Evening star., 1925-02-05
SHAFT CUT IN HILL
OFFERS ONLY HOPE
OF SAVING COLLINS
Miners to Start Digging, But
Corpse Is Expected When
Man Is Reached.
EXCAVATIONS TO REQUIRE
DAYS, EXPERTS CLAIM
Access to Body Now Entirely
Closed by Raising of Rocks
in Cave Passage.
By the Associated Press.

Bv the Associated Press.
CAVE CITY, KY, February o.
Floyd Collins has been completely en-
tombed in his Sand Cave prison l25
feet underground by a rise in the
floor of the cave. and all hopes of es-
cape through any natural passage
have been abandoned.
Four trips into the cave have con-
WINGED a geologist, coal miners and
military authorities in charge of the
work that their only chance to reach
Collins is by sinking a shaft from the
top of the hill and endeavoring to
tunnel to the imprisoned man.
Only Last Resort.
Any attempt to mine into the cave
probably will be fatal to Collins, it
was agreed, but the plan was adopted
last resort, and Maj. w. II.
Cherry, the governors agent, has
been dispatched in an automobile
with instructions to get mine ma
chinery wherever any can be found.
The slow rising of the floor within
the cavern began shortly after mid
night.
4 rescue crew which entered al
am. found that the floor appar emily
had swelled from below at the inner
most squeeze" only few feet from
Collins.
Returning to the surface. the
miners who composed the detail made
their report to Brig. Gen. H. H. Den
hardt, in charge of the work, and
Denhardt Immediately summoned w.
y. Funkhouser, head of the geologi-
cal department of the University of
Kentucky, who arrived yesterday.
After a conference it was agreed
that the miners should re-enter the
cave for a second observation, with
view of determining whether the
movement of rock could be stopped.
Meanwhile those in charge of the
work withheld knowledge of what
had occurred.
Continued to Rise.
An hour later the miners reappear-
ed at the surface and hurried to Gen.
Denhardt and his conferees In one of
the tents near the entrace- The floor
had continued to rise during the
hour, they reported.
Inasmuch as a considerable portion
of the cave leading from the entrance
toward the prisoner still remains un-
disturbed, however, belief was ex-
pressed that Collins might still be
alive.
The movement took place just be-
yond that part of the cavern which
had been timbered by rescuers.
There had been no more rock falls
or caveins, 1t was stated. The SWELL
ing apparently had lifted solid rock
from the floor to the roof of the cav
ern. This action closed the passage
way for an indefinite distance and
may have crushed Collins if it ex-
tended that far
A third trip revealed that the slow
rising had continued and when the
miners emerged after their fourth
underground visit they told Gen. Den
hardt that the assageway had been
completely sealed.
Alarm for Rescuers.
The first three explorations by the
miners required about an hour each.
Considerably more time elapsed dur
ing the fourth visit. however. and the
alarm of those on the surface in
creased each minute until the first
mans light appeared in the cavity
downward from the entrance.
No one among those in charge of
the work at Sand Cave was able to
suggest where the nearest mining
machinery might be located. Maj.
Cherry did not make known his des-
tination when he hurriedly drove
away for more equipment.
Preliminary plans for sinking the
shaft, evolved in consultation with
coal miners who arrived from Muh-
1enberg County during the night and
who made the four early morning
trips. called for a mine from the top
of the hill at a position not far dis
tant from where Collins is thought to
be pinned
Plans for Shaft.
1t was estimated the shaft would
be from so to rs feet deep before any
of the caverns beneath were tapped.
Whether the position chosen would
strike Sand Cave was a matter Of
speculation. If it does not, then a
tunnel from the depth where the cave
victim is believed to lie will be un-
dertaken.
Funkhouser and the miners. after a
lnog consultation, were convinced of
the hopelessness of any attempt to
continue rescue work through the
natural cave from the outside. 1t is
impossible to move the solid rock
uplifted to the roof the miners de-
Clared.
The danger to Collins in mining
downward from the hilltop lies in the
vibration entailed in such work.
Three slides and cave-ins within the
cave already have occurred from un-
explained reasons and the constant
jarring and pounding necessary in
sinking the shaft undoubtedly would
drop rocks and earth in his vicinity
If not directly upon him.
Danger for Workers.
Gen. Denhardt, Funkhouser and the
coal miners virtually decided upon the
plan to attempt to get Collins from
above after the first report that the
floor was rising. There was constant
danger that any one within the pas
sageway leading to Collins would find
himself wedged or slowly crushed
Subsequent reports on the uplift
convinced the rescuers that their hope
lay in the new plan and the cave ex-
ploration was abandoned.
1t was q discouraged group which
undertook the mine labor this morn
ing. No effort was spared to speed
the work, but the race with death had
all the odds against the rescuers. Be-
cause of the rocky strata expected to
be encountered all the way down, it
was probable that days would elapse
"a before any one could hope to reach
< collins.
! Orders have been given by Gov.
Fields to stop all trains which carry
CONTINUED on Page 5, Column 81