OUTDOOR INDIANA up to Date Has Been Almost Overwhelming
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ti : Director's Page Hi Friends: Your response to our request to bring the mailing list of OUTDOOR INDIANA up to date has been almost overwhelming. In addition to the return of the card stapled in the December issue, we received a large number of new requests. It showed that our readers have shared their copies heretofore and it makes us proud and happy to have created something worth- while. We hope the large number of you who are on the mailing list for the first time in January will enjoy your association with our growing Conservation family in Indiana. If the January copy is a little late, you know that it was physically impossible to get the large job done in time. A lot of credit goes to the staff that has been getting the magazine out. Over 500 members of the Conservation Depart- ment staff and their families attended a Christmas Party as guests of Tony Hulman, Jr., our Commission Chair- man, at Forest Park in Terre Haute in December. It gave our staff an opportunity to meet with Governor Welsh and Commission members as well as staff people from all over the state. I would like to extend my thanks to Governor Welsh, Mr. Hulman and the pro- gram committee. The attendance at the party is one indication that the Department of Conservation is, working as a team, one of the good government goals of this administration. Mid-December also saw the holding of the 3rd Governors Conference on Water. Over 300 persons from all over the state attended the all-day session at the World War Memorial in Indian- apolis. After talks by "Matt" Huppoch of the Chief of Engineer's office in Washington, "Red" Males, banker from Oklahoma, and Governor Welsh, five workshops were held with vibrant, spirited dis- cussion. The need and reasons for policies followed in water and natural resource development are much better understood after open and free discussion. I only wish more of you could have been in attendance. Some of the conclusions and recommendations will be outlined in a more complete report in OUTDOOR INDIANA at a later date. Some real progress is being made in Chain-O'-Lakes State Park land acquisition and planned development. Kankakee State Park will be operated as a Public Hunting and Fishing Area with the addition of Baker Ranch. This should be a boost to our many hunters and fishermen in the north- west part of the state. In cooperation with the Division of Mental Health we are doubling the size of Clifty Falls State Park, our third oldest and one of the smallest. We are going to have some things popping down there. In fact, I don't have space to tell you all the things that are going on. In February I will try to bring you up to date with our land and improvement program. One thing I can say - the way it is going now, the Department is going to do more in '64. Happy New Year DONALD E. FOLTZ, Director Indiana Department of Conservation OUTDOOR INDIANA INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION MATTHEW E. WELSH, Governor DONALD E. FOLTZ, Director Commission: Anton (Tony) Hulman, Jr., Chairman, Terre Haute John A. Hillenbrand II, Batesville The Hon. Paul D. Ewan, Lafayette Wilbur Yates, Vincennes DIVISIONS AND DIRECTORS Administrative Assistant-Robert yso~i Forestry--Roert D. Raisch Accounting-Harold B. Smith Geological Survey-John B. Patton Comptroller-Wm. Dean Lacy Oil and Gas-Homer R. Brown Enforcement-Harold D. Raisor Public nformation-Thomas B. March Engineering-Henry C. Prange Purchasing-Anthony E. Sheppard Entomology-John J. Favinger State Parks-Kenneth R. Cougill Fish and Game-Woodrow W. Fleming Water Resources-Charles H. Bechert Vol. VII, No. 7 January, 1964 CONTENTS VANDALISM GOES UNDERGROUND . 2 GLENDALE PROJECT - BIRTH OF A DAM 7 AMERICA'S GREATEST DOUGHBOY . .. 12 THE INDIANA STATE MUSEUM MOVES AHEAD INDIANA STATE FOREST- A 60TH ANNIVERSARY 23 FOX LESSON . .. 29 NEWSOGRAM . .. 30 A CENTURY OF SERVICE . 32 Cover illustration of hen and drake buffleheads by Mac Heaton, OUTDOOR INDIANA art director. THOMAS B. MARCH, Editor Published monthly by the Indiana Department of Conservation, 6th BETTY BENNETT, Associate Editor Floor, State Office Building, Indianapolis, Indiana-46209. Second class mail privileges authorized at Indianapolis, Indiana. Out-of-state MAC HEATON, Art Director subscription rate $2.00. Change of address should be reported promptly. PHILIP VAN BLARICUM, Photographer Permission to reprint any material in this publication may be granted GENEVA CAHILL, Circulation Manager to responsible parties upon written application to the editor. ~unnerumss Photo by G. Le Stourgeon Farmer placed locked metal gate over entrance to Devil's Graveyard Cave in Harrison County to make sure visitors have to ask for permission to enter caves. This is a safeguard against vandalism and undiscovered accidents. VANDALISM