Jim Jacobs
ATTENTION! ATTENTION! The dates of the next TWO meetings have been moved. The next meeting will be postponed to JUNE 2nd to avoid the Memorial Day weekend. The JUNE meeting will take place on JUNE 30th! So all of you who are going to Kentucky Speleofest, go on and have a ball, and come to the meeting with tall tales to tell, and pictures to show.
I write this column with a bit of sadness. Due to a series of out-of-state bowling tournaments, I'm about to miss my first-ever NNG meeting. And my second. I know that the grotto will get along just fine without me for the month of June, but it's going to be a little tough for me to not be there. Oh well, I guess you can't have everything. Where would you put it?
The BIG news is that for the first time in my knowledge, there will be a Basic Cave Rescue Orientation Course in OUR BACK YARD! The National Cave Rescue Commission and the Windy City Grotto will be hosting a cave rescue training June 9, 10, & 11 in Waterloo, Illinois and Illinois Caverns. This is an experience that no caver should miss. Usually, they are given in West Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia or some other far-flung place that's difficult for us to reach. As far as I know, of NNG members, only John Marquart and Don Coons have done this. I have extra forms. It may be a long time before an NCRC course is given this close to us. Take advantage of it! Registration is only $25.00, and if you want to camp, you can do it free on Armin Krueger's land. Lunch on Saturday and Sunday is also included.
COPY THESE PHONE NUMBERS AND KEEP THEM WITH YOU WHEN YOU'RE CAVING:
NCRC Central Region (MO, IL, IN): 800-851-3051
Indiana State Police (Bloomington): (812) 332-4411
Well, the Smittle trip has come and gone, and as usual, we had a fine time in spite of the crappy weather. Rain and cold dampened our spirits at the end, but what would a camping trip be without soggy underwear? Details and pictures later in this issue.
Our permit for the Blackball Mine has been obtained by John Marquart. I'm sure that some trips will be planned soon, so contact either John or Don Coons. Yes, Don is back from a long, hard winter of caving, this time in Borneo. While there, he was able to visit the Sarawak (Good Luck) cave and the largest known cave room in the world. Being a farmer, he describes the Sarawak chamber as "40 acres, all under one roof". Sports-minded people note that this chamber could enclose something like 17 football fields. Near the center of this room, he was unable to see a wall or the roof, even though he had brought a powerful light because of the room's size. BIG!
For the InterNet'rs in the group, the NSS now has an email address; NSS@caves.org.
IN THIS ISSUE:
*Should you use fabric softener when you wash your rope? LOUI CLEM, of PMI gives us the straight scoop!
*Two simultaneous rescues at Bloomington, Indiana are described by the rescue coordinator, ANMAR MIRZA. Follow-up on the media's handling of the incidents is provided by BRUCE BOWMAN.
*We've all heard this question from non-cavers. "What happens if there is an earthquake while you're in a cave?" First-hand accounts are provided by DAVID MCCLURG, HAL LOVE, and SCOTT LINN.
*MARK MCGIMSEY, of the Missouri Department of Conservation discusses last year's gray bat count. (reprinted from FORESIGHT, newsletter of the Chouteau Grotto, MO)
*Correspondence from BCI's DAN TAYLOR illustrate how agency cooperation brought about by JOHN MARQUART has brought the Blackball Mine project to full speed ahead.
*STEVE HOLMES's account of the world's longest rappell from Mt. Thor, on Baffin Island, Canada, is herein reprinted from the 1983 CANADIAN CAVER, issue 15.
*On the lighter side, FRANK REID tells us how to "get our picture on the cover of the NNS News", instead of the Rolling Stone.
*Should we remove old wood from caves? It appears that WILLIAM R. ELLIOT would take issue with one of our Mammoth Cave projects.
*JIM JACOBS describes the fun at our cave-in/camp-out at Smittle Cave. (Includes the world's largest carbide cap lamp.)
*Ordering information on the new WILDERNESS MEDICAL SOCIETY PRACTICE GUIDELINES is made available by Keith Conover, M.D.
In the past few months, NNN Science Editor, John Marquart has been practicing his own brand of "shuttle diplomacy" by opening up communications with and fostering cooperation between the NNG and agencies such as Bat Conservation International, Illinois AML, and the Illinois Department of Conservation with the aim of protecting the endangered Indiana Bats at the Blackball Mine. As you may remember, our permit to visit the mine was delayed for a little while last year, because of misunderstandings regarding our role and intentions regarding the site. Figuring in this crazy quilt of rules and state regulations were recommendations contained in the "Recovery Plan For the Indiana Bat", which was authored in large part by bat experts who also happen to be members of BCI. Fortunately for us, John possesses the professional credentials, and the diplomatic skills to open up lines of communication and cooperation with these agencies, and we now have allies instead of adversaries in this project, as evidenced by this reprinted correspondence from Dan Taylor, North American Bats & Mines Project Director of Bat Conservation International. Prior to John's efforts, these agencies had little to no communication and neither knew the NNG "from a hole in the ground". [pun intended] These three letters provide a clear picture of splendid agency cooperation in a worthwhile project, and that the reputation of the NNG has soared in very important and influential circles.
John R. Marquart
Department of Chemistry
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL
Dear John,
Thanks for sending the information from the Illinois Natural History Survey. It is certainly good news that additional hibernacula have been identified for the Indiana bat. I am sure that the best measures to protect these sites will be determined by the local conservation organizations responsible for their management, and of course Bat Conservation International is always willing to provide whatever assistance we can.
At this time, we will continue to focus our efforts on the Blackball, given the potential for disturbance to its bats, and the overall number and diversity of bats. However, it certainly seems that there are several additional sites that may need protection (and perhaps other yet to be discovered), and I will try to contact the federal and state agencies involved in the management of lands with both abandoned mines and caves to check on the status of their protection efforts (see enclosed letter). Perhaps there will be need for a more coordinated statewide effort on mine assessment and bat conservation. Please keep me informed of any additional information you obtain in Illinois' bat hibernacula that may help with our conservation efforts.
As requested, I have enclosed an additional copy of our "Bats and Mines" Resource Publication, let me know if you need any additional copies. I will wait to hear back from Bill Glass before taking any additional action regarding the Blackball Mine. Thanks again to you and the Near Normal Grotto for bringing the Blackball Mine project to the forefront of bat conservation efforts, and we look forward to working with you to conserve Illinois bats.
Sincerely,
Dan Taylor
***
William D. Glass
Natural Heritage Biologist
Division of Natural Heritage
100 First National Bank Plaza
Suite 10, Chicago Heights, IL 60411
Dear Bill,
Thank you for the letter and information you provided on the Blackball/Pecumsaugan Mines Nature Preserve and hibernaculum. This information and the previous information and photos provided by John Marquart of the Near Normal Grotto provide a clear picture of the importance of the site, and the steps necessary to ensure its protection. In addition to the threat of direct vandalism, even unintentional human disturbance can greatly impact hibernating bat populations. In almost every case that we know of where large hibernacula have been gated, properly, bat numbers have increased significantly.
