Evening star., 1927-08-22
Explorer Believed Dead.


through a small opening hitherto un-
known, rescue workers were preparing
to make a final attempt to locate him.
already virtually having abandoned
all hope of finding him alive. A crew
of trained workers, under o. H. Pile,
chief mine inspector, ordered to the
scene by Gov. Peay, was ready to en-
ter the cave and preparations had
been made to drag the River of Dark
ness, which courses through the cav
ern, in an effort to- locate Ashley's
body.
The entrance of the Nick-a-Jack
Cave is on the Tennessee line where
that State joins Alabama and Georgia,
and the passageways of the cavern
run far back into the two latter
States.
Ashley entered the cave last Mon
day to examine an unexplored SUBJ
cavern, a cavern, which he believes
'is much larger than the famous
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky" and it
was there that he was trapped by
landslide which cut off his retreat and
with a pocket knife and a small
shovel, which he had carried with
him into the cave. A supply of food
which he had cached in the cavern
and from which he was not cut off
by the slide served to sustain life
during his six days fight to free him.
self.
Angered at Hoax Report.
After a brief rest at the home Of
friend, near the cave, Ashley ap-
peared much refreshed as he related
his experiences Of the past week. He
was indignant at suggestions that the
whole affair was a hoax to advertise
the cave, on which he Is said to hold
a 50-year lease, and threatened to
bring suit against any parties or pub
lications that spread such a report.
Ashley described how he entered
| the cavern by crawling for a distance
OF about one hundred feet on his
| hands and knees. Once inside he was
"amazed" at what he found.
"I have explored Mammoth Cave" !"
he declared, but I have never found
anything in it to equal the cave I was
in"
While he was in the cavern the
| landslide cut off his retreat and he
was forced to seek another exit. Then,
using a lighted candle for a compass
and his small trench shovel to enlarge
crevices too narrow to permit pass.
days until Sunday morning he made
his way to freedom.
| "Conserving my supply Of water
| for the carbon lamps, I resorted to
candles for light" he declared in re-
lating his experience.
Discovers Small Opening.
"It was fortunate that I lighted a
candle, for as slight as the movement
Of air was / was convinced that it
would lead me to a new and unknown
opening. Frantically / followed the
draft Of air and finally found a small
amount Of water for my carbide
lamps
ION Thursday night I discovered a
small opening. I could see through
this but could not crawl through. In
the frenzy Of my first terror l tried
| to dig my way out with small
pocket knife. The ceiling was OF
rock and the floor Of hard packed
shale formation. I was soon con-
vinced of the futility Of these efforts
and retraced my steps. some four OF
five miles to the point where the
cave-in took place, and secured a
small trench shovel which had fool
ishly left behind on finding myself
trapped.
| again coming 10 tne new Ell
trance which is in Georgia, think
slept few hours. AS soon as II
was daylight / started digging out
A strong animal odor was present
and in a short time discovered that
I was in the nest of family OF
young wild cats. I realized that they
would do me no harm IL ! let them
alone, so l discontinued my opera
tions for some time and they skunk
out of the small opening, leaving me
free to continue my excavations.
due to the small amount of light
from the aperture in the mountain
side I was able to extinguish my
carbide lamps and so conserve fuel
This work continued on without re-
gard to time-until / was able to
squeeze through the opening / had
succeeded in making. remember
coming out into the bright sunlight
for thu first time In nea&4y q week