The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-29
A FREAK OF NATURE.

A FREAK OF NATURE.
MoNTANNs PULLING AND CONTRA
oscToRY WELL
In the Summer Its Water Frreeses
and In the wintor the Ice Melts
and the Water becomes warD-A
Hysterious Current Of Air.
Seven miles to the north and little 10
The east Of the Cheyenne agency in Custer
county, Mon, is q we'll filed with Ice that
sxcites much curiosity among the ranchers
and cattlemen Of that section. Every COW.
boy who visits tho well has much to tell
and invariably advances his own explans-
ton.
Many ingenious theories are given
which tend to indicate that mankind OF
all degrees of scientific knowledge put
forth an effort to find the origin Of things.
However, they all agree that the Ice forms
IN tho well during the summer and that
II actually thaws during the winter. This
apparent contradiction Of the natural Laws
that govern tho outside world has carried
the fnme Of this well for miles around and
people have Travelled great distances to
witness the formation Of icicles during ths
hot weather Of July.
This well is within . few hundred feet
Of the summit Of Little Wolf mountains,
ON the north slope, at the very beginning
Of Greenleaf creek, which empties into
Rosebud eight miles from where tho Rose
bud Joins the Yellowstone river. This
portion Of the mountain 10 covered with
growth of tall pines.
Fourteen years ago three men prospect
ine for silver, mistnking certain colors iD
the rocks, began sinking q shaft. At Is
fest It was disagreeably cold, at 20 feet
the cold had increased SO rapidly that they
were thoroughly frightened. They could
feel currents Of cold air rushing up from
the creyices In the rock. They imagined
they were digging into some mysterious
underground cavern. They had heard Just
enough Of wonderful adventures Of dig.
Ring into caves and underground lakes,
and being slone In this wilderness, whore
tho very stiffness permitted the ears to
hear and tho mind to imagine all manner
Of Rrewsome powers hid beneath the rock,
% thoroughly filed them with fear Of iIn-
pending danger that they abandoned the
work which has since gained such renown.
The SUBMITS Of Little Wolf mountains
arc covered with scoria, which has all the
appearance and texture Of good grade of
filing. Il IL usually red, but varies In col
or through all tho shades down to black.
These varying colors give tho beautiful
ints to the Thousands Of buttes through
out the bad lands In comparatively 10
cent geological times vast beds OF Ignite
coal were formed over the eastern half of
Montana, sxtending into western Dakota
Tho burning Of these beds Of coal was The
beRinninR Of the bad land formation. The
dne deposits of clay above the coal were
burned a. brick are burned In kiln and
formed the scoria. Where tho heat wa9
greater and rock and sand were present II
melted and mixed with the coal and coal
ssh, forming large cinderlike rocks, which
Sre sometimes mistaken for Lava AZ ths
coal burned out from beneath the clay,
nov baked into scoria and melted into cin-
ders, IL broke into small divisions and fell
promiscuously down into the pits thus
formed Volcanic ash Ia found scattered
over tho Little Wolf mountains and the
eastern portion of Montana. Il must have
drifted with the wind from powerful eEuD-
tions In tho Rocky mountains, a. there are
no indications Of any volcanic action In
the vicinity Of tho Ice well. The Little
Wolf mountains are merely rough range
Of buttes apparently Of the some origin -
all tho bad land buttes Their summtts,
towering above all tho other buttss, have
given them tho name Of mountains, bus
they arc only Of slightly over 1000 test a.
titude. II leo were to be put into tho well
during tho winter, 1t would keep through
out the summer nearly as well a. II scored
away In ordinary icehouses. By chance nar
ture has formed almost the Identical con-
ditions that man has made use OF to pre.
serve ice throughout tho hot weather. Tho
ahafs 10 tho cavity In which to store tho
ioe. The volcanic ash, filing into the open
space between the loosely piled rock, serves
the purpose of sawdust In keeping out tho
warm drafts Of nir. The altitude and tho
north slope arc favorable to the prosorva-
ton Of the Toe. Tall, dense forest prevents
tho heating Of the surface rock By tho d.
rect rays Of the sun. The rocks are too
porous for the water to soak up, % to
sneak, from beneath. The facts are that IN
many places near tho tops Of the buttes,
ON the zides where the rocks have fallen
loosely together, they are perfectly dry Tor
many feet below tho surface, being 1aois-
tened By tho winter snow and rain a %
may fall and run down from above.
During tho winter tho well II nearly
filed with snow. Enough water from ths
carly spring rains finds its way through
between tho rocks to mix with the snow
and freeze into one solid mass OF ice! The
leo in tho we'll II formed by tho cold oS
shs winter season, but docs not begin 70
form somstimes till the winter 70 half
gone.
In turn, 10 IL melted by the heat Of the
summer, but does not begin to melt until
the summer is half over. In the early
mart Of tho summer IL Il still freezing In
The well, and during the first half Of tho
winter 10 Il still melting. The wen acts
a o refrigerator. It receives the heat
slowly and thcn gives 1t OF just a slowiy.
II tho earth received and gave Oh heat
readily, the hottest weather would be In
Juno and tho coldest In Decsmb@-an
facs, tho ;soasons follow nearly month
behind tho sun.
Il Il Q fact that II ON shot day you walk
rapidly into the cave to where tho loo 70 y
feels - though strong current OF cold
air were blowing against your face. Ths
sensation Il 90 decidedly real thas ID TO
ouires careful demonstration 10 prove to
tho contrary, and even then 1t almoss
seems a. though tho demonstration has
bean q mistake. Il can be easily tested By
usinR smoke, or better still, . rsxhsr
h..- colorosd 0lasa k0nin II on0 Ghould