BCI agrees with your assessment that the initial protection efforts should be directed at the lower level of the North Blackball Mine, as that would ensure immediate protection for the majority of the site's bats, including all of the endangered Indiana bats. Of course, it would be desirable to eventually secure the upper entrances as well, and this could be evaluated as part of the overall protection plan. Depending on bat use and airflow, some of the upper entrances may be able to be closed by means other than bat gates.
As requested, I have enclosed two copies of our "Bats and Mines" Resource Publication, and the information on remote temperature recording devices. The Resource Publication will provide a good overview on the environmental dynamics that make the Blackball Mine such an excellent hibernation site. It also contains excellent information on gating considerations and designs. Let me know if you need any additional copies. I mentioned the Blackball Mine situation to Roy Powers of the American Cave Conservation Association. Roy is the country's leading gate designer and builder, and indicated that he would be interested in assisting in protection efforts for the Blackball if the opportunity arises.
BCI commends the Illinois Department of Conservation for its foresight in designating the Blackball/Pecumsaugan as a Nature Preserve, and looks forward to assisting the Department and its partners in providing additional protection for this important site.
(signed) Dan Taylor
***
Bob Gibson
Illinois AML
102 W. High
Edwardsville, IL 62025
Dear Bob,
After last fall's AML meeting in Utah, and before the "Bats and Mines" Resource Publication was printed, I was contacted by a caving organization ("grotto") from Illinois regarding the old Blackball Mine near La Salle. In addition to being an important cultural resource, the Blackball Mine is also the largest bat hibernating site in the state, housing over 24,000 bats representing at least 5 different species (including the endangered Indiana bat). Fortunately, the site is on land the state has protected as a nature preserve, however, its proximity to a National Park Service recreational corridor and human inhabitation make it highly vulnerable to disturbance.
We have recently begun exploring the possibility of a cooperative effort to increase protection for the bats at the mine (see enclosed), and wanted to inform your agency, given their role and responsibility for abandoned mine management in Illinois. At this point, Mr. Bill Glass from the State Division of Natural Heritage is exploring the best possible way to proceed with a protection project, and would be a good contact for more information. Given your department's expertise' and jurisdiction in mine land management, I would assume that they would be interested in being informed of or cooperating in any project involving Illinois' abandoned mine lands.
From information I have obtained from the Inactive and Abandoned Noncoal Mines Scoping study (for the Western Governors' Association Mine Waste Task Force), the Illinois Natural History Survey, the Shawnee National Forest, and the United Stated Bureau of Mines, it appears that there are several additional abandoned mine sites in Illinois that are extremely important to bats.
As stated in the enclosed letter to participants at the Utah AML meeting, Bat Conservation International can provide additional information on mine closure methods that protect both bats and people, and training on assessing abandoned mines for their importance to bats.
Let me know if there is any additional information we can provide your department. I imagine your office will be contacted by the appropriate state agency regarding plans for protecting the Blackball Mine, and I will keep you informed of any additional developments regarding abandoned mine reclamation and bat conservation that we hear of or are planning in your state (we have active M.O.U.'s with the USFS and the USBM).
We would be interested in knowing more about your departments AML program relative to abandoned mine closures and bat conservation, and about any reclamation projects you have planned that could allow for the integration of bat conservation measures. Thank you for your interest in and support of bat conservation, we look forward to hearing from you.
(signed) Dan Taylor
There has been quite a bit of conflicting information in respectable publications regarding the question: "When you wash your rope, should you use fabric softener?" Different editions of "On Rope" have come down on both sides of this question, while other sources I have consulted seem pretty well evenly divided. Alex Sproul of Inner Mountain Outfitters decided to ask a representative of one of the caving rope manufacturers, and was kind enough to forward the reply to the Caver's Digest.
"My name is Loui Clem and I work for Steve Hudson [CEO] at PMI [Pigeon Mountain Industries]. At PMI, my primary function is Standards and Technical Development. I work closely with NFPA, ASTM, ANSI, and the other organizations which plague us with requirements on how to do things, and I try to keep us (and our customers!) out of trouble in that regard. I come from a climbing background, with 12 years of mountain rescue experience and five years of running Alpine Center for Rescue Studies, a non-profit research and testing lab in Colorado. With that said, the short answer to your question is: YES. You're absolutely right. A little fabric softener added to the water when you're laundering your ropes is a good thing and will help. Bruce Smith did the most definitive work on this some years ago (like 10 or 15!) but our work shows that his premise still holds true. However, a little is much more desirable than a lot! "It's best to follow the directions on the fabric softener and just treat it as a load of laundry. If you want to fudge, fudge on the light side rather than going heavy. Dousing your Rope with fabric softener will deteriorate it and cause it to rot, much the same as it would your underwear if you overdosed it. "As for the washing machine... sure, go ahead and toss your rope in just like you always have. Using the gentle cycle helps avoid the spaghetti thing and using a front load machine is even better." DISCLAIMER Unless otherwise noted, the information contained herein is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of PMI or PETZL equipment.
mmcgimse@bigcat.missouri.edu
Population declines of gray bats have been significant enough that they are listed as a federally endangered species. From June through November of 1994, the Missouri Department of Conservation conducted a survey of caves that have been used historically by gray bats but were not surveyed in recent years. Recent trends indicate that gray bat populations have increased in Missouri, so there was a chance that historic caves were seeing new use.
The primary objectives of this study were to (1) survey caves that historically have been used, (2) estimate population sizes of summer colonies, (3) record observations of evidence of previous population levels of gray bats, and (4) estimate frequency and levels of human activities which could lower cave utilization by endangered bat colonies.
Estimates of current population size of summer colonies were made by direct observation of bat clusters, or measurement of fresh guano deposits. Fresh guano can be distinguished by high moisture content, pungent odor, and shiny appearance. Approximately 170 gray bats occupy each square foot of cluster space. By multiplying 170 by the area of fresh guano, a close approximation of colony size is obtained. Estimates of past population size of gray bat summer colonies were made by measuring the area of the largest continuous ceiling stain or old guano deposit. This method is based on the assumption that a solid cluster of bats occupied the stain area over the old guano deposit. This estimate results in a maximum past population estimate.
Surveys were conducted at 66 gray bat caves. Thirty-nine caves housing summer bat colonies were confirmed by the presence of bats or fresh guano deposits. Twenty-two caves contained gray bats, 14 contained fresh guano, and in three caves, fresh guano was observed by the roost sites were not reached. Eight sites were found to serve as maternity sites, and 25 were transient use sites. No evidence of recent use was found at 26 caves. Most of the 26 caves with no bats were among the most heavily visited by humans. If you have any questions concerning bats, feel free to contact me at (314) 499-1724, or at my e-mail address.
The new WMS practice guidelines are now available in a 72-page book form. These replace the 1989 Position Statements of the Wilderness Medical Society. Anyone interested in Wilderness EMS should get a copy. WMS members may order from the WMS bookstore at a discount; others may call ICS books directly at 1-800-541-7323 and order a copy directly ($12.95 in U.S.A.; $17.95 in Canada).
