|
National Geographic Mysteries Underground
|
| 00:00:18 |
It all begins with water and rock. |
| 00:00:22 |
As water seeks its level, |
| 00:00:25 |
And when it flows over limestone, |
| 00:00:32 |
Given eons of time, |
| 00:00:36 |
with incredible force, |
| 00:00:47 |
So the underworld of caves is born. |
| 00:00:51 |
And after torrents have done |
| 00:00:53 |
patient drops do more wonders |
| 00:01:02 |
Look now on a landscape no one dreamed |
| 00:01:08 |
Here are bizarre and |
| 00:01:12 |
and strain the imagination. |
| 00:01:25 |
Here is discovery and danger. |
| 00:01:28 |
Here is adventure. |
| 00:01:49 |
In New Mexico, members of a |
| 00:01:54 |
explore the world's newest |
| 00:01:59 |
They are following one of man's |
| 00:02:03 |
to see and understand the unknown. |
| 00:02:16 |
Join us now as we embark on |
| 00:02:17 |
an extraordinary journey |
| 00:02:20 |
to confront MYSTERIES UNDERGROUND. |
| 00:03:12 |
In the Guadalupe Mountains |
| 00:03:15 |
an awesome giant has lain hidden |
| 00:03:20 |
Sometimes, in the desert silence, |
| 00:03:23 |
the monster could be heard breathing. |
| 00:03:27 |
The sound came from a yawning chasm |
| 00:03:32 |
In 1986 a trio of weekend explorers |
| 00:03:37 |
and discovered a new cave |
| 00:03:40 |
from famous Carlsbad Cavern. |
| 00:03:48 |
Although the cave entrance lay inside |
| 00:03:53 |
park officials allowed qualified |
| 00:04:09 |
One of them was Rick Bridges, |
| 00:04:18 |
Now Bridges leads |
| 00:04:22 |
like rock climber Dave Jones, |
| 00:04:28 |
You got the survey gear, Anne? |
| 00:04:31 |
Research geologist Kiym Cunningham |
| 00:04:34 |
will handle the science studies |
| 00:04:38 |
Nuclear test engineer Anne Strait |
| 00:04:41 |
in surveying and mapping caves. |
| 00:04:45 |
And specialist cameraman from England, |
| 00:04:48 |
will be the first to document |
| 00:04:58 |
The journey begins |
| 00:05:02 |
The cave is named after a desert plant |
| 00:05:07 |
dry environment-Lechuguilla-Spanish |
| 00:05:16 |
Forty people will support the venture, |
| 00:05:18 |
including two support teams |
| 00:05:22 |
and batteries for photographic lights. |
| 00:05:26 |
On high rope. |
| 00:05:28 |
We tend to have this feeling that |
| 00:05:30 |
the surface of the earth |
| 00:05:34 |
But we're just this small, |
| 00:05:35 |
thin little shell that we choose |
| 00:05:38 |
and beneath it there's an entire realm |
| 00:05:43 |
And we can, if we choose, |
| 00:05:45 |
enter that realm and |
| 00:05:50 |
I will never go to the moon, |
| 00:05:51 |
but I can go to a cave |
| 00:05:55 |
and have the same elation |
| 00:05:58 |
that I have gone where |
| 00:06:02 |
Bombs away. |
| 00:06:03 |
I would like to think that |
| 00:06:06 |
I would have been an explorer. |
| 00:06:08 |
You know, |
| 00:06:11 |
I would have wanted to know what |
| 00:06:13 |
If I'd been around when Lewis |
| 00:06:16 |
I'd liked to have gone with them, |
| 00:06:18 |
And I think most people that cave |
| 00:06:20 |
at this level and do this kind |
| 00:06:26 |
Here, Bridges and his companions |
| 00:06:28 |
excavated to break into Lechuguilla |
| 00:06:34 |
Now the entrance is protected |
| 00:06:40 |
Through this tiny aperture |
| 00:06:44 |
blowing air out or sucking |
| 00:06:46 |
it in to equalize with the |
| 00:06:51 |
Winds up to 60 miles |
| 00:06:55 |
hinting at the vast underworld below. |
| 00:07:02 |
Today, this is Lechuguilla's |
| 00:07:06 |
