FROM A HOLE IN THE GROUND by Jim Jacobs
Well, here we go again! Another year, another set of new year’s resolution to wrestle with. Here are some possibilities. (Haven’t settled on all of them yet).
The REALLY BIG news is that we now meet on the SECOND FRIDAY of each month, NOT the FOURTH FRIDAY. PLEASE mark your calendars. Our next meeting is JANUARY 12th. I have high hopes that this change will help improve our meeting attendance. On that note, if anyone has any suggestions, please forward them to anyone on the Board, or voice them at a meeting. If it’s ideas for activities that you would like to participate in, or after-meeting programs or whatever…the NNG is your grotto. Unlike some that I’ve heard about (and read about), we have a friendly, family-oriented group which is not splintered into bickering factions, fighting for power.
Speaking about how the NNG is governed, the elections are over for another year, and here is your Executive Board for the year 2001:
President: Julie Angel, for a second term.
Vice President: John Schirle. This is John’s first turn as an officer. Welcome aboard, John!
Secretary: Jim Jacobs. Welcome to my life…
Treasurer: Dave Carson is re-elected.
Board Member at-large: Marc Tiritilli. Another newbie officer. (albeit a well-qualified one)
Due to the short turn-around time caused by the shift from the fourth Friday to the second Friday, the holidays, and the fact that the weather cut down on our caving, this issue of the NEWS will be rather sparse. In other words, there just hasn’t been much news. It’s no surprise to anyone that putting the Near Normal News together is a lot of work, and it takes quite a few people to make it happen six times a year. I’d just like to take a minute and mention some of those who have gone "over and above" in shouldering a large share of the load for this past year. Folks, we couldn’t do it without you, and you have all my thanks.
Brian Braye – Brian is co-editor. He takes the computer text files that I send to him along with the pictures and molds them into a finished product. Such composition and layout is right up his alley, and he does a great job. Then he prints the final product and takes it to the printers. When they’re printed, he folds and tapes them, adds the address labels and return address stamp, takes them to the post office, and puts the stamps on about fifty copies.
Dave Carson – Dave maintains the membership list, and the mailing list. He also provides Brian with the mailing labels.
Troy J. Simpson – Over the last year, Troy contributed six articles, and produced the first index, which is reprinted in this issue. We hope to produce a comprehensive index of the NNN to date. When it’s ready, we’ll make a copy available to everyone who wants one.
Steve Taylor – Steve also authored six articles independently, and co-authored another.
Julie Angel – Julie, our esteemed President, wrote four "Echoes from the President" columns, even with the time-consuming family obligations that she was dealing with. Norm Rogers, Lara Storm, Marc Tiritilli and Jeff Walaszek all contributed two articles each. Dave Carson, John Marquart, Earl Neller, Beth Reinke, and John Schirle each wrote an article. Of course, John Marquart has been one of the main contributors to the NNN over the years, and has authored many articles, some of which have been widely reprinted in a variety of forums. This last year or so, he has been kept very busy with his talks on the chemistry of caves for the American Chemical Society. Thanks again to all!
NNG’s challenges for the new year:
MINUTES OF THE MEETING - December 1, 2000
Called to order at 7:20pm by President Julie Angel. Present: Don Coons, Steve Taylor, Jim Jacobs, Dave Carson, Angie Carson (and Matthew), Marc Tiritilli, Brett and Annie Bennett, Troy J. Simpson, Ralph Sawyer, Troy Odgers (visitor).
Introductions.
OFFICER REPORTS:
Treasurer’s report: Dave Carson states that he just moved, and his computer is still packed up. He will deliver a proper report for the next issue of the NEWS, or by the January meeting at the latest. In the interim, he reports only an expenditure of $44.00 to rent our PO box for another year.
Secretary’s report: The previous meeting minutes were approved with the following correction: There was an expenditure of $85.00 (lawyer fee) for the "preparation of reports", but the money did not come from the grotto treasury. The fee was covered by donations from members.
