Tragedy of Sand Cave
Epilogue

Comments from Sandi Gorin on

"TRAPPED! THE STORY OF FLOYD COLLINS" by Robert K.Murray & Roger W. Brucker

Having just finished the story of the "Tragedy of Sand Cave", I would like to make a few comments about "Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins", authored by Robert K. Murray and Roger W. Brucker, and published by the University Press of Kentucky, © 1979. This book retells the story of Floyd COLLINS' entrapment, however, the authors had the advantage of resources not available when Hartley wrote his book "Tragedy of Sand Cave" in 1925. They read every book which had been printed, read the newspaper accounts from all the major newspapers, and brought the story "home" to those of the Cave City area - including names and events not recorded by Hartley. They have included the Ballad of Floyd Collins , wonderful glossy photographs of the caves, and many accurate drawings of the cave and tunnel where Floyd was trapped. The tunnel where Floyd was trapped was not a horizontal shaft, but was actually a vertical shaft with him at the bottom.

Many stories abounded with tales of the trapping of Floyd and the COLLINS family were often pictured in less than flattering terms. Lawsuits were brought by the family after stories were published in major magazines of the circus like affair of the family traveling around the county with Floyd's casket.

According to the authors, the COLLINS family had a rough time after Floyd's death and Homer COLLINS always disagreed with Lee COLLINS' decision to leave Floyd's body in the cave. Homer started touring the country, telling the story, with stereopticon slides showing the rescuers and events surrounding Floyd's death. Family lawsuits ensued over these "tours". On 11 March, 1925, Homer COLLINS entered into a contract with W. H. HUNT, a miner from Central City to remove Floyd's body from the cave. The digging began on the 4th of April and by the 10th of the same month, HUNT hit the bottom of the shaft. It took until the 17th, 64 feet into the cave to get to the edge where Floyd had been found. HUNT and the 6 miners helping him found that the rock which had held Floyd was "lamb leg" shaped and weighed between 50-75 pounds. Bee DOYLE claimed that this rock was part of his property when it was broken off and began displaying the rock and Floyd's left shoe at the Sand Cave office to increase sales.

Floyd's body was released 23 April,1925. The body was covered and some controversy broke forth when his body was brought out .. was this all a stunt or was it really Floyd? Two men were called on to cut the covering with pocket knives enough to reveal Floyd's face. The body was then taken to Cave City for embalming. The undertaker was J. T. GERALDS. It was noted that cave crickets had eaten of Floyd's ears and part of the face. On Sunday, 26 April, after a long embalming process and the removal of personal effects, Floyd received a proper burial. Over 400 people came back to Sand Cave for this burial. It was decided to make his final resting place on a small knoll overlooking Crystal Cave beside the Flint Ridge family homestead and near the path to the cave.

Lee COLLINS sold Crystal cave in 1927 to Dr. Harry B. THOMAS, a Horse Cave dentist for $10,000. He already owned Hidden River Cave and Mammoth Onyx Cave. As part of the agreement, THOMAS was allowed to move Floyd's body into Crystal Cave if he wished. Lee said he needed the money for his family but some thought THOMAS had tricked him, including William Travis BLAIR, a neighbor of Lee's. Floyd was dug up, again, and put into a glass covered bronze coffin. Much work was required to make his remains presentable, and on 13 June, 1927, the new casket and Floyd were placed in the middle of a tourist trail in Crystal Cave's main concourse. A granite tombstone read: WILLIAM FLOYD COLLINS, Born July 20, 1887, buried April 26, 1925, Trapped in Sand Cave Jan. 30, 1925, Discovered Crystal Cave Jan. 18, 1917, Greatest Cave Explorer Ever Known." Thousands flocked to see him!

A law suit broke out lasting two years between the COLLINS brother and THOMAS, but the body remained in Crystal Cave. However, the tragedy of Floyd Collins continue because sometime between the 18th and 19th of March, 1929, the body was stolen from the coffin. The corpse was found later in the day in the neighboring countryside, minus the left leg. The rumors flew that THOMAS himself had arranged for the snatching in order to increase tourism. Others thought that competitors from the Great Onyx group took it because their business had been hurt. Yet others thought that Homer COLLINS had paid to have his son's body taken, but something went wrong and the body had to be dumped. THOMAS took no other chances - he locked the cave at night, closed the coffin and locked it up. In 1939, THOMAS had a monument built to Floyd, in the center of the town of Horse Cave, Hart County, KY. It was a traffic hazard and in June, 1965, it was struck by a truck, knocking down most of the monument and killing Bosley PEGGIGOW (James Bosley Pedigo) of Cave City, a passerby on foot.