and there may have never been another. |
| 00:07:08 |
For a million years |
| 00:07:12 |
In a real sense, |
| 00:07:16 |
untouched by all |
| 00:07:23 |
On rope! |
| 00:07:27 |
It's a long ways down. |
| 00:07:30 |
See you guys on the bottom. |
| 00:07:33 |
Dave Jones starts down |
| 00:07:35 |
the 150 foot pit |
| 00:07:39 |
It was here |
| 00:07:43 |
what a vast place they had discovered. |
| 00:07:46 |
As you progress down, |
| 00:07:48 |
it gets steeper and steeper |
| 00:07:50 |
but your feet |
| 00:07:53 |
And all of a sudden you rappel |
| 00:07:56 |
by this little ledge |
| 00:07:58 |
and there's no more rock. |
| 00:08:23 |
Beyond the base of the pit |
| 00:08:25 |
the cave branches off |
| 00:08:29 |
Only computer imagery can portray |
| 00:08:39 |
After the May 1986 exploration |
| 00:08:42 |
the cave was known to be 700 feet deep |
| 00:08:45 |
and more than half a mile long. |
| 00:08:49 |
Today the system totals 60 miles |
| 00:08:56 |
Twisting capillaries and veins pierce |
| 00:09:03 |
This is a gigantic maze |
| 00:09:07 |
defying conventional ideas |
| 00:09:16 |
Footprints remain forever |
| 00:09:21 |
Plastic ribbons keep cavers |
| 00:09:26 |
Expeditions into Lechuguilla have been |
| 00:09:31 |
only in reverse. |
| 00:09:35 |
The team is headed for Base Camp |
| 00:09:49 |
The trail leads on into inky blackness |
| 00:09:53 |
Often they traverse chambers so vast |
| 00:09:56 |
the cave walls are barely discernible. |
| 00:10:04 |
Gypsum crystals sparkle |
| 00:10:08 |
Now, cavers encounter Lechuguilla's |
| 00:10:12 |
for the first time. |
| 00:10:17 |
Helictites and gypsum flowers |
| 00:10:21 |
fragile gardens that have taken |
| 00:10:25 |
as minerals have been squeezed from |
| 00:10:33 |
Beauty abounds. |
| 00:10:35 |
These jewels of the underground |
| 00:10:38 |
are exquisitely delicate needles |
| 00:10:59 |
With the constant maneuvering up down |
| 00:11:02 |
and through the cave's |
| 00:11:04 |
50 pound backpacks |
| 00:11:18 |
Always, in Lechuguills, |
| 00:11:26 |
Okay, on three. One, two, three. |
| 00:11:30 |
In 1991 seasoned caver Emily Mobley |
| 00:11:35 |
while working on a surveying expedition |
| 00:11:40 |
A mile and a half from the entrance, |
| 00:11:42 |
900 feet below the surface, |
| 00:11:45 |
this accident would trigger the largest |
| 00:11:50 |
in U.S. history. |
| 00:12:03 |
A hundred experienced cavers |
| 00:12:05 |
summoned to the scene |
| 00:12:09 |
to bring her to safety. |
| 00:12:27 |
The bond of comradeship that unites |
| 00:12:30 |
the caving community was seldom more |
| 00:12:35 |
Every caver knows and instinctively |
| 00:12:40 |
that only cavers can save |
| 00:12:54 |
After almost four hours, |
| 00:12:59 |
the first sizeable body of water to be |
| 00:13:06 |
Beautiful! |
| 00:13:07 |
One of the greatest sights in caving, |
| 00:13:09 |
Yes. Fantastic. |
| 00:13:11 |
Yeah. |
| 00:13:15 |
Beautiful! |
| 00:13:16 |
On rope! |
| 00:13:28 |
the lake completely blocks |
| 00:13:31 |
Cavers had to wade it until they |
| 00:13:35 |
tricky, but possible. |
| 00:13:39 |
Well, I think of particular moves |
| 00:13:42 |
as almost a ballet, |
| 00:13:45 |
I know where my footholds are; |
| 00:13:48 |
I know if I hit them just right |
| 00:13:51 |
some of them are kind of dynamic |
| 00:13:54 |
while you're going for |
| 00:13:56 |
And if you do that just right |
| 00:13:58 |
just right, |
| 00:14:01 |
And so I think |
| 00:14:03 |
a very intricate dance. |