Topics include:
+ Wilderness Evacuation
+ CPR
+ Near Drowning
+ Head Injury
+ Spinal Injury
+ Wilderness Wound Management
+ Burn Management
+ Orthopedic Injuries
+ High-Altitude Illness
+ Hypothermia
+ Frostbite/Immersion Foot
+ Heat-Related Illness
+ Lightning Injuries
+ Field Water Disinfection
+ Oral Fluid and Electrolyte Replacement
+ Wild Land Animal Attacks
+ Reptile Envenomation
+ Arthropod Envenomations
+ Tick Transmitted Diseases
+ Substance Abuse in Wilderness Settings
+ Anxiety and Stress Reactions in the Wilderness
+ Wilderness Medical Kits
also included is a copy of the WMS Wilderness Prehospital Emergency Care Curriculum recommendations.
March 24, 1995
Called to order at 7:20 by Vice President John Marquart. Present: John Marquart, Jim Jacobs, Marty Jacobs, Dave Carson, Angela Carson, Tonja Horn, Dave Frazer, Greg Kwosny, Julie Angel, Ken Taylor, Isaac Taylor, Tim Shaffer, Val Winston (plus a few others who didn't sign in).
Introductions were made. The minutes of the previous two meetings were accepted as printed in the Near Normal News. The Treasurer's report was presented by Jim Jacobs and accepted.
Announcements were made of coming events. The organizational meeting of the Illinois Speleological Society is to be held tomorrow (3/25) at Waterloo, IL. Tim Shaffer and John Marquart will attend, with John designated as the official grotto representative. Possible agenda of this meeting was discussed. John M reported on his highly successful speaking tour through Texas and Missouri. During his tour, he was able to network very effectively on behalf of the grotto with representatives from other grottos, and agencies such as BCI. Jim J presented the information on the Smittle trip, and promised to mail maps and information to all who expressed interest in going. Jim also gave out information on the MVOR and the Kentucky Speleofest.
The May meeting will be moved from the 26th (Memorial Day weekend), to June 2. The June meeting will be moved to the 30th.
Tonja and Dave volunteered to do refreshments for the next meeting. The workshop/discussion will be on caving boots and books.
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
April 28, 1995
Called to order at 7:25 by president Norm Rogers. Present: Jim Jacobs, Jamie Welling, Reid Siebert, Julie Angel, Beth Reinke, Norm Rogers, Kevin Rasmus, Isaac Taylor, Ken Taylor, Tonja Horn, David Fraser, John Marquart, Tim Shaffer.
Introductions.
The minutes of the March 24th meeting were read by treasurer Jim Jacobs and approved. The Smittle trip was discussed by attendees. Despite the cold and rainy weather, a good time was had by all. Tim Shaffer reported on trips to Parryville. The first was with numerous NNG members. The next weekend, he and Tim Sickbert went alone. Tim and Tim traveled a mile through Crevice Cave from the Echo Pit entrance. John Marquart stated that the Blackball Mine permit is approved. He received letters from Bat Conservation International expressing appreciation for bringing BBM to their attention. They feel that the project is very important. Slope measurements, entrance photos and measurements need to be taken. BCI is possibly interested in getting the lower entrances gated as soon as possible. John M. notes that if the lower entrances are gated, then the shafts must also be gated to avoid having people go down the shafts on knotted ropes, and not be able to get back out again. (Don and I ran into a couple of these yahoos, so we know that they exist.) Dan Taylor also mentioned that it may be desirable to replace the carbide-smoked station markers in the lower level. John also discussed the progress of the Illinois Speleological Society, and asked for input, since there is to be another meeting.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Jim J. announced that there is to be a National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC) weekend rescue course June 9-11 at Waterloo, IL. Illinois Caverns will be the practice rescue site. Applications were passed out. It looks as though quite a few NNG'rs will participate. John M. described the NCRC weekend that he attended a few years back and recommended it highly. The Kentucky Speleofest will be May 26-29. MVOR, May 5-7. Indiana Cave Capers, June 18-20 at Dalany Creek Park, Salem IN. John M. will be off to Ohio and Pennsylvania for his lecture series. adjourned.
At the workshop, cave books and boots were discussed, and Jamie Welling, a graduate student in bat biology, demonstrated his bat detector. Next time the subject will be surveying. Goodie by Beth and Julie.
Jim Jacobs (for secretary Brian Braye)
David McClurg
dmcclurg@halcyon.com
When the earthquake in west Texas took place, we were away from Carlsbad, but folks across the street from our house on Live Oak Place in the northern part of town, felt a jolt in bed and heard a noise at some unidentified place in their house. They experienced no damage and hadn't heard of any from others in town. What would be of interest would be news from the three local government-agency cave specialists who might have heard some first hand reports from cavers.
Of special interest to me would be whether cavers heard or saw anything while underground at the time the quake occurred. J.G. BLM (?), D.P. NPS (?), R.T. USFS (?) Are you out there?
One California quake experienced by cavers underground was on a three-day weekend in May some years ago. Several cavers were in Church Cave in Kings Canyon on the western side of the Sierra Nevada when a quake struck in the Mono Lake area. This is only about 80 miles (130 km) away as the crow flies, but is over on the eastern side of the range. Most of them were in a relative large passage, but one was a few meters behind in a vertical squeeze called the meat grinder. His chest was right in the constriction at the moment of truth. The first thing they heard was a sound like a locomotive coming down a tunnel right at them. The sound lasted several seconds, then reached a peak and passed them by. Then a few small rocks fell, but nothing more. But the poor sole negotiating the Meat Grinder squeeze said the sharp protrusions gave his chest an industrial strength massage. When he finally emerged, the entire group was of one mind-get the hell out of there with all possible speed. This spot is only about an hour from the entrance, so they made their way out and headed home for Sacramento. We were caving in eastern Nevada at the time-about 200 miles away. But either none of our group was actually underground when the quake hit or we were too far away. We neither saw, heard, nor felt anything. So we may have been caving during an earthquake, but certainly didn't experience anything different.
On Monday on the way back, we got a first hand report from Dave Cowan and others in the Mother Lode Grotto who had been in Church Cave when the quake struck. They can lay claim to the dubious distinction of actually being inside the earth when it elected to shift around some heavy furniture down in the basement. Any other members of this exclusive club out there?
Hal Love
LOVEHD@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu
The discussion of the earthquake in Texas reminded me of an incident I read about some years ago. I think it was around 1985 when an earthquake struck the north central Arkansas, USA area near Blanchard Springs Caverns. Blanchard Springs was developed as a show cave by the U.S. Forest Service during the 1970's. It is similar to Carlsbad Caverns in respect to the entrance/office building and elevator ride into the cave. Most of the tourist portion of the cave lies about 250-300 ft (75-90 m) below the entrance building.
When the earthquake struck, a large group was in the cave on a tour. Employees and visitors ran outside into the parking lot, fearing the building would collapse. When the tour returned from the cave, they were totally unaware that anything had happened. Another incident that I have heard about, but cannot completely confirm, also occurred in northern Arkansas. Apparently, a group of cavers was exploring and mapping in Fitton Cave and camped in a relatively remote part of the cave. During the trip the explorers heard loud rumbling and strange noises. As they started out of the cave, they encountered fresh breakdown in several areas. When they reached the entrance room (a chamber 750 ft long) they found the entrance partially blocked by a house sized boulder that had not been there when they entered the cave. This was 1964, and they soon learned that during their trip the "Great Alaska Earthquake" had destroyed Anchorage over 3,000 miles away!
