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In December 1956, fourteen caver's began a six day stay in Breathing Cave, Bath County, VA. with plans to complete exploration and mapping, and to make meteorological studies for the presentation of a paper at the 1957 convention. Jack Stellmack, of Nittany Grotto, as in charge of mapping; he planned surveys to take in particular sections of the cave. The group hoped that when the survey data was compiled Breathing Cave would prove to be the state's largest cave. Don Cournoyer, concerned with studying the meteorological environment of the cave, hoped to find the cause of the cave's pulsating air currents and to establish areas of temperature zones within the cave. --NSS NEWS,February 1957.
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the buck hill ghost |
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During a trip to caves in the Natural Bridge area, VPI Grotto members discovered a legend connected with Buck Hill Cave. Joe Lawrence reports: "Back in 1891, some men who were working in the cave with the intention of commercializing it were frightened out, never to return. by the cries of a ghost." The VPI survey party chuckled at the story, but when reaching the very end of the cave. they heard a sort of moaning, interrupted by a woman's sobs and cries. Since the source of the sound was between the cavers and the entrance. they moved forward to determine its cause. Much to their relief they found, that the "ghost" was dripping water. The acoustics of the passage distorted the sound until it was unrecognizable at the end of the cave."
NSS NEWS, June, 1950
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EASTER PIG &
KAPTIAN KARST 
go caving |
One good tale was told to me some infamous cavers from Kingsport, TN, about John Holsingeraffectionately known to his friends as Kaptain Karst. Karst had recently moved to East Tennessee and could not quite understand all the local vernacular. For two years be had been looking for 'Orsman's Cave reputed to be located somewhere in southwestern Virginia. On one trip to look for the caves he and Jim Beck(the equally infamous Easter Pig) looked all over the area near Ft. Blackmore and Stony Creek to no avail.
They decided to go over to Russell County to check out Johnson CaveWhile obtaining permission, the man living across from the cave cautioned the two to look out for the 'Narrs'. Karst of courses thought he understood and Easter Pig; being from Kingsport naturally understood. They both assured the man that they would indeed look out for the Narrs. All the way to the cave John kept kidding About the Narrs and as they passed through large entrance passage, John went on and on: "Well you'd better be looking out for the Narrs; they'll getcha!" Or "Jim, look behind that rock there for the Narrs." Easter Pig just chortled.
Suddenly the large passage disappeared, giving way to a small hole about one foot high and perhaps eighteen inches wide entirely through rock. It was evident that one must squeeze through this hole to get to the remainder of the cave. Without taking off any of his packs or emptying his pockets, the intrepid Kaptain Karst dived into the hole and promptly became wedged. Additional wiggling made it impossible for him to go backwards or forwards.
Seeing his predicament, Easter Pig roared with laughter. "Well John," he managed to get out between fits of raucous laughter, "you've been asking me to look out for the Narrs, and now you've gone and gotten yourself caught in the Narrs!
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Later on that weekend, they went up to Gilley Cave, stopping to ask permission from Mrs. Moore. She cautioned them to be careful of the "sidelines". Jim assured her they would, and John nodded his assent. Again, he did not know the meaning of the word, but was not going to ask. The early road up to Gilley (on which cavers could drive until Mrs. Collierasked cavers not to park in her yard) is fraught with turns, no shoulders, and steep gullies. In going up the road, John was not mindful of these hazards and managed to drop his car off the road. According to Jim, Karst screamed, hollered and shouted expletives for a good five minutes, and finally asked Jim why he had not warned him of impending disaster. Jim looked confused, said, "Why, Mrs. Moore told you to be mindful of the sidelines.'' So, where are they?" John asked. E. Pig pointed to the side of the road; "right there, John, where your car fell', Needless to say they did not get into Gilley Cave that day.
Much later in talking with Ralph Price, a grocery store owner in Dunganton, they asked about Orsman's Cave. Mr. Price looked puzzled and said that he didn't know about a Orsman's Cave, but that there was an Osburns Cavejust up the road. Two years of searching finally brought to an end.-- Anne Whittemore
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previous--Newberry - Bane's pg170
next--Charlton and the Critters pg172
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