The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-08-22

III ANICN~ds00 0CA cave 0UQ Uuu SsuV
dig his way out after six days
Oi Imprisonment there.
Shellmound, Tenn, Aug. 22.-R-
Lawrence Ashley, geologist and cave
explorer, today owed his life to a
snail cache Of food he had planted
far back in the recesses Of the Nick
a-Jack cave and to small shovel
with which he dug his way to free
don, after being entombed for six
days.
Ashley made his exit yesterday
from the famous cavern, which
SPREADS out under three states, at a
point in Castle Rock Gulch, near the
abandoned Cole City mine, eight
miles from the mouth of the cave
which he entered Monday morning. a
week ago. He was in a dazed, semi
conscious condition and on the verge
Of collapse.
Trained Rescuers Ready
As Ashley emerged from the cav
ern through small opening hither-
to unknown, rescue workers were
preparing to make final attempt to
locate him, already virtually having
abandoned all hope of finding him
alive. A crew of trained workers, or
dered to the scene by Governor Peay,
was ready to enter the cave and
preparations had been made to drag
the River of Darkness, which courses
through the cavern, in an effort to
locate Ashley's% body. rs ,>ssss
The entrance Of the Nick-a-J ack
cave is on the Tennessee tine where
that state joins Alabama and Georgia
and the passageways Of the cavern
run far back into the latter two
states.
Ashley entered the cave last Mon
day to examine an unexplored sub
cavern, which he believes ''is much
larger than the famous Mammoth
that he was trapped by a landslide
him to dig his way to freedom with a
pocket knife and a small shovel.
Food, which he had cached in the
cavern, and from which he was not
cut off by the slide, served to sus-
tain life during his six-days' fight
to free himself.
Indignant at Hoax Idea
After brief rest at the home of
a friend near the cave, Ashley ap-
peared much refreshed as he related
his experiences of the past week. He
was indignant at the suggestions that
the whole affair was q hoax to ad-
vertise the cave, on which he is said
to hold a 5O-year lease.
Ashley described how he entered
the cavern by crawling about 100
sect on his hands and knees. Once
inside he was amazed" at what he
found.
II have explored Mammoth cave"
he declared, "but have never found
anything in it to equal the cave I
was in."
While he was in the cavern land
slide cut off his retreat and he was
forced TO seek another exit. Then,
using q lighted eeandle for a compass
and his small trench shovel to en-
large crevices. too, narrow to permit
passage of his body, he worked for
six days until Sunday morning he
made his way to freedom.
Conserving my supply Of water
for the carbon lamps. l fesorted to
ca..dles for light" he declared in re-
lating his experience.
Candle Shows the WY
1T was fortunate that lighted a
candle, for as slight as the movement
Of air was, ] was convinced that it
WVuiu AS0u Ie W uSW duu uu~
known opening. Frantically, fol-
lowed the draft of air and finally
found small amount of water for
my carbide lamps
ION Thursday night l discovered q
small opening. could see through
this but could not crawl out. In the
frenzy Of my first terror tried to
dig my way out with small pocket
knife: The ceiling was Of rock and
the floor Of hard packed shale
formation. Was soon convinced Of
tae futiiity OF these sffort4. and re-
traced my steps some fouF or five
miles to the point whore the csve-in
took place and secured ! smali trench
shovel which ! had foolishly left be-
Found Nest Of Wil6ests
Again coming to the new on
trance, which is In Georgia, think.
slept few hours. AZ soon ~ Il
was daylight started dieging out. 4
strong animal odor was present and
in a short time !, discovered Wa
in the nest Of family Of Young
wildcats. discontinued my opera
tions for some time and they skunk
out of the small opening, leaving mo
free to continue my excavations.
"The work continued until | was
able to squeeze through the opening.
remember coming sout into the
bright sunlight for the first time IN
neArlySa week, exhausted, but glad
TO- ~ free Of the mountsin tomb"
Ashley Il graduate Q{ the Uni
J, verstty Of Illinois. Fpll0wing his
: studies there he specialized In