FEBRUARY~ 1988 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 1 --------::r::= ------~=x~~ ------ ~ ~OTH CAVE SALTPETRf: WORKS.- CIICA 1110-1111' --.:mt caw ...,......_ ...,. IDM:»>ICW COUNTY ~RSPtnWr OF roTUN~ l..rAc.HING STATION wo: ~ !ZON ACTUIIi.. CQID!Tl~ a' 1le IIDit..to. lrJOCHNG STAT~ IM 1~ . "THIS OIWJ'I'G, tiSN:i E:V1~ rn:t1 ~ NoiP A n:m_ a' n«:: snt: ~ I"'AA'11'k1Tlf CAll:. NATQ-.IAL. ~. ·~·"l}te SITe M rT ~ lefi-Jms: liC MCl5T HYR:IIllat:AL 1J«TS (X' ~ ~ ~ ~ lA'ItUT Cl' '!He' W4~ Plft3 Iff) lH::' ~ (X' ~ ~ IUDII'G "li!INK. liC ~ SIOY5 tJlOl \AT IU A Dll"'"!:ftNr .5lr!P IIi 111: LrA::HII'G ~ lie P'* La!" \AT 15 eeltt:i Mu.cD WllH ~ - THE~ \lilT~ ~I'G IN~ I«> ~ DII::II!Mit«l ffil> "M:' WIT m:u:;H. AT~ ~ RIGHT \AT UXIVIATt:D CIIR'TW 5 er=JI'G ~ ASite. See "Saltpetre Works". p9. FEBRUARY, 1988 PAGE 2 READERS WRITE IN DEFENCE OF BACKSIGHTS CRF NEWSLETTER Volume 16, No.1 I enjoyed the interview with Tony Waltham Established 1973 [November Newsletter]. However, I feel obliged to ralse 1ssue with his assertion that survey backsights are usually a waste Editors, Sue Hagan, Mick Sutton of time. I argue that backsights are highly Route 1, Box 110A useful, even critical, when working in a large system like Mammoth. The issue boils down Annapolis, MO 63620 to one of uniformity of survey accuracy; backsights impose quality control in several Quarterly: Feb., May, Aug., Nov. ways. Subscriptions $4.00 per year. tl. The compass operator's detailed Deadline: One month before the first of attention is demanded - it is embarrasing the issue month. (and a pain) to repeat shots, particularly toward the end of a long trip, when one gets sloppy. 2). Poorly-skilled compass readers The CRF NEWSLETTER is a publication of are identified (sometimes to their surprise) the Cave Research Foundation, a and can be helped. 3). Faulty instuments are detected, a remarkablY common experience. non-profit organization incorporated in 4). Spurious situations, such as metal on the 1957 under the laws of Kentucky for the compass operator <e.9., steel screws in purpose of furthering research, helmet>, or in the vicmity (pack, etc.), are detected. Backsights are worthwhile on conservation, and education about caves vertical as well as azimuth. For instance, it and karst. For information about the is surprising how few know that laterally CRF, write to: Ronald C. Wilson, CRF tilting a Suunto clinometer affects the slope measurement. President, 1019 Maplewood Drive, Cedar Falls, IA 50613. These considerations apply particularly to the survey of a large, sprawling system such as Mammoth because hundreds of people (often of uncertain background) and thousands of survey stations are involved LILBURN PROJECT HOSTS ANNUAL over manY years. Indeed, you can blow off backsights in a small cave - it probably will MEETING not matter. However, in a truly big one, backsights, both azimuth and vertical, For the first time, CR F directors gathered in although sometimes a hassle, temper cumulative uncertainties. Fresno, California and Kings Canyon National Park for the annual members' Norm Pace meeting, which took place on October 8-10, 1987. Thursday afternoon was spent in CARLSBAD IS ONE CAVERN meetings with National Park Service personnel; Friday was spent in closed I noticed you had edited my cave names in the Lechuguilla article [November session, during which the directors briefed Newsletter] to the plural form Carlsbad each other on current projects and issues. Caverns. The correct form-J as established in Saturday included an open members' meeting current usage of the Park ;:;;ervice, is Carlsbad Cavern, as based on original usage among the big trees at Grant Grove followed in W. T. Lee's articles of the 1920s. The by a delightful five mile backpack through plural form is correct only in the name of the world's largest sequoia grove to the CRF Carlsbad Caverns National Park as a whole, in recognition of the unit's enlargement in field research station in Redwood Canyon. 1930 to incorporate a number of separate Sunday was spent in examining Lilburn Cave "caverns". Use of the plural form for the first hand. Directors took part in a number main cavern alone seems to be a corruption resulting from confusion with the name of of projects, including water sampling and the whole Park. The NPS encourages use of mappinq. the singular form by writers on Carlsbad Cavern, and I would recommend this be accepted as standard usage by all CRF Board actions focussed largely on authors. reaffirmation of current goals, including support for the upcoming China expedition, Donald Davis. publication of books and maps, cooperation [The correct form is duly noted. As an with other groups <especially the Central instance of the long-lastln~ confusion, Jim Kentucky Karst Coalition, Mammoth Cave White 