goes underground by GRAHAM LE STOURGEON EACI WEEKEND, winter and sum- mations, the sheer thrill of explora- mer, a small army of spelunkers in- tion, and the possibility of discover- vades Southern Indiana to visit the ing a virgin cave and its pristine hundreds of "wild" caves to be found beauty. "Wild caves" are so-called in the area. At least 1,000 wild caves because there are no paths, lights, .or are known and more are being dis- guides; spelunkers entering such covered and explored each week as caves must carry their own light, usu- the number of cave-exploring enthusi- ally a carbide lamp attached to a asts continues to expand, but as the hard-hat, and must be prepared to number of cavers grows, so does the crawl, climb, wade, or swim through problem of cave conservation. the cave. Many of Southern Indiana's wild No matter how "wild" or remote a caves are, large and beautiful and cave may seem, most offer evidence of cavers are also attracted by rare for- previous human presence, and, un- Page 2 * OUTD.OOR INDIANA January, 1964 These impressive formations are examples of the awesome beauty of Indiana's larger caves. Since flash floods often inundate the caverns, inexperienced cavers should not venture into caves without an experienced partner. January, 1964 OUTDOOR INDIANA * Page 3 BEFORE AFTER Photo by Pat Humphrey The large, round formation at bottom left attracted vandals or possibly souvenir hunters enough to destroy it, despite the fact that it has probably taken thousands of years to form. fortunately, this is often in the form something about this problem are of vandalism. Many cave walls are grottos, or chapters, of the National marked by scratched-in names or Speleological Society in Indianapolis, smoked scribbling listing schools, fra- Depauw, Evansville, Chicago, and ternities or sororities, dates, love Cincinnati. Their common motto is, matches, or the hometowns of the "take nothing but pictures, leave vandals. Flashbulbs, cigarette butts, nothing but footprints." Would-be candy wrappers, tin cans, beer bottles, litterbugs are reminded, "if you can and scattered used carbide are all too carry it in, you can carry it out." often evident. The white residue of Some grottos have devoted entire used carbide is not only unsightly, but expeditions to cleaning caves by steel- it is also a killer of rare cave life such brushing cave walls to remove as blind fish and blind crawfish. smoked writings and by collecting The most disheartening sight is and removing bottles, cans, paper, and broken formations. In some caves, other trash left by thoughtless cavers. stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, and There are many individual cavers other speleothems (rock formations in who do not belong to organizations caves) have actually been mined to and novices often do not realize the provide specimens for rockhounds or amount of traffic through Indiana souvenirs for tourists. The formations caves. Registers left in caves reveal lose their luster when taken from the that some have over 100 visitors a damp cave atmosphere, but fortu- month. Novices may feel that leaving, nately, their is no longer a commer- a bit of trash will not be noticed, but cial demand for the rocks. Although, they are wrong. "Every litter bit of course, they cannot be replaced, hurts." the destruction continues, usually at Cave owners can do much to pro- the hands of inexperienced cavers. tect their own caves. Some owners are Among groups attempting to do entirely indifferent and do not mind Page 4 * OUTDOOR INDIANA January, 1964 BEFORE AFTER Photo by Pat Humphrey Experienced spelunkers like these quite often photograph and survey the caves. In this case, photographs were taken before and after vandals did their damage. Photo by Pat Humphrey Blind fish such as these are a rarity in caves and should be protected to preserve them from extinction. cavers being on their property and cave mouths, owners who demand going into their caves without asking that permission be asked find that permission. On the other hand, some when cavers are identified, vandalism owners have installed locked, metal ceases. gates over cave entrances and require Many farmers and other cave own- spelunkers to ask permission for en- ers do not realize the wonders that trance and to get a key to the lock. exist under their lands, because they Even without locked metal gates over have never been in their own caves. January, 1964 OUTDOOR INDIANA * Page 5 Photo by G. Le Stourgeon Looking like a sculptured waterfall, this formation is a rimstone dam in Boone's Mill Cave, Harrison County. Some spelunkers are attempting to Some owners do much damage to show landowners their caves, either their own caves, especially those with by inviting them on expeditions or by sink-hole entrances, which are often sending back pictures taken within used as trash dumps, sometimes clog- their cave.