This little story was found on a US treasure hunting site. it is an experience of two apparently young adult detectorists who decide to go caving for an alleged treasure. Fortunately it has a happy ending, no one died, no one was injured. Just reading it tells me it could easily have been a very different story. Talking about this sort of treasure hunting is one thing, actually doing it can have some very serious consequences, often life or death consequences. Following the story are some of the basic rules of caving, none of which are mentioned in the story.
-
Bart
The Strongbox Cave Treasure Hunt - (
or How We nearly Died In a Cave)
"
We lived in (the central part of the state) but his hometown was over on the west side of the state near the Mississippi river. When he was growing up he had heard of a strongbox or chest in a cave on a rock bluff. It seems as if someone had crawled into this cave and once inside it opened into a larger room. This fellow that had relayed the story to him said he was able to see a chest through a small opening beyond his reach. We got to talking and Jim and I decided if we saw a chest we could figure a way to get to it. As soon as the week-end came around we were ready for our treasure hunting trip. We got an early start because it was about a two hour drive. He knew exactly where the cave was so we didn't have to look for it. It wasn't what I was expecting on the bluff in solid rock was an opening about two feet in diameter. (not what I would consider a cave) Jim assured me that he was told it got larger after you went back into it. We climbed up to the hole and I went first it was too small to crawl on my hands and knees I had to lay flat on my stomach and push with my toes and pull with my hands. (each movement was only a few inches) Jim was coming along behind me (I should note I am a slender person and Jim has a stocky build) This entered my mind after we had crawled maybe twenty feet and Jim says, "I'm stuck". Panic on my part...no room to turn around ....can't back up cause Jim is stuck....and I'm not going any farther forward.... Jim got unstuck and backed out with me almost pushing him back.. If their is a treasure in that hole it can stay there cause I'm not going back in there. Jim's father-in-law called it a ground hog hole and that was about the size of it."
Caving Rules
William R. Elliott, Ph.D.
Missouri Department of Conservation
May 23, 2000
Before you go adventuring into a cave, you should know some of the basic safety rules. In Missouri, the commonest caving hazard is
hypothermia caused by exposure to 55? F water.
Some have drowned in cave flash floods, so keep an eye to the weather. If you're new to caving, please visit a Agrotto@ (caving club) and go through training. A list of these grottos is available from the Missouri Department of Conservation, or at
http://www.umsl.edu/~joellaws/ozark_caving/ozgrott.htm. If you learn and follow the rules of safe caving, the most dangerous part with be driving to and from the cave.
Caving rules:
1. Wear a climbing helmet or hardhat with a sturdy chinstrap.
2. Wear a good electric headlamp on the helmet rather than carry a flashlight, so that your hands will be completely free for crawling and climbing.
3. Wear sturdy old clothes or coveralls, work gloves, and good (but not expensive) hiking boots. If it's a wet cave you may need polypro long johns or even a wet suit.
4. Carry two other reliable sources of light in a small backpack or fanny pack, plus new batteries and spare bulbs.
5.
Never go caving alone or without the landowner's permission. Go with at least three other experienced cavers; if one is injured two can go for help while one stays with the victim.
Always tell someone responsible where you will be and what time you will return.
Give them directions to the cave and the phone number of the owner or other responsible contact.
6.
Stay within your limits. Do not use ropes or cable ladders until you have been adequately trained by experienced vertical cavers. Do not jump in a cave. Do not climb down shafts that you cannot climb up again. Do not go underwater in a cave without being totally trained and certified as a cave diver (open water scuba divers are not certified in cave diving, which is a very dangerous sport.)
7. Good caving habits: Don't smoke in caves. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of harmful chemicals; nicotine is poisonous to cave animals. Don't break formations or remove already broken ones, it is illegal, and it encourages others to break and remove them.
8. Do not kill, collect, or bother animals in the cave. A scientific permit would be required from the Missouri Department of Conservation to collect.