's 1932 book is titled 'The discovery and history of Carlsbad Caverns", while the National Park Nature Association, and text refers consistentlY to Carlsbad Cavern. Missouri Speleological Survey), and MS/SH.J preparation for emerging issues, such as FEBRUARY, 1988 PAGE 3 underground wilderness. James Borden, corporate grants fund similar Italian Peter Basted, and Mick Sutton were honored efforts). An interesting question was how with election to membership in the long does l t take to be trained to work in the Foundation. system. Apparently, Italian procedures call for a lengthy training period before Directors took advantage of the opportunity venturing on a real trip. They were amazed, to become better aquainted with California even aghast, to discover that we throw caving and cavers. Howard Hurtt, John novices into the fray and see if they survive. Tinsley, Mike Spiess, and Pat Witt did a terrific job of hosting events in Fresno and I visited the nearby show cave, Grotte di organizing logistics for a productive and Frasassi. The cave resembled Blanchard enjoyable meeting in the Sierras. Springs Cavern, AK, but was even more beautiful. It is operated by the local Ron Wilson government, and some of the funds go to caving groups for research. The current theory is that the area's caves formed PHANTASPELEO /87 through sulfuric acid solution. [see Guadalupe Caves, p9 J. Many people made Last October I travelled to Italy as guest of this trip possible. The CNS paid for travel the Centro Nazionale di Speleologia <CNS> to and lodging, and CRF contributed toward address their annual gathering, additional expenses. Marco Menichetti acted Phantaspeleo '87. There is no central caving as host and his wife, Della, was my prime organization in Italy, but the CNS, a translator. I am grateful to Ron Wilson, compendium of groups from Umbria and Norbert Welch and Stan Sides for providing adjoining states, is similar in structure and photographs. purpose to the CRF. The festival attracted nearly 700 cavers from Italy and nearby Scott House nations. It was held in the Umbrian village of Costacciaro, a charming walled medieval town nestled at the foot of Mount Cucco, a SURVEY DATA REDUCTION cavernous block of limestone that juts 1000m above it. The CNS headquarters, in a very Many computer programs have been written old building in Costacciaro includes a for reducing survey data. Recently, I have meeting room, auditorium, offices, Ubrary, developed a program called "Cave Recorder" and a luxurious dormitory. Elsewhere is a for Apple II series computers. It will run hydraulics lab for testing climbing with 64k of me mary, and requires a single implements and ropes. disk drive. Data is stored on floppy disks using DOS 3.3 ASCII files <a more advanced Most of the festival consisted of films and ProDOS version is in the works). videos. In the exhibition area, I displayed many of our maps <our new 1:600 maps The program reduces survey data to compared very favorably with other maps on Cartesian coordinates. The starting point display) and gave away about a hundred map and end point can be preset, and the cards. During a section on world cave coordinates adjusted using a compass-rule exploration, I gave a talk and slide show on loop closure routine (simultaneous closure of Mammoth Cave. complex loops cannot be done). The files can be appended to other files to create larger One question that arose was how do we loops. Other reduction programs were used coordinate the vast numbers of groups for the basic design, and the menus were working in such a system; the audience was modeled after AppleWorks menus. However, amazed to learn that only two groups <CRF testing and revision proved to be the best and CKKC> are involved. In Italy, some maps development agents. The program is being can't be put together because different used for the Mammoth Cave 1:600 map groups had worked on the same cave using series. You can obtain a copy by writing to totally different systems. Another question the author at 2148 Timber Lane, Barnhart, concerned our funding; the audience MO 63012. Send a disk or a dollar. applauded on learning that our mapping effort is privately funded <government and Eric Compas FEBRUARY, 1988 PAGE 4 EXPEDITIONS MAMMOTH CA.YE Columbus Dav • October 10-12 Leader, Mlck Sutton: manager Sue Hagan Labor DaY Expedition. September 4-7 Leader , Ron Wilson: manager, Jan The expedition concentrated on bringing the Hemberger. Kentucky Avenue and Gravel Avenue manuscript maps closer to completion, Thirty-nine cavers from 10 States and though there was actiVity on other projects Brlta10 gathered to support projects in cave as well. htstory, art and science. Thanks to Rick Olson's coordination efforts, biologists were Dan Raque's team mapped 800ft of wet, especially abundant.