I found it hard to believe that an earthquake, even one of the most powerful ever recorded, could have this effect on a cave over 3,000 miles away. I had heard this story many times and assumed it was total bullshit. But then I chanced upon an old NSS News from the late 50's (maybe 1959?). On the cover was a picture of the entrance room in Fitton Cave showing a large beam of sunlight streaming far into the cave. I have been to this cave many times and it is not physically possible for the sunlight to penetrate into the entrance room because of a large, house sized boulder in the way!
Scott Linn
scott@hpcvcem.cv.hp.com
A few years ago we were removing fill in Oregon Caves National Monument, not very far inside the cave. When we got out, everyone was asking about how the earthquake felt in the cave. They said that the hotel was rocking pretty good, but we didn't feel anything in the cave.
TRAPDOOR AND SALAMANDER CAVES, 4/9/95
Anmar Mirza, EMT-D
amirza@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
Trapdoor Cave
At approximately 5:45pm Saturday afternoon, Amanda Clark and I got the call at my cabin in Lawrence County (one county south of Monroe) for cavers trapped by high water in both Salamander Cave and Trapdoor Cave. It had been a clear day there, but we could clearly see thunderstorms to the north. The report included the fact that there was someone trapped in the entrance of Trapdoor cave, unable to move due to the water.
We immediately packed up and headed north, where we ran into extremely heavy rain and marble sized hail, heavy enough to cause us to slow to 30 mph on the four-lane. This cell was fairly narrow, within 5 miles we were out of it, but light rain continued. Dwight Hazen was on scene at Salamander Cave where State Police divers were attempting to secure permission from their superiors to try to enter the cave, there was no one in command at Trapdoor where the Monroe County Dive rescue team was attempting to enter Trapdoor. I asked Dwight which situation he considered more critical, he told me to head to Trapdoor. All this took place via amateur radio while we were heading to the scene.
I heard the request for sand and gravel to be brought to Trapdoor in an effort to impound the water entering the cave. Trapdoor is a fairly safe cave as far as flooding, the entrance climbdown is about 10' and the body sized crawl is about 12' long. The rest of the cave does not flood to any significant degree. I got on the radio to cavers on scene to have them to stop this attempt, and contacted Monroe Co. Sheriff to get them to stop this. The problems we'd have would be twofold, not only would there be a huge pulse when the impoundment broke, but it would also wash sediment and gravel into the entrance, possibly blocking the crawlway, compounding the problem. To divert the actions of the personnel on scene, I called for pumper trucks to be brought in to attempt to pump the water over the hill to slow down the flow entering the cave. In my opinion, this would not make a significant difference, the main course of action is to wait for the water to go down, but it gives the responding agencies something to do in order to fulfill their responsibility to take action. National weather reported one more cell that was heading our way, small but intense. Trapdoor would go down fairly quickly, but it's difficult to convey that to people who are demanding action now, particularly when you have parents and the media on scene. Further compounding the problem was rain, hard at times.
When I arrived on scene, at Trapdoor, there was some confusion as to who was in charge, there were Highway Dept. trucks and equipment beginning to try to create an impoundment, the stopping of which I made my first priority. There were also cavers and Monroe County Dive team at the entrance of the cave trying to enter the cave. I made talking with them the very next priority. I placed Willie Lunsford, an ISSA caver who has had some rescue training, and who I consider a strong caver in charge of the cavers and crew at the entrance, with the priority to not try to enter the cave until we deemed it safe. I also drafted some cavers to clear personnel away from the entrance, the cave is a swallowhole with steep slippery sides, leading right into the water washing into the cave, and there were at least 30 people standing around. Heading back up to the road, I encountered Officer Chambers(? names are difficult, the evening was a blur) of the Monroe County Sheriffs Dept who placed me in charge of the cave operations and assumed command of coordination of the overall operations. I told him the game-plan, get the water pumped over the hillside and wait for the water to go down. It took a bit of coordination, but eventually operations started shaping up enough to leave me confident enough to go back to the entrance.
By 8:40pm the water had gone down enough for Willie to try to do the crawlway, he had a full wetsuit on and was willing. I had Amanda and Tom Bertolicini rig a haul system so we could haul Willie out if need be, a simple Georgia haul (straight line pull) and a capture cam was used, since we had ample bystanders to run the haul system. He entered with a care package consisting of trash bags, candles, lighters, heat packs. 10 minutes later he was out, reporting that everyone in the cave was ok.
By 9:10 we had several pumps running and the flow into the cave was a fraction of the amount it was an hour earlier, mainly due to the fact that the rain was holding off. We were due for another cell to hit at 9:30 and I figure we had about 10 or 15 minutes lag time before the flow would pick up again. I made the decision to go for it and Willie entered the cave to start escorting them out. By 9:30 all four kids were out of the cave. Just as the rain hit. Willie went back in to bring out the dogs (2), when he handed up the first one, the flow had started increasing. When we do NCRC weekend seminars, we frequently tell the students "the water is rising" to instill a sense of urgency, Willie had heard me tell him this before in training, this time it was for real. By the time Willie had made the last trip out to bring out gear, the water flow had picked up again, almost to dangerous levels.
Salamander Cave
Despite a successful operation at Trapdoor, we still had an operation underway at Salamander. This one was being run under the authority of the State Police. At that time, the entrance of Salamander, which is a high-flow bypass for Turtle Cave, was putting out a very high flow. Topside off Spicer Lane we had Dwight Hazen, Terry Hudson and Officer Cleveland of the State Police. At the entrance of the cave we had Tony Emmons and Jim Johnson as well as two members of the State Police diving team. Dwight, myself, and Officer Cleveland headed down to the cave entrance. I left Amanda at the staging area to organize a search of Coons and Grotto caves. At this point we had one vehicle located with a pretty good description that the two people had headed for Salamander, but I figured to cover all bases since it was the only thing we could do. We also had a report that there may be as many as five additional people in the cave, but were unable to locate a vehicle. The two we had a vehicle for were Ezra Erb, and a female.
At the entrance, Officer Cleveland decided to pull his people out of the operations until we needed them, the only thing at this point was to wait until the water receded, which could be as much as two days. It had been fairly dry recently, so we were hopeful that the water would recede more quickly. I headed back up to the staging area to run incident command from there. I established control of the entrance to Spicer Lane, and had radio link to the caver there on a private simplex frequency we established as a command channel. It seems I blocked off Spicer just in time, minutes after I did, the media arrived. This kept the staging area from becoming a circus, and allowed us room to interview people and pass information without having to worry about the confusion large crowds can generate.
At various times, we received conflicting information as to the number of people we were looking for. I established a 99% probability that at least the two people were in the cave, and a 50% probability that there were an additional five, the lack of vehicle leading me to the latter. By 1am, Dwight reported that the water was receding at a rate of about a foot an hour. Terry Hudson was doing a marvelous job of dealing simultaneously with running the communications net, interfacing with the State Police, and interviewing people. Mark Brown, myself, and Jim Johnson suited up to head to the cave. Mark and I donned wetsuits and had Wendy and Amanda get geared up to head down later.
