| Show Death Stalks Explorers Explorer's Vi Victory tory O Sought Cavern to Beat Mammoth O o o oLife Life May Be Price in Cave Game SAND CAVE Cave City Ky Feb 5 By A. A P. P Floyd P.-Floyd Floyd Collins 35 an and a cave explorer since sinde boyhood found a won von de ful cavern but may hac have lost his life in the attempt Fore- Fore won won-I I warned by nature of the the dangers dangel'S that existed for those who dared to I explore her uncharted chasms Collins Collins Col Col- lins descended into a narrow passageway passageway pass pass- age way of Sand Cove last Friday in I search of of a cavern more bea beautiful ti- ti I ful than Mammoth cave How far he went no one knows but at atthe atthe atthe II the end of his rainbow he found what he sought he said I Jubilant perhaps overanxious to toI I come out and tell of his discovery Collins was emerging from the cave when within some feet of the mouth a tremendous boulder i slipped and pinioned his left foot I I There he lay for twenty-four twenty hours I crying for help and trying in vain I to wriggle his foot free before he was found b by Jew Jewell ll Esters 17 There also he remained alive alive for forat forat forat at least hours and probably longer I I FATE UNKNOWN I He still was in the cave today whether hether dead or alive unknown to man I i Like his father before him Floyd was a hunter huter for caves There was wasa a thrill about it It Lee Collins his father said said something like Columbus Co Co- i lumbus must have felt when he discovered discovered discovered dis dis- covered America Once before Floyd had experienced the thrill of finding a new subterranean coliseum Several I years ago he found Crystal cave and then as now he was trapped I I by a gigantic rock which fell across his path and held him captive captive captive cap cap- tive for fort forty eight eight hours Competition in the Mammoth cave region was keen Floyd hoped to find a natural wonder closer to Cave City the nearest railroad point than either Crystal cave or orold orold orold old Mammoth Itself He was to share whatever profits might ac ac- ac crue That was why he went in inthe inthe inthe the hole S Somewhere at the end of the tortuous tortuous tortuous tor tor- passage in most most- places no wider than a mans man's shoulders he found the cave He was coming out when he was caught After he was found half balt standing standing stand stand- ing half reclining in the murky passageway there began the endeavors endeavors en endeavors en- en deavors to rescue him His many of them experienced cavemen cavemen cavemen cave cave- men tried every evry conceivable means means' of sa saving saIng Ing him him- Mans MaMs s 's most Ingeni ingenioUs in ingenious In- In valueless valueless valueless-na- na nature geni genious devices were ture ture supplied a means of circumventing circumventing circumventing circum circum- venting their use RESCUE WORK EXHAUSTING In the first place persons going down to Collins were exhausted when they reached him His body was lying 1 between them and the rock on his feet and the passage too narrow for human beings to pass prevented rescuers reaching his feet The sandstone formation was treacherous An untoward I move and tons of earth might further further further fur fur- ther block the cavern One after another the leaders of the rescue work collapsed The physical exhaustion of going down usually head first the cold penetrating penetrating penetrating pene pene- dampness the muck and the mud on the floor and the foul air all rapidly sapped their strength and they had to be taken out How Collins motionless for more than hours clung to life Ufe was a mystery All along the way bottles containing containing con con- taming milk mUk and water abandoned by those who attempted to r cl Collins gave mute evidence of the odds against the workers I WEARY WATCHERS I t The eyes eyes eyes' of the nation were I turned upon the unfortunate Collins Cot Col lins tins and the brave men who spared cOI 1 no effort to secure his release Prayer services for the cave ex explorer cx- cx I ex-I were held in many places a surgeon was sent from Chicago to amputate the foot if possible Louisville and other nearby cities sent anything and did everything to help letters and telegrams from allover allover all allover over the country poured into the little way station swamping the meager wire facilities These messages messages messages mes mes- sages contained suggestions for aid aidor aidor aidor or words of encouragement and cheer Through it all Collins Collins' family has labored and prayed Floyds Floyd's two brothers Marshall and Homer collapsed collapsed col cot lapsed several days ago and were taken away under a ph physicians physician's care They returned however and after the last rescue party came out outlast outlast outlast last night Homer wanted to keep tr ing The aged father Lee on Collins has stood by unable to do more Lack of organization added to the delays delas I But when he drew near to Colline Collins Col- Col line hns he found another had occurred Spirits sank to their lowest ebb when he came out at midnight without midnight without Collins COllins- Collins and and told I I of what had happened |
