Floyd Collins
Floyd Collins | |
---|---|
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky | |
Known for | Cave exploration in Central Kentucky; being trapped in Sand Cave and dying before a rescue party could get to him |
William Floyd Collins (July 20, 1887[a] – c. February 13, 1925) was an American cave explorer, principally in a region of Kentucky that houses hundreds of miles of interconnected caves, today a part of Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest known cave system in the world.
During the early 20th century, in an era known as the
On January 30, 1925, while working to enlarge the small passage in Sand Cave, Collins became trapped in a narrow crawlway 55 feet (17 m) below ground. The rescue operation to save him became a national
Although Collins was unknown publicly for most of his lifetime, the fame he gained from the rescue efforts and his death resulted in him being memorialized on his tombstone as the "Greatest Cave Explorer Ever Known".[2]
Early life
William Floyd Collins was born on July 20, 1887,
Great Crystal Cave
In September 1917, while climbing up a
Sand Cave – 1925 incident
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2017) |
Collins' initial venture and entrapment
Collins hoped to find either another entrance to the Mammoth Cave or an unknown cave along the road to Mammoth Cave in order to draw more visitors and reap greater profits. He made an agreement with three farmers who owned land closer to the main highway. If he found a cave, they would form a business partnership and share in the responsibilities of operating the ensuing tourist attraction. Working alone, Collins explored and expanded a hole within three weeks that would later be called "Sand Cave" by the news media. Collins managed to squeeze through several narrow passageways, one of which was reported as being no larger than 9" tall, and claimed he had discovered a large grotto chamber, though its existence was never verified. He worked on creating a more practical entrance to the grotto for several hours a day and weeks on end in order to make it more accessible to tourists. On January 30, 1925, after several hours of work, his gas lamp began to dim. He attempted to leave the passage quickly, before losing all light to the chamber, but became trapped in a small passage on his way out. Collins accidentally knocked over his lamp, putting out the light, leading to misplacement of his foot on what seemed to be a stable wall of the cave. The passage shifted, and he was caught by a 26.5-pound (12.0 kg) rock that fell from the cave ceiling, pinning his left leg; additionally, torrents of loose gravel fell and completely buried his body. He was trapped 150 feet (46 m) from the entrance.
Discovery and rescue efforts
Neighbors began to worry for Floyd the next day, and sought out to find him. Though none of them were brave enough to take on the smaller passages it took to reach Collins, they were able to get close enough to communicate with him and learn he was trapped. His younger brother Homer was soon phoned to the scene, and was the only person able to make it through the small passages to get to Floyd before reporter Skeets Miller, Lieutenant Robert Burdon of the Louisville Fire Department, and family friend Johnnie Gerald crossed the boundary in the coming days. Homer brought Floyd food and liquids to retain his energy, and many ideas were thought up by locals and tourists alike as techniques to get Floyd out of the cave. On February 2, 1925, a plan was devised to hoist Collins from the cave using a harness, rope, and the strength of multiple men. This attempt failed and it injured Collins, pulling his torso directly upwards and against the ceiling of rock above him. Rescuers ultimately decided the best way to get him out was to dig out each rock that surrounded him and leverage the large rock off his foot.
Eventually, an electric light was run down the passage to provide him lighting and some warmth. Due to the attention the disaster gained, hundreds of inexperienced cave explorers and tourists stood outside the mouth of the cave. The cool winter air caused them to light campfires that disrupted the natural ice within Sand Cave, causing it to melt and create puddles of cool water; one of which Floyd himself lay in. On February 4, the cave passage collapsed in two places due to the ice melting. Attempts were made to dig the passages that led to Floyd back out, but rescue leaders, led by Henry St. George Tucker Carmichael, determined the cave impassable and too dangerous, which brought the decision to dig a shaft straight down to reach the chamber behind Collins.[10] Collins survived for more than a week while rescue efforts were organized. The cave drew air inward, meaning no engineered equipment could be used to dig into the cave, as the fumes would suffocate Collins in the process. A 55-foot (17 m) shaft would have to be dug downwards with nothing but pickaxes and shovels. It was estimated that the team of 75 volunteer workers would be able to dig this shaft within 30 hours, at a rate of 2 feet (0.61 m) per hour. The first ton of dirt moved efficiently, though around 10 feet (3.0 m), the shaft became so narrow only two men could work at a time. By 15 feet (4.6 m), workers hit boulders under the surface and began to use pickaxes. A series of pulley systems were used to remove rocks from the hole, but the pace of work slowed as they dug nearer to Collins. A radio amplifier had been jerry-rigged to the copper wire that connected Collins's light bulb. A scientist believed the amplifier could detect vibrations whenever Collins moved. The amplifier crackled 20 times every minute, a hopeful sign that Collins might be breathing.