The three of us reached the entrance of the cave about 2am. Dwight headed back up to the staging area. We sent Nate Baynes back up to get a wetsuit and get prepared to go, the water indeed was well down. By 3am, the water had almost stopped flowing from the entrance and there was a siphon at the entrance crawl. We were also informed that family members were on scene. The entrance to Salamander is a low stoop for about 20', leading to a downward angled tube approx. 10' to a small canyon passage approx. 4' wide by 7' high, for about 300'. This is the part that floods completely. Turtle cave, a very small cave takes off at the base of the entrance tube and goes for several hundred feet, with many tight squeezes and bathtubs in dry weather. The end of the canyon passage opens into huge borehole passage, often 30-40' high by 50' wide for several hundred yards.
By 4am there was a foot of air space showing. And a nasty looking whirlpool going into Turtle. At this point we could have entered, but I deemed it more prudent to wait another hour, given the rate of drop in water level. I reported back to the staging area the plan. 5am, we evaluated the water level, by this time there was 4 feet of airspace. The water looked swift, but it looked possible to chimney across the top, avoiding the downdraft into Turtle. We went back outside and reported to the staging area to standby. 	At 5:05 am Sunday morning, Mark Brown, Nate Baynes and I entered the cave, with two backup teams consisting of Jim Johnson, Amanda Clark, Wendy Wente, Willie Lunsford, and Tony Emmons, waiting at the entrance. We had a 150' line rigged, and the plan was for me to enter first with a sit harness being belayed, in case I slipped and started to be swept into Turtle. The water was about 3' deep, and the current swift, but negotiable. When I reached a safe spot, I anchored the rope to allow it to be used as a hand line and Nate and Mark came on in.	 At approx. 5:23 Nate Baynes made first contact with the two at the top of the breakdown pile, Mark Brown and I quickly made our way up. Both Mark and I are Emergency Medical Technicians, familiar with cave medicine. We evaluated their fitness to travel. Both were unhurt, though cold. The female was Elizabeth ?, and Ezra. Both looked to be around 19, Ezra was showing more signs of hypothermia, despite Elizabeth being of slight build (approx. 90lbs). They were not properly equipped to be in the cave environment, no helmets, one flashlight each. Mark and I gave them several heatpacks and light. Mark headed out to tell topside they were ok, while Nate and I lead them out. By 5:37am they were outside and had warmed back up. We packed up the assorted gear around the entrance and headed to the staging area. By 5:47am we reached the staging area (ever climb a 250' hill, lugging 30lbs of gear while wearing a quarter inch wetsuit?), where family was reunited.
This series of events taxed the response capability of the responding personnel. Not from the standpoint of difficulty of rescue, but because of the myriad of compounding problems, rain, poor coordination between agencies and responders, multiple scenarios, and the fact that in high-water situations, often the best response it to wait. Rescuers have come very near to dying in similar situations because they tried to act before it was prudent, primarily due to the pressure to do something. It is difficult to have the patience required to just sit tight and wait, but in almost all cases, either the persons will survive the time it takes for the water to recede, or they will be already dead. It is not prudent to risk the lives of rescuers in this situation, as is taught in the National Cave Rescue Commission curriculum, and has been the experience of local cavers in previous high-water situations. This is also outlined in the cave rescue protocols that the local cavers prepared for and presented to the various agencies. This can be difficult when you have family members and the media calling for you to take action, and who cannot understand why you do not.
Both operations went much more smoothly once coordination was established among the agencies and responders, it doesn't matter who is in charge, so long as someone is. The local cavers recognize the authority of the County Sheriff and the State police, and have good working relationships with both agencies. Past negotiations with these agencies has smoothed these relationships, as has the many successful operations performed by the cavers.
From the standpoint of the cavers, it is also difficult to have the patience to just sit tight when you see the opportunity to do something, despite the risk. I recognized this and set quantifiable limits on what we did, that I would not hesitate to defend in any arena. We also had to deal with the very real possibility that we were looking at deaths, Salamander Cave claimed three lives in 1975 under similar circumstances. Most cavers are civilians with little preparation for experiencing the deaths of fellow cavers partaking our activity, it is up to those of us who assume command of these situations to be sensitive to this and to do our best to prepare our people for this, and to provide the followup and support after such an incident. In this case, unlike 1975, it had a happy ending.
FLOODS AND MEDIA COVERAGE
Bruce Bowman
BOWMAN_BRUCE_E@Lilly.com
Well, after last weekend's great TV and print coverage, landowner relations in Central Indiana are sure to suffer. As mentioned in previous Digests, the spelunkers were never in any serious danger, but the media did not reflect that [Channel 6 did ONCE mention that there is "cause for hope" because of the high ground sites in the cave where they could take refuge]. A quick check of the NSS Member's Manual shows none of the names listed in this account. Although NSS membership does not necessarily bestow any measure of intellect, it is clear that the many who were actually present had the sense to steer clear of the media. However, the media had no trouble finding others to talk to. The names of the spelunkers:
Trap Door Cave (4 hours)
Aaron Lancaster (Carmel), age 21
Timothy Baker (Bedford), age 17
Joshua Baker (Bedford), age 12
Nicholas Fizetti (Fenton, MI), age 18
2 DOGS, names not provided
Salamander Cave (15 hours)
Elizabeth Hershman, age 19
Ronald Erb, also 19
Some examples of the news coverage.... Channel 13 showing considerable footage in Buckner's entrance room intermixed with Salamander flooded entrance shot. No mention that the footage was somewhere else. Monroe County Sheriff's diver (Saturday night) discussing the chances of survival in Salamander with Channel 13 reporter, "The entrance is completely flooded and it's too dangerous to enter. Hopefully they [the trapped cavers] can find an air pocket to get into."Sgt Steve Chambers, Monroe County Sheriff, in a newspaper account: "Water was bubbling out of the entrance of Salamander Cave, making it unlikely that if anyone was inside, they could survive. "Channel 13 reporter shown walking by the IKC routed NO TRESPASSING sign on the way to the cave. Camera zoomed in on sign. This was well after those trapped had emerged and everybody else had left. Channel 13 Sunday morning news: Even at 9:30 AM, they were still saying 2-7 cavers were trapped in Salamander even though the 2 teenagers came out at 5:45. This was despite their claim to have a reporter "on-scene" and possibly would have a live remote during the telecast. Channel 8 interviewing Brad Keefe in newsroom. Personal internal photos of Trap Door Cave are displayed. Apparently Brad spent 8 hours lost in another Monroe Co. cave at one time. Stating how easy it is to get lost, Brad said that there are "...really no landmarks down there that you can familiar yourself with [sic]...it all looks the same." Perhaps I'd better take a can of spray paint with me next time. Channel 6 speaks with a man who came down because his kid went caving and the incident is all over the airwaves. "We feel kinda relieved because, his car ain't around here. "Neither was his son. Later, the newscaster states that "It may take DAYS for the water to recede." [Emphasis his] It actually took about 12 hours. Channel 8 interviews the two trapped in Salamander shortly after emerging from the cave. They only had one light apiece, but did have some food. "We were up to our necks in some pretty strong current on the way to the entrance."More quotes from WISH-8 newscasters ...the people involved did NOT say any of this: "Two teams make it to safety, and tell of their HARROWING experience." "The six were virtually fighting for their LIVES...". "Could have been deadly...". "Rescuers feared the worst...". "They feared they would freeze to death." "Fortunate they all survived." One of the few actual quotes in the newsclip: "If they try to race the water to the entrance, they'll lose." [This is probably true] WXIN 59 (Sunday 10 PM)....interviewing Buckner spelunkers as if they were typical cavers (note: none had hardhats, all had a single flashlight -- several were wearing dust masks). Their names -- Dave Sweet, Tim Corbin, Rick Kesselborn, Rick Partane. Grafitti all over, but no real mention of it. Some quotes, with trippy acid rock music playing in the background: "Cheating Death in Indiana's Underground" "Going through the crack it's kinda scary...it's like Spider-Man." "Everyone's gotta try it. It's like you bring your friends down here and they always go back with you next time." "Although many caves are on private land, owners say 'no trespassing' signs rarely keep committed cavers out."I'm truly glad no one was hurt, both for the sake of the spelunkers and in hopes that the media circus will die down as quickly as possible.
