New-York tribune., 1903-07-26
ICE FORMS IN SUMMER.
Il Remarkable Phenomenon IN Side
of a Pennsylvania Hill.

Coudersport. Penn. July 25-One of the most
remarkable freaks Of nature TO be found In the
United States, If not in the world, exists about
haf hours ride east Of this place. a little
hamlet known by the name Of Sweden Valley. Tt
Is called the ice cave" Some years ago while
excavations were going in the construction Of a
railroad short distance under the surface Of the
side hill ice several inches in thickness was found
in crevices in the rock in midsummer. Later It
was discovered that a large portion of the side
hill facing the north along which the railroad
being built. ice to be found only few inches
uhoer ground late in the summer.
Some persons, thinking the phenomenon indicated
the presence of of mineral in the locality
began excavations in the side hill. An excavation
nearly twenty feet deep was made directly into
the hill, and about ten feet from the surface OF
finding Ice and peculiar formation of rock but no
evidence Of valuable mineral A shaft was then dug
at the back Of the excavation eight feet
square and eighteen feet deep. As warm weather
came ice began to form along the sides of the
shaft from the water which dripped down the sides
Of the shaft, until the work had to be abandoned
The singular feature Of the freezing was that on
! the hottest days. when the air was dry, the ice
formed the fastest, sometimes an inch or more in
day 1t continued to form until about the middle
OF August. when the freezing stopped and by
November l the ice had neaT-y al! disappeared
There was no appearance Of ice again until the
following April, when, the weather began 10
get warm, the ice again began to form. increasing
in thickness the weather grew warmer until
by the middle of July ice was fully eighteen
inches in thickness in places in the well or cave
AngleWorms. lizards. etc, would be frozen into the
ice as they attempted to crawl down the surface
This ice formation extended to within a few
inches of the top Of the excavation, often being
several inches thick when the summer sun was
shining directly upon it. A current of cold air
is constantly coming from the mouth of the exca-
walton in hot weather. and is greatest on very hot
days, when the outside air is dryest. A thick fog
at times forms over the mouth Of the cave, caused
by the cold air coming in contact with the warm
air outside. At the present time ice is be
found In the cave more than foot thick all Of
which has formed since April last When the
thermometer stands at 30 degrees outside the air
in the cave. only eighteen feet from the surface
stands at the freezing point. The sharp spines OF
the forming ice can be any time in midday
or when the Is shining outside and the ther-
mometer is at the highest point it reaches In
summer. Another remarkable thing is that the
current Of cold air appears only in warm weather.
ceasing as the weather gets colder.
The Mayor of one of the large manufacturing
cities of England visited the place two years since
aLG W. en- ashed Wnat Jno.eht of SAID: i am
generally credited at home truthful man. but
if I went home and told what have seen here to-
cay snouId not expect 10 be beIieVed. The whole
thing is apparently directly contrary to nature"