Executive Board Meeting: An emergency board meeting was held in December via email. As a result of research done by Brian Bray, we learned that another Friday was available at the bank this year. Jim Jacobs formally proposed that we change our meeting schedule. As a result, WE VOTED TO MOVE GROTTO MEETINGS FROM THE FOURTH FRIDAY OF THE MONTH TO THE SECOND FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH. This will enable us to avoid conflicts with holidays like Memorial Day and Thanksgiving. This information was conveyed to the membership and met with general approval.
OLD BUSINESS:
Brett Bennett reported on the ISS meeting. They discussed mapping software, and the fact that there is a large backlog of unentered data. There will be a cleanup of Stempler Sinkhole (near Illinois Caverns) the week of April 14-15. The meeting will be at Kahokia Mounds. Grotto patches are available (only $3.00 ea.)
ELECTIONS: We voted on the Board for the new year with the following results; Julie Angel was re-elected as President, John Schirle was elected as Vice President, Jim Jacobs retained as Secretary, Dave Carson as Treasurer, and Marc Tiritilli became our new Board Member-at-Large. Congratulations to all (except me).
NEW BUSINESS:
We discussed the fact of our declining membership. We now have 31 members, down from just over 50 a couple of years ago. 31 members is NOT bad for a grotto 3-4 hours from the nearest cave. Don C. mentioned that we have more active members than many grottos in the heart of cave country. Jim J. went over an old membership list and noted that most of the "missing members" are people who have moved away. Some were Mark Twain Grotto members who were carried on our member roles as a courtesy. We no longer do this, although we still keep in contact with the MTG and schedule common activities whenever possible. There were a few who joined and we never heard from them again. The general consensus of the discussion is that we need to plan more activities, and do more to alert the community to our presence. As a result of this, Troy S. and Jim J. proposed to create a one-page brochure to hand out which would give interested people information about us and what we do, along with contact information. This brochure could be placed at appropriate places like the ISU Outdoor Program Office, and perhaps Wild Country, Upper Limits etc.
Don Coons is Treasurer of the new Karst Conservancy of Ill. There are 300 or so caves in Illinois, few of which are managed. The idea is to conserve these resources by leasing entrances, accepting donations or buying caves, and eventually turning them over to the State of Illinois as nature preserves. They are just in the process of raising initial funds now. They are in the process of closing on their first purchase very soon. DONATIONS ACCEPTED. The K.C.I has tax-free, non-profit status, so donations are tax-deductible. Contact Don for further information.
TRIP REPORTS: Brett B. went to Illinois Caverns with seven people, including Troy S. and Val Stuart. Don Coons visited many lava tube caves in Hawaii. Adjourned. To Tobin’s for pizza!
Respectfully submitted,
Jim Jacobs, Secretary
ILLINOIS CAVERNS: A STORY OF TIME - Troy J. Simpson
I was challenged by the problem of coming up with yet another trip report on Illinois Caverns. I guess that is a good problem, because that means that I have actually done some caving. I have found with each trip, I have become more aware with the details and features of the caverns and the story that they tell. This is just a segment of that story.
Our journey begins, of course, at the entrance of Illinois Caverns. It is one of many that allow the elements to reach into the subterranean. As you clamor down the steep stairwell, you enter a world formed by dissolution, erosion, and deposition. You take a right and follow the knee-deep stream that is only a ghost of the torrent that once formed this passage. As the stream begins to narrow, you stop and take look up at the ceiling expecting to find the "life-line," the crack which caverns get their start. Instead you find an incised stream channel that is less than a foot wide and meanders along the ceiling like a stretched out snake. This trench engraved into the ceiling is a peek into what Illinois Caverns once was. A stream passage of a matter of inches in height, the water trying to cut and dissolve its way through the limestone. The stream began creating graceful curves as it meandered laterally unable to move upwards through the more resistant rock above. Patiently the stream created this channel until an easier path could be discovered. The stream's patience is rewarded as a crack is found in the limestone below the channel. The stream slowly begins its work downward, taking advantage of the newfound weakness in the limestone. Occasionally a layer of resistant chert would cause the stream to return to its meandering ways, but eventually it finds a way to overcome the barrier and enlarge the passage.
