Floyd Collins and the Kentucky Cave Wars

The Lines Are Drawn

Mammoth Cave, which resides in the Sandstone-capped Mississippian Limestone karst near Brownsville, Kentucky, was made regionally famous in equal parts by the demand for saltpeter in gunpowder manufacturing, and the fearless explorations of Stephen Bishop, an African-American slave and tour guide during the 1840s. Its global infamy spread through the writings of such noteworthy celebrities as the naturalist John Muir and the father of modern speleology, the Frenchman Edward Alfred Martel. Due to such high profile exposure, it wasn’t long before it became a compelling international destination for those with both the inclination and means to attempt the arduous two-day, one-way coach journey from Brownsville to witness its labyrinthine natural wonders first-hand.

But it wasn’t until the development of roads and railroads into the remote and economically challenged region that it would become more widely accepted as a popular destination for tourism. With the modern introduction of the automobile, it wasn’t long before a round-trip there could be accomplished over the course of a weekend. These factors, combined with the impressive scale and accessibility of its developed main passageways, its extensive historical significance as well as the diversity and splendor of its attractions, resulted in its establishment as the first internationally renowned commercial cave attraction in America.

First Shots Fired

By the 1920s profits from the privately-owned cave had soared, which sparked an economic war among the property owners dwelling in midst the cave-rich but opportunity-poor karst of Kentucky. Those having competing interests with the now world famous Mammoth Cave tried to attract a more equal share of the growing tourist market for their own personal benefit. Starting rather graciously at first with the mere placement of competing signage, their tactics became increasingly desperate; escalating from the destruction of road signs, to the burning of ticket booths, vandalism of competitor’s caves, and finally through the employment of locals dressed in cap and uniform so as to resemble policemen (hence their rather clever nickname, “cappers”). These hired vigilantes engaged in the practice of stopping and “warning” unwary travelers away from the more famous destination (due to “flooding” or any number of other excuses) and toward their own nearby attractions. This practice led at times to violent confrontations between the cave owners implementing and those who felt unfairly impacted by such tactics.

Meanwhile, many of these local landowners, likely inspired by the instrumental survey of Mammoth Cave by mining engineer Max Kamper (whose extensive above and below ground surveys led to the opening of alternate entrances to the system), and furthered by the widely distributed study of renowned French cave explorer Edward Alfred Martel (who had correctly hypothesized from barometric readings that Mammoth cave was connected to the nearby Salts and Colossal systems) continually searched theirs and their neighbor’s lands seeking alternative entrances to the extensive and more renowned Mammoth Cave System. They even resorted at times to the use of dynamite in a desperate attempt to gain such access through any compelling sinkhole or crevice found.

Descent Into History

Driven by precisely such incentive for profit, as well as his love and unique talent for such adventure, 37 year old locally-renowned spelunker William Floyd Collins (whose family already owned two such competing but remote destinations known as Crystal and Dead-Horse Caves) crawled into just such an obscure, seemingly dead-end entrance and entered into the history books. In his enthusiastic and dogged pursuit of this pressing goal, he had managed to defy the 5 fundamental rules of modern spelunking;

1. Don’t explore alone

2. Take more than one light source

3. Dress properly

4. Always wear a hard hat

5. Always tell someone of your plan and route

Floyd entered the mouth of the cave, removed his coat (so that it wouldn’t impede his movement), and then finished widening a rock-choked side passageway that he had already spent many long days clearing motivated by a financial arrangement he had made with the property owner. He then proceeded to descend feet-first into this narrow, twisting hand-dug passage. At the end of this 150 foot crawl he found himself on a small ledge that then further opened up below. He set a line, and rappelled down into this grotto chamber, conducting an initial exploration before attempting to return to the surface. Having now spent many long hours working and exploring underground, and with his kerosene lamp fuel now mostly spent, Floyd then hurried to get out of the cave before his only light source ran out completely. After working his way back up into his newly-created passageway and while trying to squeeze past the first of a series of tight spots containing a loose matrix composed of clay and sandstone, he knocked over his light, extinguishing it. In his now blind struggle to continue up the passage and out to safety, he then accidentally dislodged some of this compacted choke-stone causing a minor collapse; this included a small boulder that managed to become wedged in the ensuing rubble, pinning his foot fast. Now enshrouded in pitch darkness, unable to reach the boulder due to the constricting passage and the volume of debris that had accompanied it, Floyd had little option but to wait for help.