UPDATE FROM BRUCE BOWMAN
Indiana Karst Conservancy
Although these people were never in any serious danger (they just had to wait it out), the resulting media circus was a scary thing to see. Most of the people I've talked to at work and elsewhere bought into all of it, and felt that the situation constituted a near-death experience. Some have even been asked why they didn't go to the site and assist in the rescue. Just what Anmar and Company need -- hordes of well-meaning cavers doing nothing but stand vigil. Because of this, the Indiana Karst Conservancy has sent letters to the media and we may set up a formal media contact so that misinformation is less likely to be disseminated should this situation recur. In a couple of days, I will post a "best of the worst" regarding the media coverage -- I have a lot of it on video. However, we are now being asked to help with the preparation of a "safe caving awareness" newsclip of sorts. The value of this kind of thing is less clear. Granted, this situation could have easily been avoided with a modicum of training, but only if the spelunkers involved seek it out. I do not believe that a person can be taught what they need to know via television...they will enter the caves with a false sense of security. High profile caving does two things -- creates more cavers than it educates, and closes caves. Neither is in our best interest. My main hope is that the situation will just blow over -- get the people focusing on the O J Simpson trial or some other trivia as soon as possible.
CAVES IN THE MEDIA: Good & Bad
Bruce Bowman
In the past month, I posted a couple of messages here that were sharply critical of the media coverage of the cave flooding problem we had here in Indiana. Those messages were quite richly deserved...however, in all fairness, I now find myself compelled to post a short message about a couple of productions that aired recently that provided a counterpoint to the bad ones.
WTIU-30 (public station in Bloomington) aired a 5-minute piece on safe caving, in which several Bloomington Indiana Grotto cavers actively participated. This segment, though not flawless, still was able to get across most of the elements really necessary to deter yahoos from entering caves without making it sound like a life-threatening situation every time you enter. This is a tall order, and those involved (Anmar Mirza, Frank Reid, and Kriste Lindberg) have my admiration.
WISH-8 in Indianapolis partially redeemed themselves in my eyes as well. I had been receiving calls from them, and since Kriste did such a good job on the WTIU stuff (she's a telecommunications major, too) I put them in contact with her. Despite some truly poor programming during the rescue, they did pull together something that made a good point...you may recall Mr. Abdulla's post a few Digests back about Indiana being touted as a "caving state." WISH-8 picked up on how inconsistent this was in light of the rescues, mentioned some rules of thumb regarding safe caving (three sources, etc.) and inserted the caver's credo about "take nothing/leave nothing/kill nothing" (which sounds more trite every time I hear it, but people DO remember it).
In both cases, the adventure and danger aspects of caving were downplayed and the equipment and training needs were brought forth. Because yahoos are typically seeking "adventure" with minimal outlay of finances or gray matter activity, this is what we want. While I would have preferred that nothing be aired at all, in cases where the media are going to put something together anyway it is best that knowledgeable people step forward. Otherwise, there are plenty of others who DON'T know what they're talking about who will be willing to do so for us. Thanks again to those who took on these projects...here's hoping we don't have any more of them soon.
April 21-23, 1995
Jim Jacobs
Participants: NNG: Tonja Horn, Dave Frazer, Mark and Brian Valentine, Rich Bell, Pat and Kathy O'Connell, Reid Siebert, D.C. Young, John Marquart, Julie Angel, Beth Reinke, Tim Shaffer, Marty and Jim Jacobs. Louisville Grotto: Steve Gentry, Ted Burke. Mark Twain Grotto: Chris and Elizabeth House, Mike Goodwin, Loren Fear, Mike Deason, Dave and Mary Mahon. Chouteau Grotto, MO and Stygian Grotto, MO: Kermit Wayne Wilkison. MO Dept. of Cons.: Mark McGimsey.
The long-awaited time had finally arrived. The trip to Smittle Cave was on. Flyers had been sent out, maps and directions in hand we made our merry way to Missouri. Our friends of the Mark Twain Grotto had obtained the necessary permits, and had been good enough to invite our group. Well, I'm not sure that "group" is the correct word. More like a whole herd of NNG'rs descended on the parking area near Lowell Cave that friday. Dave Mahon had, as usual, provided good maps and directions well in advance, so that I was able to copy the information and pass it on to our people in plenty of time for them to make plans. Marty and I decided to make the trip in our new/old camper van that we had purchased from our next door neighbor, Mrs. Oliver, whose husband had passed away last year. (A few of you may remember that they had attended a couple of NNG meetings at our house, and thoroughly enjoyed Don Coons' slide shows.) The forecast read cool weather with some rain (so what else is new?), so we figured that high and dry was better than the tent for this trip. We are NOT hard-core campers. Anyway, the forecast turned out to be somewhat inaccurate. It was not cool, it was COLD. And when it rained, it poured. (Anyone remember the Cave River Valley Trip?) YEP!
Since most of the group were to arrive later, we decided to take a quick walk over to Smittle, (about a mile) to size up the stream that we would have to cross, and to show the impressive entrance to some who had never seen it. It didn't take long to figure that there was no way that we would even get the four-wheel drive vehicles across the stream. A couple of the slabs which used to be a road across the stream in dry weather had washed out, were tilted at funny angles, and the stream was fairly high. We could easily cross on foot by hopping from rock to rock, but we would not be camping near the Smittle entrance.
By early evening, we had a pretty good sized group, and began gearing up to do Lowell Cave, which was only about two hundred feet away at the end of the path. Since some of our group were somewhat new to caving, it took a while to get everybody assembled. We walked to the entrance, which is a large impressive hole in the hillside, and gathered for some Kodak moments. As we filed into the cave, I discovered that I had forgotten my gloves. I told Marty that I would catch up, and walked back to the van. Just as I found the gloves, Steve Gentry pulled up, along with a caving buddy of his, Ted Burke. I knew Steve from the last two Mammoth Cave Field Camps. We had become friends, and I had invited him to drive up from Louisville to join us. It was also good to meet Ted. I figured that if he caved with Gentry, then he probably had a good sense of humor. And you could trust him with your life in a cave. I told them to set up their tent later, and get their gear on. There was cavin' to be done. They threw their gear together, breaking world records and a camping lantern in the process, and we headed into the cave. Since they are fast cavers, and the group ahead was looking at the scenery while waiting for us, we were able to catch up with them in no time.