Continuing through the caverns, you pass through areas which have elaborate flowstones mimicking waterfalls frozen in time. Reaching the "T" Junction, you take a left and continue your journey into the depths. The passage has widened and you notice definite differences in the limestone. Some areas have limestone nearing shear faces, others creating gentle slopes, and others yet leaving overhanging ledges. One particular overhang sticks out over the stream passage on the right side. Taking a closer look, it appears to be a flowstone that has abruptly ended 5 feet above the stream bed. A peculiar feature, in that the base of the flowstone is nearly parallel to the floor, as if someone neatly trimmed it. You go underneath to investigate and note the dozens of rings that line the underside of the flowstone. If you didn't know any better, you would think you were looking at the rings of tree trunk slice. Each ring represents a time when mineral saturated water could no longer move and had to release its burden of calcium carbonate. The flowstone continued to follow gravity's lead, expanding outward once it reached the soft limestone below. Soon the stream had cut into the once confining streambed, exposing the underside of the flowstone. As the water dissolved the bed, it lapped up on the belly of the flowstone creating the dimples that give the rings a Braille-like feel. You soon realize that you are in fact standing in what was once 5 feet of rock and sediment, erased away by the moving stream.
Walking through the caverns, you notice a strange rippled effect on a number of rocks. Assuming it is the stream continuing its work on the caverns, you continue on. Approaching the breakdown passage, beyond the chimney domes, you reach a ledge overlooking the stream below. You look up and notice several jagged objects protruding from the ceiling. Upon closer examination, you notice they resemble tiny horns no larger than an inch in length. Nearby is a series of imbedded "Cheerio-like" objects leading to a small feature that appears to be a flower. The flower would fit on a 3-inch square, with a half dozen arms leading from its base. You ask yourself if these are remains of creatures that once lived in the caverns. No, they are a reminder of a time, before the stream had took to its endeavor of creating this marvel underneath. They are remnants of a time when ancient seas once covered the landscape. The horns are all that remains of tiny solitary corals that once used their tentacles to capture prey. The flower is the business end of a crinoid. Its arms once swept the ocean waves to filter out food. The "Cheerios" are the broken stem that was used to anchor the crinoid to the sea floor. Their calcite rich bodies now become the contributing component to the creation of the limestone that surrounds you. You quickly remember the ripples you saw on the rocks earlier. They were not creations of the stream, but creations of the ocean waves moving across the ancient shore. The stream that now forms the caverns is merely picking up where the sea left off. As you climb up the stairs towards the surface, you can only wonder what segment of the story Illinois Caverns will tell you next time.
Guidelines for Image Submission - by Brian Braye
I have been receiving some great caving photos for the Newsletter,
but I feel we need to set some guidelines so that we are able to have quality
images on the printed page. High quality printers need a higher quality image
than you need for computer screen viewing. The cover photo needs to be of
a certain quality because it will be run larger than most inside photos, and
it needs to be a highlight for the issue. Therefore, I am putting forth some
possible criteria for submitted images. If an image is submitted in support
of a written article, and would most likely appear on the inside, the image
should be a grayscale (color removed) image of around 3 X 4 inches (vertical
or horizontal) and have a resolution of at least 200 ppi. If the file is a
TIFF file, it will be about 469K. If it is JPEGed, the file will be smaller,
but try to keep the compression to a minimum (higher quality) in case the
image needs to be enlarged for a special publication need. For a cover photo,
the image should be a grayscale image at least 5 X 7 inches with a resolution
of at least 200 ppi. This will result in a file of around 1.34 M. This file
could be a TIFF with LZW compression, to make it smaller, or JPEGed with quality
in mind. The most important thing to remember now is, the file should be converted
to grayscale. This will reduce the file size down to a third of the original,
and since the NNN is not printed in color (yet), we do not need the color
files. One possible problem is my e-mail at the university. It will truncate
(read ruin) files that are over 1 M, so if you are sending multiple images,
they need to be on separate mailings. Keep up the good work of submitting
those great shots, and if you have to send a file that is in color, or less
than ideal
resolution, go ahead, I will do the best I can with it and publish it if possible.
Thanks for your support.
Brian