Collins' death
On February 11, 1925, tests showed that Collins' light bulb had gone out, meaning there was no way to tell if he was still alive. The 55-foot (17 m) shaft and subsequent lateral tunnel intersected the cave just above Collins, but when he was finally reached on Monday, February 16, by miner Ed Brenner, he was "cold and apparently dead."[11][6] Having been appointed as the members of a coroner's jury, Floyd's friend, Johnnie Gerald, and a few other acquaintances of Floyd were allowed to go into the lateral tunnel and positively identify the body. Dr. William Hazlett and Captain C.E. Francis, a National Guard medical officer, were then unsuccessful in an attempt to reach the body, but Brenner went in front of them to the body and was able to follow their examination instructions for the official death declaration to be made.[11] It was estimated Floyd had been dead for three to five days,[6] with February 13 being the most likely date of death.[12]
Media attention
Newspaper reporter
Burials and exhibition of body
With Collins's body remaining in the cave, funeral services were held on the surface. Homer Collins was not pleased with Sand Cave as his brother's grave, and two months later, he and some friends reopened the shaft. They dug a new tunnel to the opposite side of the cave passage and recovered Floyd Collins' remains on April 23, 1925. and tombstone from the cave.
Legacy
The story is referenced in the 1951 film Ace in the Hole starring Kirk Douglas.
Collins' life and death inspired the musical Floyd Collins by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau,[17] as well as one film documentary, several books, a museum and many short songs.
In 2006, actor Billy Bob Thornton optioned the film rights to Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins and a screenplay was adapted by Thornton's writing partner, Tom Epperson. However, Thornton's option expired and the film rights were acquired by producer Peter R. J. Deyell in 2011.[18]
Fiddlin' John Carson and Vernon Dalhart recorded "The Death of Floyd Collins" in 1925.[19]
John Prine and Mac Wiseman recorded "Death of Floyd Collins" on their 2007 album Standard Songs for Average People.
Black Stone Cherry recorded "Ghost of Floyd Collins" for their 2008 album Folklore and Superstition.
See also
- Moose River Disaster, mine cave-in covered extensively on radio in 1936
Notes
References
- ^ "Cave Wars - Mammoth Cave National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- ^ Murray & Brucker (2013), p. 235.
- ^ Murray & Brucker (2013), p. 306.
- ^ Murray & Brucker (2013), pp. 40–41.
- ^ Collins & Lehrberger (2005), p. 20.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4396-5950-2. [page needed]
- ^ Collins & Lehrberger (2005), pp. 69–71.
- ^ Collins & Lehrberger (2005), p. 81.
- ^ Collins & Lehrberger (2005), pp. 87–88.
- ^ a b Collins & Lehrberger (2005), p. 196.
- ^ Murray & Brucker (2013), p. 213.
- ^
- ISBN 978-0-87259-001-4
- ^ Collins & Lehrberger (2005), p. 201.
- ^
- ^ "Floyd Collins Book Acquired by Producer Peter R.J. Deyell". Broadway World. April 26, 2011. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ "The Death of Floyd Collins (Edison Blue Amberol: 5049)". 1925. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
Works cited
- Collins, Homer; (as told to) Lehrberger, John (2005). The Life and Death of Floyd Collins. St. Louis: Cave Books. ISBN 0-939748-47-9.
- Murray, Robert K.; Brucker, Roger W. (2013). Trapped!: The Story of Floyd Collins (Revised ed.). The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-399-12373-3.]
Further reading
- Lesy, Michael (October 1976). "Dark Carnival: The Death and Transfiguration of Floyd Collins". American Heritage. Vol. 27, no. 6. pp. 34–45.
- Reilly, Lucas (July 13, 2018). "The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023.