Lowell is a solution cave with quite a few cut-arounds. There are many places where you can take the stream or you can go over to get to the same place. According to Dave Mahon, there is a place near the end of the cave where you can pop up through a hole and find an upper level that goes on for a long ways. Unfortunately, Dave had not yet arrived, and we were unable to find the route to the upper level. We had a good time following the cave to the point where it just became too low and too wet to follow comfortably, and turned around. I count this trip as a milestone, because I now have proof that D.C. Young actually caves!
We returned to camp and dispersed to our individual tasks of setting up camp and getting supper. People were still arriving, and the camp began to take on the look of a small city.
Our tentative plans were to spend saturday practicing vertical work at the Smittle entrance, and to explore Smittle on Sunday. We visited with our new and old friends for a while, then hit the sack. Besides, it was getting cold! And rainy! I may be a wimp, but I'm glad I wasn't in a tent that night.
In the morning, we woke to find that our number was now 26! After breakfast, we gathered our vertical gear and walked over to Smittle. Two ropes were rigged, and we took turns rappelling and ascending. I took a few turns of my own, and did my first "on rope" changeover from rappel to climbing, but spent much of the time helping the rookies "over the edge" for the first time. That's a lot of fun! The look of pure joy on the face of people who complete their first descent is a sight to behold. We didn't quit until supper time.
After supper, we walked back to Smittle to try to see the bats leaving. We had heard that they swarm out in impressive numbers, but either they weren't ready, or weren't dumb enough to come out in the cold. I could just hear them saying, "There'll be no bugs flying tonight! I'll just hit the snooze alarm for next week." At any rate, we saw only a few stragglers.
When we got back to camp, we found that those who had been smart enough to stay there had built an impressive bonfire. The rain had held off during the day, and was still cooperating. Many a tall (caving) tale was told that evening as boots dried by the fire and a barley pop (or two) were consumed. Around 11:30 or 12:00, the rain started again, so those who had not already done so, headed for bed.
Then the rain got serious! In the morning, everything was soggy, and D.C. found drops of ice atop his tent. It was still raining, and was getting colder. The stream which had to be crossed to get to Smittle was higher, and would be higher yet when we got out. We didn't know what the stream inside of Smittle would be like. We had reserved enough vacation time to stay over sunday night and perhaps do Little Smittle or another cave that Dave had in mind on monday morning. It was decision time. Some were gearing up for the walk to Smittle, but cold and wet and nasty as it was, Marty and I, Steve and Ted, Pat and Kathy and Reed decided to do our day's caving in comfort. We packed up and drove over to Onondaga, a magnificent commercial cave about fifty miles from where we had been camped. On the way, Marty and I discovered that there was a problem with our old van's heater core, and the defroster just fogged the windows up worse. The harder the rain came down, and the harder the wind blew, the foggier our windows got. Our arms got quite tired from wiping off those big van windows every 90 seconds.
The tour guide at Onondaga seemed a little nervous that two-thirds of her group were hardened cavers. Reid was even wearing his helmet and petzel mega. I wasn't sure if he worried that some of us would take off down side passages or that some of the people in the group knew a lot more about caves than he did. In any case, after a little while, he relaxed, and we had a fine tour of a great cave. It wasn't Smittle, but Marty and I had seen Smittle (or at least a part of it) a couple of years before. I'm just sorry that those of our group who hadn't seen it will have to wait till this fall, when we can get another permit, and perhaps some reasonable weather. I also hope that we can get a report of the actual trip through Smittle by some who stayed to brave the elements.
reid@ucs.indiana.edu
to the tune of:"The Cover of the Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook
I'm a hard-core caver, I do owners a favor
'Cause they beg me to go in their hole.
I've done the world's deepest pit and the world's longest crawl;
I'm loved everywhere I go.
I make all kinds of waves to save all kinds of caves
And I always pay my grotto dues.
And they really ought to put my picture on the cover of the _NSS News_.
refrain1:
NSS News...
Gonna see my picture on the cover,
Gonna get my dad to hide it from my mother,
Doing all those dangerous things on the cover of the _NSS News_.
I found virgin passage in commercial Mammoth Cave
And I mapped everywhere I went.
I cultivated speleo-political connections with the East-Coast establish-ment.
I went to the board meeting in the big city,
I licked stamps for the money committee,
I told them my face would sure look pretty
On the cover of the _NSS News_.
(spoken:)
That's cave mud on my nose.
It's from Lechuguilla.
Since you're a special friend, you may touch it.
I got a mile of PMI and a high-tech rack for sliding down slippery slopes.
I got a 44-D blonde graduate student that wants me to show her the ropes.
I go on international scientific caving expeditions
And Mixon gives me good reviews.
But I never did get my picture on the cover of the _NSS News_.
R-O-O-O-O-O-C-K 'n roll!
I beat claustrophobia and histoplasmosis,
There's so many fine things I've seen.
I've been just about every place a caver can go
Except "America's Caving Magazine."
I've been in _National Geographic_ and Discovery Channel
and _Outside_ didn't refuse.
But I just can't get my picture on the cover of the _NSS News_.
refrain2:
NSS News...
Gonna see my picture on the cover,
Gonna show it to my stock-broker brother,
Me and all the other BNCs * on the cover of the _NSS News_.
_NSS News_ gives me the blues,
'Cause I just can't get my picture on the cover of the _NSS News_.
(spoken:)
Who you gotta know, anyway?
Is she married?
Oh No! They messed up the color again!
* BNC = Big-Name Caver
(posted on the internet by Ian Drummond)
i.drummond@genie.geis.com
With the interest in tandem rappelling, I thought I should send in the following article which appeared in The Canadian Caver, 15(2), 1983.
Rappelling the West Face of Thor (Note from a report by Steve Holmes to Parks Canada) An American team of Kathy Williams, Alan Johnson, Peter Uberto, Bill Clem, Russ Anderson, Steve Holmes, and one Canadian Kirk MacGregor, had decided to attempt the world's longest rappel off the west face of Mt Thor on Baffin Island [Canada]. For this a special rope was manufactured by PMI, 7/16" nylon kernmantle with an extra strand added to offset the weight of one mile of rope (370 lb). Two teams were assembled. The summit team spent several days reaching the top of Thor mainly due to white-out conditions on the Fork Beard Glacier. They dragged 84 ft of canvas padding, 5,000' of 3/16 polyester hoist line (35 lb) an amazing assemblage of top rope anchoring paraphernalia and stocked a summit camp for 10 days. .... The 3/16" hoist line was lowered from the summit with a stone filled red bag attached, but so vast was the scale of Thor that there was considerable difficulty in locating it by the base party.
Meanwhile, the base team linked in the aforementioned 350 lbs (sic) of PMI to the 2,000 foot 5/16 rope. Communication ensued by radio and telescope. Once the bag was found and the three ropes joined, the summit team then pulled up the 5/16 rope, followed at 2,000' by the PMI and eventually everything was elaborately secured at the top. Two bulges on the face were padded and a vertical kilometer was ready for rappelling. In order to get the descender onto the rope, an ingenious 8:1 mechanical advantage system was designed and employed to lift the now 200 lb of rope.
