Tragedy of Sand Cave

The Story of Floyd Collins
Prologue

Fate seems to have selected Floyd COLLINS as a figure for the nation's Hall of Fame in early childhood. Born in the hilly cave region of Kentucky in 1890, Collins as a boy evinced the passion of exploration that cost him his life.

While his playmates were content to follow the usual pastimes of normal boys, Floyd often would desert them to worm his way into the yawning caverns. To him glistening gypsum and the pillars of onyx were as wonderful as the coveted birds' egg and he sought them ardently. This queer turn of mentality caused his parents much worry and his father, Lee COLLINS, a devout church goer, often was haunted with the premonition of disaster.

Growing into manhood among crude surroundings, Collins did not begin the professional exploration of caves until after he accidentally discovered Crystal Cave in December, 1917. One morning, while making the round of his traps set for woodchuck and other small animals, Floyd discovered that a trap had been sprung and dragged away by its captive.

Search for the woodchuck and the trap revealed a small hole on the cest of a ridge near the Collins home. After much squirming and considerable excavation, Floyd succeeded in enlarging the hole sufficiently to permit the entrance of his entire body. Once inside all thoughts of the trap were abandoned for the hole proved to be a natural water drain leaving into a vast pit that yawned downward a distance of 237 feet.

Thus Crystal Cave was discovered. Floyd was given a half interest in the cave and he, his father, and three brothers, Marshall, Homer and Andrew Lee opened up the cave for commercial purposes. The venture did not pay as well as was expected, due to the location at a point too far from a passable highway, but the cave today has great possibilities in that it is regarded generally as one of the most beautiful in Kentucky.

After Floyd discovered Crystal Cave his services were eagerly sought by a number of farmers of Barren, Hart and Edmonson Counties as a professional explorer. He worked always on contracts stipulating that the discoverer was to be deeded a half interest in the new cave.

Thus Collins made his living. He was boarded by those for whom he worked and his financial outlay was small. Sheer joy of exploration and the lure of great wealth, should he open up a cave of such proportions as Mammoth or the new entrance drove him on in the face of great dangers. That the teeth of the cave dragon closed upon him in Sand Cavern was the natural course of events. Floyd had often been warned and had laughed at those who feared. For his was the courage of the Vikings. They scoffed at the perils of uncharted seas as he made light of even more fearful dangers of the land below the surface.

Collins began working in Sand Cavern about the first week of January, 1925, after a contract had been drawn up between himself, Bee DOYLE, Edward ESTES, and J. L. COX, all farmers owning land adjoining the narrow water fisssure. That this fissure, located on the DOYLE's farm, seven and one half miles southeast of Cave City, shoul be called Sand Cave was purely accidental. Floyd named it after he found white sand in its strata and the title was promptly adopted for want of a better one.

An illustration of Collins' fortitude is the story of his plight while exploring Crystal Cave in 1923. He was wedged in a tight passage for twenty hours but lay quietly while frantic friends effected his release. Other men would have taken warning but Collins again threw the gauntlet of daring in the teeth of a relentless Fate and continued exploring the next morning.

So what has gone before illustrates the character of the story's central figure. It reveals him as a true hero, well fitted both mentally and physically to play the leading role in the "Tragedy of Sand Cavern."

Ballad Chap1 Chap2 Chap3 Chap4 Chap5 Chap6 Chap7 Chap8 Chap9 Chap10 Chap11 Chap12 Chap13 Chap14 Chap15 Epilogue Index