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B U, L LET II N Number Nine of the In This Issue: "DOWN THROUGH CHASMS AND GULFS PROFOUND" By JOHN HOOPER CA VE MAPS AND MAPPING By WILLIAM E. DAVIES GEOPHYSICS AND ITS APPLICATION TO SPELEOLOGY By ELLIS L. KRINITZKY NOTES ON PHOTOGRAPHY AS APPLIED TO SPELEOLOGY By JOHN MEENEHAN and HOWARD WATKINS AN UNUSUAL PHENOMENON By BURTON FAUS1 WASHINGTON, D. C. BULLETIN o/the NATIONAL SPELEOLOGIcAL SOCIETY Issue Number Nine September, 1947 2000 Copies 84 Pages , \ ' Published intermittently by The National Speleological Society"510 Star Building, Washington, D. C., at $1.50 per copy. Copyright, 1947, by the National 'Speleological Society. , , . \ , I EDITOR: DON BLOCH 654 Emerson St., Denver 3, Colorado , . - .. r ASSOCIATE EDITORS: DR. R. W. STONE, DR. ,MARTIN H •. MUMA , , I ,I' .... OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 'CHAIRMEr-.r' . I ·WM. J. ' STEPH~NSON *CHARLES E . MOHR *LEROY W. FOOTE ·J ~ "S . PETRiE President .. Vice-President .Treasurer ' Secretary , 4825 North Lane Audubon Nature Center • , . R. F. D:' 1 400 S,' Glebe Road Bethesda 14, Md'. , Greenwich, Conn. Mi,ddlebury, Conn. Arlington. Va . MRS. CHRISSY MANSFIELD OW. S.HILL BETTY YOE Secretary to the Board Editor. The Newsletter Associate Editor. The Newsletter 3102 N. Pershing Drive 70 Wallace St. 2618 E. 89th St. Arlington, Va. Woodbury, N. J. Cleveland 4. O. ArchaeologLA Flora Membership Safety HOWARD CCoRD DR. CARROLL E . Cox *J. S. PETRIE . JOHN.MEENEHAN Greenville, Va. 7501 Hopkins ·Ave. 400 S. Glebe Road '1222 Euclid St. • NW College Park. Md. Arlington, Va. Washington, D. C. Bibliography & Library ROBBRT BRAY Folklore Paleontology 4820 N. 9th St. *CLAy PERRY DR. ALFRED BURRILL Other Boarq Members Arlington, 'Ie. East Acres' 1247 Elmerine Ave. Pittsfield, Mass. Jefferson City, Mo. *SAM ALLBN 1226 Wellesly Ave. Commercial Caves Formations & Mineralogy WILLIAM McGILL Steubenville. O. ~H.BENN Photography 1860 Wayside Place S. National Museum *G. ALEXANDER ROBERTSON Charlottesville, Va. Washington D. C. 3718 Brookside Road Richmond 24, Va. *ETHELYN FUSSELLB Equipment & Safety 1224 Franklin Rd., SW Grottoes Roanoke, Va. ELTON BROWN *WM. BLAHA Program & Activities 5909 Chillum Gate Road 911 E. 72nd St. BURTON FAUST HyattsvUle, MeL Oeveland, O. 5130 Conn. Ave .• NW *DR. HERBERT JACKSON Washington. D. C. Box 527 Exploration Hydrology Blacksburg, Va. *ERNEST ACKERLY DR. A. C. SWlNNERTON Publications 361 Rockaway Ave. 145 Limestone St. DON BLOCH Valley Stream, L.I., N. Y. Yellow Springs. O. 654 Emerson St. *RICHARD LOGAN Denver 3, Colo. Connecticut College Fauna Legal New, London, Conn. *JAMBS FoWLER GBORGB. SIPKIN Publicity 29 W. Irving St. 1435 Sheridan St.. NW MRS. CHRISSY MANSFIELD Chevy Chase IS, Md. Washington. D. C. *PROF. M. G. NBTTING 3102 N. Pershing Drive Carnegie Museum Arlington. Va. Finance Pittsburgh 13. Pa. *LBRoy W. FOOTS .~'h. DAVIES R. F. D. 1 2311 N . 9th St. Records Middlebury, Conn. Arlington. Va. ROBBRT E. MORGAN *DR. R. W. STONE 9803 Dallas Ave. 3115 N. Front St. *1947 Board of Governors SIlver Springs. MeL Harrisburg. Pa. CONTENTS LISTED ON OUTSIDE BACK COVER , FOR THE NEXT ISSUE: Editorial changes will be announced in the columns of The News.. letter when these have been determined by a ction of the Board of Governors. In the mean~ tim·e. with resignation of the Editor. publication of the Bulletin is temporarily suspended. Printed by Western Newspa.per Union. Denver. Colora.do BULLETIN of the NUMBER NINE SEPTEMBER, 1947 CAVE MAPS AND MAPPING By WILLIAM E . DAVIES ITH MOST of the surface of the earth F rom each of these control stations, compass and W explored at least, and many areas ade tape traverses are executed to complete detail quately mapped, the remaining untouched field necessary for the map. From such a survey the for those with pioneer inclina tions is found under hig best accuracy should be expected , enabling ground. Even though caves were man's first (and alignment of the cave with surface features. may possibly be his next) dwelling place, however, Ordinary stadia rods are usually too cumber relatively few of them have been thoroughly ex some and delicate to transport through a cave. A plored a nd still fewer mapped. rod made from one-inch dowels with a total length At first consideration the uninitiated may as of six feet, in two detachable segments, will serve sume that cave mapping presents the same prob well and is easil y transported. In many places a lems as ordinary su dace mapping. If the average tape used in place o f the stadia rod is more expe surveyor were to confine hi s work to a narrow ditious, but care must be taken to eliminate sag canyon , working only a t night, in high humidity. in the tape during measurements. Laxity in such and on ground covered with the