Evening star., 1925-02-09
HOAX IN CAVE TRAP
RUM0RED;
INQUIRY IS ORDERED
WhispererS See "Pub|icity"
Effort-FaiIure of Rescue
Under Suspicion.
CONTINUE DIGGING SHAFT;
BELIEVE COLLINS ALIVE
Hard Rains Hamper Workers on
Tenth Day-May Reach Vic.
tim by Thursday.
By the Associated Press.

CAVE CITY, Ky. February O.
circumstances surrounding the trap
ping of Floyd Collins in Sand Cave
and the efforts of volunteer rescuers
to release him Will be made the sub
scot of a military court of inquiry
Brig. Gen. H. H. Denhardt, in COM
snand of Guardsmen here announced to-
day.
Il hope by this court of inquiry to
lay at rest all suspicious, Whispering
OF the efforts to block rescue work
and rumors that Collins entrapment
was mot genuine" said Gen. Den
hardt. The commander said his plan
for the military investigation had
tbeen sanctioned by Gov. Fields and
Adjt Gen. kehoe.
Probe Failure of Rescue.
1T Is my purpose to determine
exactly why the efforts to rescue Col
Inns through the natural passage fail
ed, Denhardt continued Whether
collins went into Sand Cave through
1he regular entrance and was caugh,
coming out and whether he knew OF
any other way out are matters which
Will be delved into
Il have received information that
the eye of suspicion has been turn ed
on Kentucky and its officials and
Inc wonderful cave region by persons
unfamiliar with the cave section.
propose in the inquiry to bring out
EVERY fact.
1T is hoped that the findings OF
the board will be so definite and
thorough from the testimony we heaI
that the Whisperings will be uuieted
Every witness will be summoned tc
testlfy and Will be heard in full"
Court to Sit in Tent.
The court will be conducted in q
tent at the scene of the rescue work
near the entrance to Sand Cave
zen. Denhardt deemed it advisable
TO hold the hearing before Collins
rate has been determined, because of
the d1fhculty and expense of bringing
witnesses here after the work has
ended - -
Lieut. Robert Burden of the Louis
vile fire department., who has stated
that he had positive knowledge eff
forts were made to block rescue work. ;"
VIII be summoned. Burden was one
OF the comparatively few who talk I'd
TO Collins Three brothers of the i'm
prisoned man, Homer, Marshall and
Andrew, will be summoned, and Will
liam b. Miller of the Louisville Con.
Eier-Journal is expected to give his
testimony.
Many VIII Be Called.
All or those who talked to the
trapped victim, and those who know
tne circumstances of his explorations
VIII be heard. Persons familiar with
the cave country and those who have
heard various rumorS will be asked
to tell what they know.
FIVE electrical tests conducted
with voice ampliers today have con-
Flnced III. t. Carmichael, in charge
OF the rescue work at Sand Cave. that
toiilns is stlll alive after 10 days
imprisonment
H. g. Lane. Nunfordville operatin ?
tRe lighting system which suppiie
Scurrent for the bulb left at Collins
head. said Homer Collins. after lis
ten1ns 20 minutes on the wire was
satisfied he had heard FIoyd's he art
oeating at the rate of 20 times a
minute.
Rains Hamper Workers.
Mother Nature today had added
another obstacle to the efforts of
man to rescue Collins. sending tor
rents of rain last night, with a prom
1Se OF more today. Despite precau-
tIons to keep the water out of the
perpendicular shaft aimed at Collins
prison, seepage cropt into the bot
tom of the shaft and added heavily
to the burden of the volunteer dig
gers. They kept doggedly at it, with
some slight increase in hourly prog
ress. The shaft is less than half
way to Collins, so or 20 feet below
the surface.
When rock slides blocked the
natural tunnel of Sand Cave Thurs
tday, the use of pungeut but harmless
gas was seized upon as a means of
finding the back end of Collins lat
est cave, but the gas experiment
tried last night with banana oil was
unsuccessful. Despite a strong down
draft of air in Sand Cave, no trace
of the odor could be located in any
other nearby cave.
one of the more active rumors of
Sunday night was that Circuit Judge
Basil Richardson of Glasgok would
call a grand jury to investigate the
possibility of a publicity hoax. Judge
Richardson said he had never
thought of such thing, and didn't
believe it was hoax anyhow
Radio Tests Repeated.
None or the officials will comment
on the radio tests repeated Sunday.
which the experimenteFs claimed
were indicative of motiorS by Collins
as the electric light bulb hanging
around his neck is turned off and on
H. q. Lane of Munfordville, the radio
man, was convinced he had proven
Collins was still alive and this hope
still pervades the diggers in the
shaft, despite the four days of dig
ging they can see ahead They hope
to reach Collins by Thursday.
The diamond pointed drill which
has preceded the shaft work has not
been used since Saturday night, when
1T penetrated to 60 feet, but was not
yet into Collins cavern
BAR TO RESCUE ALLEGED.