The Washington herald., 1908-07-12

There are several sections in Montana
where an fee trust this summer VIII have
no terrors. even though II were monopo-
listic, grinding. and binding In character.
This-is because OF the strange phenomena
known as underground cold-air blasts.
which have been found to be available
throughout the year. irrespective Of the
temperature on the surface. State SEN
ator Fletcher Maddox, who recently visit
ed the more noted OF these at Thompson
Falls, Sanders County. has related his ex-
perience.
Mr.. Maddox was escorted 10 one OF the
stores Of the city. taken down stairs. and
invited TO stick his head in hole in the
wall. from which large plug had been
taken. Outside the Thermometer stood at
30 in the shade. but the air which came
out Of the hole in the wall made Senator
Maddox think he had been jabbed by an
ice chest. The air was painful after COM
ing from the heated upper world
In this respect Thompson might quite
appropriately be termed the eighth won
der Of the world, and the way is not the
way Of the ice man. In fact there are no
ice men In Thompson. They are not need
ed. Whenever a Thompson citizen desires
a refrigerator proper he simply digs a
hole in the ground and pipes cold air into
his cooling chest instead OF filing Il with
ice. The air is dry and clean and far
ahead OF ice.
Ice-cOId Air Underground
There seems 70 be a stratum Of ice-old
air below the city OF Thompson. AT a
depth Of from thirty TO forty feet. and
the residents have taken advantage OF
the fact. A cold-air well is almost as
much necessity in Thompson as the
kitchen stove
A wen IS sunk 10 the depth found neces-
sary for the stratum. and there is TO
further need OF ice. IN the basement OF
the store mentioned above a hole about
eighteen inches in diameter Is run 20 a
cold-eir shaft, and when the temperature
Of the cellar becomes too high the plug is
removed from the air pipe; II II were out
all the time the produce in the room
would freeze. The mouth OF the same
shaft opens into what would be an ica-
house in another city, and a current OF
the ice-cold air fills the place. keeping
the butter. eggs. meats, and other goods
al 4 temperature just above freezing
point.
The ordinary air coming out OF an air
shaft in Thompson is, at the mouth OF
the shaft, IS degrees. but in some in
stances runs even lower. There are other
localities In Montana where the cold-air
stratum may be found, but not another
where an entire city taxes advantage OF
the fact and pipes cold air about as other
cities pipe gas and water.
Finds Potatoes Frozen.
In Whites Gulch, one Of the early gold
mining camps OF Meagher County. in the
Belt Mountains, a cold-air stratum was
discovered quarter OF a century ago.
and in a peculiar manner. James Nc
Cabe. one Of the pioneer miners. planted
a field Of potatoes one summer. He raised
a good crOp-in fact. larger than he had
expected-and found that he would need
a storehOuse for them. 50 he dug a cellar
in the mOuntainside just back OF his
cabin The cellar was driven into the hill
perhaps twenty feet.
He harvested his crop and stored the
several tons OF potatoes IN the cellar.
Double doors were arranged over the
opening. Imagine his surprise when. some
time later. he opened the doors 10 ind
all his "spuds" frozen solid. with icicles
hanging from the roof OF the cellarl Yet
the thermometer had not reached the
freezing point at the cabin. not thirty
feet away. From that time on the cellar
was used as a refrigerator by McCabe
and all his neighbOrs IN reach. and the
hottest days Of July and August did not
dispel the lcicles hanging from the roof.
Stepping from the outer air a few feet
inside the cellar was like receiving a dash
OF ice water In the face. The cellar is
stilI there. and Is always shown 10 Wis
itors 10 that section.
Another natural refrigerator in Montana
Is 10 be found in Upper New York GuIch.
another old mining camp in the Belt
range, Cascade County. A shaft had been
raised perhaps thirty feet from a bed
rock drain and was used for years as a
refrigerator. A carcass Of beef could be
kept therein even during the hottest OF
summer months. The shaft finally filed
with ice 10 within u few feet OF the sur
face, and is stiU used as a never-emptv
ice chest by the few residents OF that
neighborhOod.