lost in crevices or
great caverns that lead into the bowels
of the earth along the lime formation
that dives under the Ashley valley at
an angle of As degrees.
Above this dead-line, all as beautiful
as nature can make it, there are crys-
tai springs and flowing streams, along
which the wild flowers nod in harmony
with the music of the mountain breezes
i that sing softly among the waving
pines. Below, all is parched and dry
and still. The music of the waters has
ceased and an occasional rainStorm is
ali that ever comes to give lease of
life to the few stunted cottonwoods
that exc out an uncertain existence
along the dry course of what was per-
haps a flowing stream long ago.
Ashley creek, Dry Fork, Big and
Little Brush creeks, all afford nice
mountain streams that in every in
stance dive under the mountain when
the lime belt is reached. In the case
of Dry Fork and Ashley creeks the
streams disappear through crevices in
the rocks that appear to go down with
the formation. On Big and Little
Brush creeks are great yawning crew
ices that present some grand and in
teresting features to anyone for whom
the wonders of nature have a charm.
Wonderful Ice Cave.
The Big Brush creek cave or the ice
cave" as it is known to the noun
taineers, presented a wonderfully facl-
mating sight when visited by the writer
during the present month. 1t has been
called the ice cave" from the fact that
a short distance in from its yawning
black mouth, which is perhaps forty
feet wide and twenty feet high, is a
monster icicle or ice column that is
perhaps eight feet in diameter and
reaches from the ceiling 10 the floor.
This ice column, which is of a blush
color, has been formed by the dripping
of water overhead and remains at all
seasons and would perhaps remain for
ever were it not for the rush of an
occasional flood, which sweeps il away
and into the depths below.
AS one follows the course of the
cave, which leads straight under the
mountain, assisted by the light of pine
torches. pillars of ice are seen stand
ing like grim sentinels here and there.
and great icicles hang pendant from
the roof. By the pickering light II the
flaming torches, weird shadows seem
to chase each other in and out of the
dark hooks and crannies that abound.
Here and there are little pools of water
that oozes from among the rocks.
Over some of these little ponds one
can skate every day in the year, and
strange as it may seem, there are some
which scarcely freeze at all-no doubt
due to different currents or air.
When once fairly in and behind the
ice column, one feels the cold penetrat-
ing his summer clothing. 1t gets SO
cold that one forgets the burning rays
of the midsummer sun outside and
longs for the old winter overcoat that
hangs forgotten on the wall at home.
Visitors to the cave have been known
to turn very sick by the sudden change
from the arctic atmosphere of the
cave to the scorching rays of the noon
day sun outside.
Great Trees Carried In.
At this season of the year the waters
of Brush creek do not reach the cave,
as they sink into the crevices of the
rocks some several hundred yards
above, where il first encounters the
lime formation. From the mouth of
the cave one can plainly hear the roar
of the water, as 1t dashes over the
hNr a
water has dashed with irresistible
force into the great opening, as mon
ster pines have been carried far into
the earth and damned into all con-
shapes and places. 1t is said
that at one time the mouth of the cave
was completely blocked with great
Jam of timbers that suddenly gave
way, the force of the water driving 1t
into the crevices below with terrific
force At present, at a distance of 1000
feet, the passages are completely !
blocked. Pine trees, in some instances
sixty feet in length, are forced into
places and shapes that illustrate the
force that has been at work here In
the past.
Repeated efforts to make further ex-
plorations were effectually blocked by (
the jam. In one place hole leads off (
in a very direct fashion, which is for
all the world like an incline in one of /
Utah's great mines, but at distance
of a hundred feet one comes to a sud /
den stop. Even down this passage I,
way, which is just about the regula- ,
ton size for an incline, have been !
forced great timbers that are side
ways. lengthways, on end and every
way imaginable. How they ever got (
there is a mystery. The pressure of /
the water must nave been something /
fearful to have accomplished such re-
suits
Approaching the ave from down /
the CANYON, which Is nothing more I
han a grassy bottomed gulch. one /
where the cave of which he /
has heard is located. The sound OF
The water from up the canyon floats /
Town to you, but there are no lndl-
of anything unusual until sud
ienly you come to the edge Of an an
-upt precipice and away beneath your
,eet a great black hole. The action of
he water across the yielding lime
.ock for centuries has worn a deep
gorge the bottom of which is sixty feet
beneath you The big dark hole is to
he left and beneath you as you stand
m the edge of the old wash below.
over the entrance rises great blank
vail of lime rock with majestic splen-
lor.
The descent is made by a winding,
ortuous path. a trip down which. al
hough laborious, is we'll repaid by the
sights below.
Another Wonderful Cave.
A few miles farther east is the Lit
lie Brush creek cave, which in some
.espects exceeds in interest the ice
ave. There is the same great gorge