When he did not return home that evening and was still missing late the next morning, a group of locals, following a hunch, ventured out into nearby undeveloped caves where a local boy by the name of Jewell Estes eventually found him deep within the now aptly named Sand Cave, nearly 25 hours after his initial entrapment. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to reach him from the steadily growing throng of locals, Floyd’s brother Homer arrived on the scene from nearby Louisville (still wearing his “city clothes”-which had to be removed for the rescue attempt) and by sheer force of will was able to come within contact of his smaller sibling, also managing to bring some food and coffee to him. With the assurance that he was generally unharmed, still coherent, in relatively good spirits, and yet stuck fast, Homer soon returned with a crowbar and a renewed will of determination. Yet, after 8 hours of back-breaking effort, he had failed to successfully free his brother. Many of the gathered locals took turns trying their courage in the sinuous passage, but almost all turned back before their goal, vowing never to try again.

It wasn’t long, however, before another rather desperate rescue attempt was endeavored: a seemingly ill-conceived plan by a local lieutenant firefighter by the name of Robert Burton who proposed to simply pull him out through the use of brute force and a rope. It also failed. A boyhood friend and fellow caver by the name of Johnnie Gerald became another of the few rescuers to struggle down the squeeze and actually reach the stranded man, where he managed to widen the descending passage some and remove the loose debris up to Floyd’s knees. The tight confines and unstable section beyond allowed for little else; the passageway was just too demanding for most who attempted it, especially those whose instinct for self preservation wasn’t being overridden by concern for their friend or brother.

A True Media Spectacle

Word of the trapped caver had quickly spread through the region (driven in part by the open-call for rescuers), compelling a reporter from The Courier-Journal in Louisville by the name of William Burke “Skeets” Miller to arrive on the scene shortly after the initial contact and rescue attempt by Homer. Undoubtedly hoping to advantage himself of Mammoth Cave’s notoriety (as well as getting a great “scoop”), he clambered down into the dismal hole after receiving permission from Homer, where he was able to conduct the first of many interviews with the trapped spelunker. Being of smaller stature (and thus able to more easily negotiate the passage than his larger peers), he was another of the scant few who could manage the crawl down into the confined, claustrophobic passageway. His physical size also allowed him to clear much more of the earth from around the trapped man, and he was even able to expose the rock that acted as a leg-trap. Moved by sympathy as well as his growing relationship with the trapped man (further emboldened by hearty encouragement from brother Homer), he then attempted a lengthy, exhausting but largely unsuccessful attempt to jack the stone from Floyd’s foot, all while still acting as a relay between Floyd and the outside world. He would later receive a Pulitzer prize for his courageous efforts. Burden himself was quoted as stating the following in regards to ‘Skeets’ Miller’s participation:

“…Skeets Miller is one of the nerviest boys I ever saw, he not only deserves all the credit he has been given, but a whole lot more.”

High praise indeed coming from a man such as Burton.

The first “Skeets” Miller report was initially distributed to his editors by telegraph from the nearby Cave City. Upon first pressing, however, the story near-instantly captured the imagination of a general public, compelled by such sympathetic and honest human insight as detailed by the former sports reporter. No doubt a great part of its appeal was in the apparently unedited reproduction of the trapped man’s experience and feelings:

“…Monday was the day when strangers came back to me. I kept working around, whenever I felt strong enough, thinking I could twist myself free. But each time I could hear pebbles falling into the deep hole right behind me. It caused me to shudder. I kept thinking what would happen if the rock above me would fall. I kept trying to drive my mind to something else, but it wasn’t much use…I couldn’t do much to help those who came to help me, but I knew a lot of people were willing to do all in their power. This gave me courage…I want to tell everyone outside that I love every one of them and I’m happy because so many are trying to help me. Tell them I am not going to give up: that I am going to fight and be patient and never forget them. You go now, but don’t leave me too long. I want you with me and I will keep helping all I can to move some of this rock…”

Other regional outlets then shared such personalized reporting further enhanced with their own “spin.” The national media picked up the sensationalized story via the AP news service where it was carried by over 1200 newspapers across the country, each running attention grabbing headlines such as “DEATH RACE IN THE CAVE” and “COLLINS BURIED IN DEATH TRAP LEG TO BE CUT OFF” all of which contributed towards building the event into the nation’s first true “media spectacle.” Almost overnight the news was picked up and spread through the nation’s recent obsession with radio, where it began trending as something more akin to “national gossip.” Crowds of thrill seekers and reporters numbering in the tens of thousands soon joined rescuers in the region, quickly turning the scene into a carnival-like atmosphere. Food booths sprang up to feed the milling throng, moonshine was available for those feeling the need for a “nip,” and souvenir shops sold keepsakes and mementos of the event. Floyd’s ongoing plight became front-page headlines nationwide, as hourly bulletins interrupted scheduled radio broadcasts, and even Congress recessed early to hear of “the latest news from Kentucky.”