stickiest sort of cases will defeat the pmpose of a transit survey. mud, he might approach physical conditions com In using a transit it is necessary to have a parable to those underground. A more difficult steady, pin-point source of light at the station be problem, too, is encountered in cave ma pping, ing Sighted. Candle fl a mes, in general, are too since the surveyor is mapping a void and not a variable for such work; but carbide flames, 'with a solid, as in surface work; thus, the featmes to be flame protector or a fl ashlight. are satisfactory. delineated are far more complex. An open flashlight bulb mounted on a dry cell can Methods of Survey be used. If a stadia rod with illumination is used, Ordinary s urveying methods using transit or the need for a pin-point source of light is elim ina ted. plane table have been tried but found impractical except in large caves. Poor lighting, short lines of Compass and tape, the instruments most com Sig ht, and difficulty of carrying large instruments monly used for cave measurements, are suitable, through caves make such methods more time-con except in very large caves or where engineering s uming; a nd the increase in accuracy gained is of work is involved. Because of the short lines of questionable value. Sight, 50 or 100 foot cloth tapes will serve. The Where time is available, and physical condi average life of a steel tape in cave use is short tions of the cave are such that a transit can be since it is rapidly corroded by cave waters used without undue in convenience. a transit tra a nd. humidity. A string knotted at intervals of verse to establish accurate horizontal positions anc! five feet is satisfactory for measuring where cave levels of selected control stations is valuable. BULLETIN NINE. N.S.S. [I I BULLETIN NUMBER NINE conditions would ruin a standard tape. Readings should not be used in a cave until they have had on the string can be estimated to the nearest foot.' time to become adjusted to the temperature of the Clothes-pins or small stakes of wood, consecutive cave. Failure to allow for this adjustment will in~ ly numbered', are ideal for establishing semi-per troduce considerable error in the absolute value manent survey stations; these are valuable in coor of all levels. dinating the survey with work of othe.r members When a Brunton or a compass with a clino of the party. meter is used, the degree of slope can be deter A Brunton or similar compass with sights, clino mined and, from this, the change in elevation. meter, and fully graduated disk makes for a most This method is not as accurate, however, as the rapid survey. Whenever possible. all readings handlevel and stadia. In recording, care should be should be consistent foresights (sights progressive taken to indicate whether the slope is up or down. from an occupied station to a new station), or con To obtain sufficient data for contouring the cave sistent backsights (sights progressive from a newly floor, a series of auxiliary stations must be run occupied station to a former occupied station). to critical points from each of the primary level Combination of foresights and backsights should stations. Where contours are desired, detailed be avoided, as this will cause considerable confu running sketches are also necessary, as a part of sion unless carefully identified in the records. All the notes. compass readings should be given as bearings Ceiling heights have always been difficult to based on a 3600 circle without 'reference to quad obtain. In areas of low ceilings an extension ruler rants. Since most compasses read progressively is adequate for measurements. The simplest and clockwise, it is necessary to subtract the reading quickest means of obtaining ceiling heights in from 360 to obtain the bearing. 1£ bearings are rooms or passages of great height is the use of an given in quadrants, it is essential that the readings ordinary child's balloon, filled with hydrogen and be compatible with the quadrant (South 30 east; attached to a string which is knotted at five foot not North 150 east) as this simplifies recording. intervals. 1£ enough personnel is available, the Care must be taken to keep lamps and similar height of the cave may be determined by triangu magnetic attractions at least three feet away from lation. In such a system a prominent spot on the the compass to prevent incorrect readings. In caves ceiling is selected, and the angles to that spot are where the rocks are composed of sufficient mag measured from two stations, the distance between netic minerals to cause erratic compass readings, stations having been previously determined. bearings must be determined by use of a transit Where streams, pools, or lakes occur in caves, or plane table. the depth of the water should be obtained at criti cal points.