On the Ice Mountain of Hampshire County, Va. 81 
homogeneous texture are extremely poor conductors of heat. “By 
reference to the description and section, it will be seen that 
on one side is the mountain, consisting of a massive wall many 
hundred feet in thickness, and heaped up against this as an 
abutment, a mass of rocks containing several thousand cubic 
feet. As the mountain has a general direction from N. EB. to 
S. W., the talus heap containing the ice has a N. W. exposure. 
The cavernous nature of this heap would admit the free entrance 
of atmospheric waters, which during the winter would form ice 
in the interior of the mass. The ice thus situated would be pro- 
tected from external heat by the surrounding rocks, as ice ina 
refrigerator is isolated and protected from the external temperature, 
by the non-conducting sides of the refrigerator. The Ice Moun- 
tain only requires for the explanation of its phenomenon, the 
application of the familiar principle upon which is constructed — 
the common refrigerator, which temporarily effects what the Ice 
Mountain permanently does—a temperature independent of ex- 
ternal causes. The Ice Mountain is in fact a huge sandstone 
refrigerator, whose increased and unusual effects beyond those of 
the ordinary refrigerator, are due to the increased and unusual 
collection of poor conducting materials which form its sides. 
Similar, though inferior accumulations to that of the Ice Moun- 
tain, from geological causes, frequently occur in Hampshire, and 
the adjoining counties. Observation showed them in every in- 
stance to have a temperature far below that of the atmosphere. 
That this low temperature is permanent, is proved by the univer- 
sal custom of individuals residing in their vicinity so constructing 
their dairies, that three of their sides are enclosed by the rocks, 
in the same manner as the one already described at the Ice Moun- 
tain. Evena thin layer of poor conducting materials, affords a 
much greater protection than would be anticipated by those 
whose attention has not been given to the subject. ‘The means 
resorted to by the shepherds of Mount Etna, for supplying their 
flocks with water, exhibits the protecting influence of a bad con- 
ductor. The shepherds during the winter, cover the snow with 
a layer of volcanic sand and ashes, a few inches in thickness, 
which protects it from the sun, and preserves it throughout the 
summer, thus affording them an abundant supply of water for 
their flocks, where it could be obtained from no other source. 
Vol. xtv, No. 1.—April-June, 1843. il 
