Evening star., 1925-02-14
Workers.. Spurred by EW'
dence That Trapped Man
Lives, Renew Efforts.
MEN IN SHAFT CONVERSE
WITH GROUP IN PASSAGE
Six Feet Remain to Be Drilled Be-
fore Roof of Natural Cave
Is Reached.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associa ted Press.
CAVE CITY, KY, February II
Men in the natural passage to Sand
Cave talked to men in the rescue
shaft being sunk toward Floyd COL
lins. entombed cave explorer, while
making soundings at IL o'clock this
morning.
H. r. Carmichael and Albert Mar
shall. miner, went to the bottom
of the shaft and held distinct conver-
sation with Ed Brenner and two other
men who were in the passage as far
as the cave in," said an official state
ment lit is estimated we will reach
Collins in approximately 20 hours.
provided no other difficulties occur.
We still have six more feet before
we reach the original limestone top,
believed to be the roof of the cavern
leading to Collins"
VIII Reach Old Passage.
The shaft, according to Mr.. Car
michael will tap Sand Cave be-
tween Collins and the point where
the cavern occurred In the natural
passage last week. The point be-
tween the cavern and Collins was es-
timated at 20 feet. The penetration
of Sand Cave will be in front of Col
lins. Previously it had been believed
that 1t would be behind Collins.
Digging will continue until o'clock
this afternoon, when new section OF
timbering will be lowered into place
one of the diggers said at noon to-
day. This will take until about 8
o'clock tonight, and when the digging
is resumed we may cut through to
Sand Cave any minute he added.
NJ. E. s. Posey. executive secretary
of the State highway department. who
was sent here by Gov. w. J. Fields
wired the governor at Frankfort to-
day saying that he fixed s O'Clock
Sunday night as the zero hour, un-
less unexpected difficulties are en-
countered.
1t had taken nine and one-haif
hours to complete a three foot Sec
tion last night. the bulletin said. The
rotten character of the material en-
countered and four distinct cave-ins
made the progress the siowest on
record.
Two weeks ago today Collins
plieht was discovered, and FOR the
last 10 days he has received no food
Four workmen testified before the
that they had heard the imprisoned
man breathe and cough.
Collins is still alive, the members
of the military board in charge OF
the situation declared yesterday eve
ming.
Ed Brenner of Cincinnati and
Alex Bailey of Louisville convinced
Gen. H. H. Denhardt and others OF
the military board that they had
nd
Inns, and the court, collectively and
individually, expressed their convic-
tions that Collins is alive.
Before hearing this testimony,
Gen. Denhardt said, some members
of the board said they had felt re-
signed to the fact. Collins was dead
There had been no airing of those
opinions, for fear they might exert
an adverse influence on the morale OF
the rescue workers. Now these Nom
bers are optimistic that rescue will
be effected and the prisoner VIII De
brought out alive"
The work is being pushed to the
utmost with specially picked labor
the official bulletin said, and the
morale of the men is excellent"
Gen. Denhardt today exhibited two
large suit cases, filed with nearly
1000 letters he has received about the
rescue work, most OF them filled with
suggestions and advice about how to
rescue Collins. Many of the messages
are from governors and mayors, ten
dering him their encouragement and
assuring him that the rescue effort Is
holding the attention Of the entire
Nation.
The arrival of Gen. Denhardt last
Sunday, followed by Kentucky Ma.
tional Guardsmen, has helped to place
the operations of the camp on a mill
tary basis, and guards constantly pa
troll the vicinity of the shaft to see
that spectators do not interfere