Profs and Pints Online presents: “Trapped in the Earth,” a look at a failed 1925 cave rescue that transfixed and inspired America, with Alyssa Warrick, public historian and former guide at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky.

[This talk will remain available in recorded form at the link given here for tickets and access.]

-Andrew Jenkins, “The Death of Floyd Collins”

On January 30th, 1925, veteran cave explorer Floyd Collins of Kentucky entered the earth for the last time. He’d never come back out of it alive, and in his last days and death he achieved fame beyond any he’d conceived of as man who sought to turn caves into tourist attractions.

Come learn the fascinating tale of his life and demise from Alyssa Warrick, who has extensively researched this bizarre chapter in American history as a public historian, a history instructor at Montgomery College, and both a former instructor at Mississippi State University and a former cave guide.

She’ll describe how from the 1890s to the 1920s, rural landowners in south-central Kentucky sought to make money by guiding visitors to their region through the caves beneath their feet. They descended into a ruthless competition for tourist dollars known as the "Cave Wars," which at times involved breaking into caves owned by their rivals to destroy precious stalactites and stalagmites. Among their chief prizes was Mammoth Cave, which, despite being a natural wonder, was not seen as large enough to be worthy of the national park status conferred upon Western sites such the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite. It was managed at the time by the husband of a Washington socialite.

Collins and his family already operated one cave for tourists, but it was in a remote area well off the beaten path, and he longed to find another one more accessible to tourists. His entrapment in that quest led to a weeks-long effort to free him that became the human-interest story of the year. He died while people were trying to rescue him, and his body was eventually hauled out and put on display by the dentist who purchased the cave Collins had owned.

The death of Floyd Collins convinced many that the area's poor locals did not know how to manage the caves, inspiring Congress to establish Mammoth Cave National Park and leading to nationwide changes in environmental conservation. It transformed the methods of cave exploration in ways designed to prevent such mishaps and became a cautionary tale for how not to conduct cave rescues.

Eventually, his death inspired songs, movies, and even an off-Broadway musical. You’ll be captivated by this online discussion of his life, death, and legacy.

Profs & Pints Online: Trapped in the Earth