Spectacular rappells then ensued, uneventfully, taking from 6 to 30 minutes with racks twice the normal length and holding 8 brake bars which were cooled by splashing water on them. One tandem rappel was achieved using Kirk's squeeze plate device that functioned independently of the rope weight. This device was composed of two plates between which the rope is squeezed by a nutcracker mechanism controller by the rappeller. It was cooled effectively by towel material attached to the plate and soaked in water. Ascents were made without incident taking from 2 hours to 5 hours (the longest being for the tandem ascent). The Mitchell box, foot and knee Gibbs arrangement was found to work best over the 3230 +/-20 foot vertical distance.
After successfully completing the world's longest rappel, the rope was allowed to slide off the mountain top to land in festoons at the bottom.
---- If any one is interested in more details of the "MacGregor Nutcrackers", Kirk is still an NSS member and is living in Toronto. By the way, this is the same person who appeared on the caving scene in the late 1960s, cutting the record times for prussiking 100' and 300' just about in half. ---- Ian Drummond
welliott@mail.utexas.edu
This is a response to Rob Tayloe's query about removal of wood etc. from caves. This is a subject that I wrote about in my chapter "An Introduction to Biospeleology" in the NSS's "Caving Basics" book, first published in 1982 and now in its third edition. I guess I thought that cavers actually read this chapter for guidance...maybe not. Here's an excerpt from the section "Conserving Cave Life":
"1. Never dump carbide in a cave! It is poisonous. Carry all your trash out with you.
2. On the other hand, it is usually best to leave someone else's old organic litter (wood, paper, food, feces) in the dark zone of the cave, as it may be providing food and shelter to cave-adapted animals. Cave clean-up campaigns are becoming more popular and we should be thankful, but the thrill of ridding a cave of man-made trash should not blind us to the possibility that it already may have become part of the cave ecosystem. If such materials are removed, they should be thoroughly examined for animals, which should then be released in a similar habitat in the cave or collected for study..."
The above opinion is my own, not official NSS policy. However, I think it can be applied in a reasonable way, which I outline below. My opinion is not just based on sentimentalism about cave animals or theory, but on observations over many years in different types of caves. I'll give some examples:
a. Back in 1973 I was doing a biological survey in New Cave (= Slaughter Canyon Cave), Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico. Like most caves in that region, it is rather dry and the fauna is sparse except in drip spots. I found some old, rotten timbers in the middle of the cave, left there no doubt many years ago. This was the only place in the cave where I could find the troglobitic millipede Speodesmus tuganbius. They were crawling on the rotten wood, feeding, no doubt, on fungi. I was shocked to learn a few months later that the National Park Service removed this old rotten wood while constructing a trail through the cave. I could not find the millipedes on the next visit to the cave and I wonder if any are left in the cave. Of course, I wished I had reported a fauna list to NPS and commented on the wood, but it was too late.
b. Show caves often have perturbed cave communities. In my experience the cave community shifts to exotic species being attracted to food particles and trash in the cave. Some native cave species may actually thrive on blue-green algae, bacteria, and fungi growing near trail lights. Cave lint can provide enough nutrients to cause local abundances of collembolans (springtails), which in turn become prey to micropredators such as spiders, harvestmen, etc. Clean-up campaigns have not, in my opinion, usually been careful to characterize the invertebrate fauna before and after the clean-up. Most cavers cannot recognize most small cave animals and often are unaware of their presence. c. Very rotten wood and organic material makes a good substrate for fungal and bacterial colonies, which collembolans, millipedes, terrestrial isopods, and other cave species can feed upon. It also provides a moist milieu for these creatures to burrow and hide in. This eventually becomes a soil. Such areas can actually become "biological magnets" that attract cave species. Most cave environments are very "patchy" anyway, that is you will find concentrations of critters on raccoon or rat feces, wood, bat guano (although that usually entails certain guano-tolerant species), etc. To remove this stuff suddenly can be a big hit on the populations that were attracted to it over a long time. True, they may have had a local population bloom in the materials, but it is almost like a big trap for these animals.
d. There was an unfortunate incident at Mammoth Cave a few years ago when a clean-up project by well-meaning cavers removed some rich wood deposits from part of the cave without examination of it for fauna. Worse, perhaps, the cavers slogged through a biological study area in a stream that had been plainly marked out by a researcher, severely affecting and probably ruining his long-term efforts. There was much discussion and some embarrassment over this incident, but it was soon forgotten by most. I hope the NPS learned something from the incident. Certainly the current Mammoth Cave ecologist, Rick Olsen, is very vigilant about things like this and is now conducting high-quality physio-chemical and ecological baseline surveys of the cave system.
I have been put on the spot a couple of times about my opinions on organic removal from caves. Some cavers react to it emotionally because they feel they are doing a good thing and "After all, that stuff shouldn't be there!" But we need to remember that cave animals don't have the aesthetic sensitivity that we humans have. Food is food to them, and they must be opportunists to survive in a food-poor environment. At the same time, we don't want to make the cave artificially food-rich (eutrophic). The extreme example of that is a show cave that I studied that was totally eutrophied from a leaking sewage system. The wall of the cave contained exotic fungus gardens and at least two species of earthworm were coming out of the walls and actually eating bacteria-soaked clays in the walls. Some people wanted to just kill the worms with pesticides, but we eventually were able to trace the leaking sewage lines and forgotten septic tanks and get control of the problem at the source. (Sorry, I cannot reveal which cave this was, but it could happen at any show cave, including private or public show caves.) I certainly understand the desire to remove man-made materials from caves. I would advocate a moderate, scientific approach to this problem. Get a cave biologist, if possible, to examine the materials and identify, at least generally, the species there and make a recommendation. If the wood has not rotted to a soil yet, then much of it should be removed. Brush off the bugs onto the floor of the cave with soft paint brushes. If some fauna is present in the wood pile, leave or move a small remnant of this material out of view (if necessary) and let some of them survive. Certainly remove all glass, batteries, metal, plastics, and other nonorganic materials. If you can't get a cave biologist to come, make some observations first and contact the Biology Section of the NSS for advise. Here are some addresses of cave biologists who may be able to help:
Dr. Ed Lisowski, Exec. Sec. NSS Biology Section 1301 S. 5th, Apt. #6 Tacoma, WA 98405 lisowski@seattleu.edu
Dr. Daniel Fong, recent editor North American Biospeleology Newsletter (NABN) Dept. of Biology The American University Washington, DC 20016 dfong@american.edu
Dr. Kathy Lavoie, new editor North American Biospeleology Newsletter Dept. of Biology Univ. of Michigan-Flint Flint, MI 48502 lavoie_k@msb.flint.umich.edu
Dr. Horton H. (Beep) Hobbs Dept. of Biology Wittenberg University Springfield, OH 45504 phone 513-327-6484
Dr. William R. Elliott 12102 Grimsley Drive Austin, TX 78759-3120 welliott@mail.utexas.edu phone 512-835-2213
The NSS Biology Section holds a meeting each year at the NSS Convention. Dues are $5 to Dan Fong (above), who recently published the latest NABN (#45), which is published once or twice a year. Anyone who is interested can join. We had lots of papers and field trips at last year's Texas convention and will do more at the 1995 convention in Blacksburg, Virginia. KAPTAIN KARST (Dr. John Holsinger) will be leading some field trips to several caves.