Floyd’s condition, in the meantime, had began to deteriorate. Although food and water were brought to him (even a light bulb was employed for a time to help keep him warm), he had begun to slowly succumb to exposure. The frantic and ill-planned initial attempts to clear the passage, as well as the earlier unregulated access of would-be rescuers (which led to Floyd insisting his kin-folk and Johnnie Gerald act as gatekeepers for any further rescue attempts), extracted its toll on the crumbling clay and sandstone passage, and within 5 days of his discovery it collapsed just up-slope of where the desperate caver lay. Meanwhile, A group of engineers and miners led by Henry St George Tucker Carmichael (a Superintendent at the Kentucky Rock Asphalt Company) had gathered on the scene and determined Floyd’s passageway to be “impassable” and “too dangerous.” After the tunnels collapse, Lieutenant Burden and Gerald, at the prompting of Carmichael, assembled a small crew and began once again clearing the narrow passageway and shoring up the crumbling cave walls. It was all for naught, as the deteriorating passage collapsed again, thus sealing the increasingly delirious and distraught Floyd from all but voice contact. It was around this time that the State of Kentucky officially assumed control of the scene, and the newly arrived rescue brigade endeavored an entirely new tactic to reestablish physical contact with Floyd: at the order of Lieutenant General H.H. Dernhardt, the digging of a rescue shaft was proposed to reach the larger chamber both behind and beneath Collins, with the hope to more readily access the collapse that pinned him, and then remove him via this route. Henry Carmichael and a select group of railroad workers, miners and engineers from the State Highway Commission were enlisted for the effort, but at the exclusion of local townspeople (which caused a great deal of resentment-especially among friends and family of the trapped man). ”Would they reach him in time? Would Floyd survive?” The spin-cycle continued to transfix the nation as the race against time continued.

A New Direction

No longer competing for access with paying curiosity seekers and the steady stream of wannabe rescuers (but woefully ignorant regarding the challenges awaiting them), their initial intention was to use state of the art equipment and heavy machinery for the task of digging the shaft. However, as most of the locals already knew, such an approach was simply not practical: after many precious hours of wasted effort, they ended up eventually resorting to the use of picks and shovels. Even so, the first ton of earth was removed rather quickly. However, at around 15 feet down they began hitting boulders, which then had to be carefully and painstakingly removed through the use of block and tackle. Progress soon slowed to around 6 inches an hour; then 4. Even the use of dynamite seemed offer little advantage. The weather turned foul: first bringing grey clouds and steady rain which then became snow flurries. Tarps were pitched over the pit to try reduce the chance of flooding and subsequent collapse, but workers in the pit ended up digging in frigid ankle-deep water, regardless.

Meanwhile, conspiracy theories began to circulate among those eager for any breaking news, and reporters on the scene began to spread such speculations. These cynics brashly declared that Floyd was not actually trapped, but rather, was perpetrating an elaborate hoax as a publicity stunt for the money such might bring. Alternatively, others believed it was instead the family delaying the rescue in order to cash in on the attention. Some even accused Johnnie Gerard (who worked in Real Estate) as having blocked the access of “wannabe” rescuers due to his alleged financial interest in Crystal Cave. Telegraphs attributed to Floyd Collins were even sent from abroad by those attempting to discredit the rescue (to what end exactly, it is hard to determine). All of these unsubstantiated rumors led to the formation of a state-sanctioned military Court of Inquiry held during the ongoing rescue attempt. Thanks to the compelling testimony of those involved, it concluded no “foul play” had actually occurred, but rather each participant’s actions were prompted by concern over Floyd’s safety, furthered by a general lack of trust between rescuers.

Eventually, after reaching the target depth of 55’ the vertical rescue shaft turned 90 degrees and began its slow but steady lateral progress towards where Floyd lay trapped. Even though the weak nature of the geology placed the rescuers in great danger (due to the continual threat of collapse) they pressed on, knowing this was realistically the last chance to reach and thereby free the trapped man. By the 14th day, with the tunnel crawling ever closer, the rescuers lost all voice contact with Floyd, and on the 18th day, a rescuer by the name of Ed Brenner finally reached the now lifeless body of the brave but foolhardy Floyd Collins (the coroner would later estimate he had been dead for approximately 3 days). Deciding it was simply too dangerous to continue digging for the extraction of a corpse, on February 17th the pit and crevice were back-filled while the Collins family conducted a solemn ceremony to say their farewells. With the tragic conclusion of the story now known (and thus the spectacle finally over), the crowds and venders at long last dispersed.