Law suits continued over the years, with numerous television programs, books and movies dealing Floyd's plight.. The story was told and re-told with embellishments added. It was noted that by 1978, the COLLINS story ranked as the 3rd largest news event in American history! Floyd was buried for the final time inside Mammoth Cave, sometime in the 1990's .

Family information and various names mentioned in the tragedy of Floyd Collins..

• One of the pilots who flew newspaper accounts of Floyd's entombment was none other than Charles LINDBERGH!
• Lee COLLINS was married twice; by his second wife he had a boy who died and a daughter named Leona. His first wife was Martha and they had a married son Marshall COLLINS. Lee died in 1936 and is buried in a grave on Flint Ridge, about 100 yards from the Crystal Cave Road. His stone is the only one readable - Born May 26, 1858; died Mar 15, 1936; Gone But Not Forgotten."
• Homer COLLINS moved to Louisville, married in 1929 and had one child. He was a wallpaper and paint salesman. He died in 1971 of a liver ailment.
• Andy Lee COLLINS, remained in KY, was a farmer in Hart Co for awhile and opened a small cave that he called the Floyd COLLINS Crystal Onyx Cave. He died in 1940, age 45, left 4 children.
• Floyd's sister Nellie, married and lived near Homer in Louisville. She died in 1971, 6 months after Homer; she had no children.
• Annie COLLINS, youngest sister of Floyd, left home in 1919, and moved to Moline, IL where she had five children. She was murdered by her husband with a butcher knife. Her daughters clung to her skirt while she lay dying. Her husband turned the gun on himself and killed himself while their 8 yr old son watched.
• Marshall COLLINS was still living in Horse Cave, KY, in 1978. He and his wife Anna had been married 60 yrs at that time. Two of their children went west, the other children live in the area.
• Johnnie GERALD had an auto dealership and real estate business. He was later known as a "rough character" and a illegal liquor runner. Killed in a fishing trip in 1965 and he left a large family. His second wife lived in Cave City and managed an apartment house in 1978.
• Robert BURDON lived out his life in Louisville. He became an authority on civil defense and served as Captain of the Louisville Fire Department. He died December, 1961, of a heart attack, leaving a widow, Grovena, a son, and dau who, at the writing of this book, lived in Louisville.
• Alma CLARK, who was known as Floyd's mystery sweetheart, was still living in 1978 at age 71. She married Floyd ("Barney") Short and lived about 1/2 mile from Sand Cave.
• Ed ESTES was killed in an auto-train accident in 1928. His son Jewell, the one who first discovered Floyd, died early in the 1960's.
• Henry St. George T. CARMICHAEL became the state disaster chairman of the American Red Cross. He died in 1949 of uremic poisoning.
• William MILLER became employed by NBC and was responsible for special events.

People who were interviewed in preparation of "Trapped!":

• Arthur ADWELL, neighbor of the COLLINS family;

• Guy BLAIR, fireman on the old Mammoth Cave Railroad;

• William Travis BLAIR, next door neighbor of the COLLINS;

• Clifton Lewis BRANSFORD, Mammoth Cave guide;

• Matthew W. BRANSFORD, Mammoth Cave guide;

• Lawrence A. BURDON, son of rescuer Robert BURDON;

• Anna COLLINS, wife of Marshall;

• Marshall COLLINS, younger brother of Floyd;

• Perry COX, husband of Lucy;

• Lucy COX, owner of Great Onyx Cave;

• Lyman CUTLIFF, neighbor & friend of the COLLINS family;

• Andrew DENNISON, kitchen worker at Mammoth Cave and mail carrier;

• Earl DICKEY, Cave City banker;

• Lenny DOSSEY, Green River ferry operator;

• James W. DYER, resident manager of Crystal Cave;

• Mrs. John B. GERALD, 2nd wife of Johnnie GERALD;

• Carl HANSON, Mammoth Cave guide;

• Wade HIGHBAUGH, Cave City photographer,

• Terry JEWELL, solicitor for Mammoth Onyx Cave;

• Ellis JONES (now deceased), garage manager in Cave City;

• Elkanah KLINE, Crystal Cave guide;

• Lute LEE, Colossal Cave guide;

• William B. MILLER, rescuer and 1926 Pulitzer Prize winner;

• Mrs. Ben MONROE, owner of Park View Motel near Cave City;

• Dr. Elwood ROWSEY, Sr, owner of Diamond Caverns;

• Mrs. Nellie SELL, store owner on Flint Ridge;

• Irvine STICE, long-time resident of the area;

• John VANCE, old-time resident of Park CIty;

• Lincoln WELLS, solicitor and guide at Mammoth Cave.

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For a fictional account of Floyd Collins' story read "The Cave" © 1959 by Robert Penn Warren, Kentucky author/poet from Todd County, KY.

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