Two months later, at the insistence of Floyd’s brother Homer, 7 hired miners painstakingly removed the back-fill, and finally managed to recover Floyd (although the foot that had been the crux of his demise indeed had to be amputated to remove the body). He was buried in the family cemetery beneath a stalagmite for a headstone. The rock-imprinted boot that once adorned his foot, as well as the now infamous 27 lbs rock that was the catalyst for the event, were long displayed at a local museum. In 1927, the financially challenged family (despite rumors to the contrary, the family were not the ones that profited from the tragedy) sold their property and right of access to the soon renamed “Floyd Collins Crystal Cave” to a local dentist. Hoping to cash in on the increased notoriety after the local tourist economy crashed, the new owner exhumed Floyd’s body, encased it in a glass lidded coffin, and exhibited it within the cave as a tourist attraction. The Morbid gimmick worked: new visitors flocked to the cave, even while other caves in the area (including Mammoth) seemed to suffer a financial backlash from the tragedy. It seems the sensationalized publicity had the unanticipated effect of making the average tourist claustrophobic. Eventually the Collins property was purchased for inclusion within the National Park. They closed public access to Crystal Cave, and in 1989 they finally lay Floyd’s body to rest at the local Baptist church cemetery. Once just a modest man of only local renown, the inscription upon his tombstone (with no trace of irony) reads “The Greatest Cave Explorer Ever Known”.

The Passage From Private to Public

Starting in 1924, wealthy citizens of the area had already begun buying up all the regionally known cave-rich property they could acquire. By 1926, prompted in part by the exposure generated by the event (and facilitated by the profits from it, no doubt) they then jointly formed the Mammoth Cave National Park Association, and increased their acquisition of land in order to expand its boundaries: such purchases resulted in the forced removal of thousands of poorer local residents (some 27,402 acres of land had been acquired through such means by 1936) creating an acrimony which still exists within some regional families today. After reaching the 45,310 acres required for National Park Status, the area was officially recognized by the Secretary of the Interior, and dedicated as such on July 1, 1941.

Although both Crystal and Onyx caves had remained privately owned and thus still outside of the park’s boundary, continued explorations throughout the 1950s suggested that they also linked into Mammoth. In 1961 they too were purchased for inclusion within the National Park, thereby increasing its size to over 52,000 acres. Such speculation was finally resolved in 1972 during an extensive expedition within the Flint Ridge System by The Cave Research Foundation, when the connection was made between the Flint and Mammoth Ridges and the 144.4 miles and 14 separate entrances were at long last linked into one continuous cave system. Further discoveries continued into the next millennia, with many of the nearby regional systems following the now familiar pattern of first becoming linked with each other, and then to Mammoth, which incrementally pushed its total known length to over 400 miles (or 640 km) of continuous passageways; officially making it the undisputed “world’s longest cave.” Two other systems in the region still remain separated today, but are compellingly close: the Fisher Ridge (125 miles of passage) and Martin Ridge (34 miles) systems are continually being explored by a new generation of avid spelunkers, ever eager to be the first to prove their linkage as well with that of Flint/Mammoth. Sand cave, however still remains the exception: by the 1980s its entrance had been sealed with a steel gate, barring any further entry.

In light of such available evidence, perhaps one must now consider with due irony the Cave Wars of the early 20th century: all the theatrics, vandalism, and violence (not to mention the deaths of countless intrepid spelunkers such as Floyd Collins) were all just disputes of ownership over different access locations to the exact same cave system!

Sources:

• ”The Longest Cave” Roger W. Brucker, Richard A “Red” Watson (Brucker and Watson 1976), New York: Knopf

• ”Trapped: the Story of Floyd Collins” Roger W. Brucker, Robert K. Murray (Brucker and Murray 1983), University of Kentucky Press

  …other works by Roger W Brucker:

• “Grand, Gloomy, and Peculiar: Stephen Bishop at Mammoth Cave” Roger W Brucker (2009), Cave Books

• “Beyond Mammoth Cave: A Tale of Obsession in the World’s Longest Cave” James D Borden and Roger W Brucker (Borden and Brucker 2000), Carbondale and Edwardsville Illinois: Southern University Press

• “The Caves Beyond: The Story of the Floyd Collins Crystal Cave Expedition” Joe Lawrence Jr, Roger W Brucker (Lawrence and Brucker 1955), New York Funk and Wagnalls

For visitors’ information see The National Park Service/Mammoth Cave National Park website: https://www.nps.gov/maca/index.htm

Special thanks to: The Louisville Courier Journal Archive: https://courier-journal.newspapers.com/

Kirk Torren Smith

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