| 00:14:04 |
And you want to do it perfectly, |
| 00:14:06 |
you know, |
| 00:14:12 |
Deeper into the cave, |
| 00:14:13 |
mineral formations |
| 00:14:19 |
Cavers must move among them |
| 00:14:25 |
Spikes of aragonite, |
| 00:14:27 |
one form of calcium carbonate, |
| 00:14:32 |
The gentlest touch could damage them. |
| 00:14:40 |
There is infinite contrast here. |
| 00:14:42 |
The now famous Chandelier Ballroom |
| 00:14:48 |
Plumes of gypsum sprout |
| 00:14:52 |
some as long as 20 feet |
| 00:14:54 |
the most dazzling examples |
| 00:15:22 |
Utter silence pervades Lechuguilla. |
| 00:15:25 |
The only sound is made by the intruder |
| 00:15:37 |
In the constant 68-degree temperature |
| 00:15:41 |
dehydration is always a threat. |
| 00:15:46 |
Anybody else need any hot water? |
| 00:15:47 |
for some, the notion of life |
| 00:15:49 |
with almost a quarter mile |
| 00:15:52 |
can be oppressive, even terrifying. |
| 00:15:55 |
But cavers like Bridges |
| 00:15:59 |
It's almost like coming back to home |
| 00:16:03 |
It's a very comfortable feeling to me, |
| 00:16:08 |
And you know it's a sense of isolation |
| 00:16:13 |
The world becomes very simple |
| 00:16:19 |
Here there is no day or night. |
| 00:16:22 |
If they ignore the time, |
| 00:16:25 |
and sleep, |
| 00:16:33 |
In Lechuguilla Cave, |
| 00:16:35 |
there is little evidence of life. |
| 00:16:37 |
But this is rare. |
| 00:16:44 |
Many caves harbor a hidden kingdom |
| 00:16:51 |
Bats thrive in darkness. |
| 00:16:53 |
They navigate not by sight, |
| 00:16:55 |
but by subtle patterns |
| 00:17:00 |
Some caves are home to millions |
| 00:17:03 |
the greatest concentration |
| 00:17:08 |
Their nitrogen-rich droppings, |
| 00:17:11 |
are harvested as a fertilizer. |
| 00:17:13 |
Large deposits produce a toxic gas, |
| 00:17:26 |
Mountains of bat guano support |
| 00:17:31 |
Sometimes, an injured bat, or a baby, |
| 00:17:35 |
falls into the guano |
| 00:17:41 |
Within minutes the bat is reduced |
| 00:17:51 |
Abundant underground, the cave cricket |
| 00:17:55 |
Crickets spend much of their time |
| 00:17:59 |
but inside they perform |
| 00:18:08 |
In mute testament to their environment |
| 00:18:16 |
The salamander has dispensed |
| 00:18:20 |
and has no need of skin pigment |
| 00:18:30 |
People have probably always found |
| 00:18:34 |
Thousands of years ago, |
| 00:18:35 |
as much of the world still lay |
| 00:18:39 |
prehistoric hunters left spectacular |
| 00:18:48 |
The human spirit was born |
| 00:18:53 |
its expression etched |
| 00:19:01 |
By the early 20th century |
| 00:19:05 |
But science and curiosity drove some |
| 00:19:11 |
Magnesium flares lit the way, |
| 00:19:18 |
Geologists squeezed into |
| 00:19:22 |
seeking to understand |
| 00:19:31 |
And soon the ancient lure |
| 00:19:35 |
Tourists went underground. |
| 00:19:41 |
Then and now, |
| 00:19:42 |
humans have been compelled |
| 00:19:45 |
and to combat the gloom |
| 00:19:55 |
In the United States, |
| 00:19:58 |
was declared a national park in 1930. |
| 00:20:02 |
But natural wonders were not enough. |
| 00:20:05 |
Carlsbad and other caves promoted |
| 00:20:09 |
some a bit farfetched. |
| 00:20:11 |
The time will come |
| 00:20:14 |
in the Carlsbad Cavern will |
| 00:20:43 |
Many parts of the world |
| 00:20:46 |
Because most lie on limestone bedrock, |
| 00:20:49 |
the soil is often thin and life is hard |
| 00:20:53 |
So it has often been |
| 00:20:58 |
But the automobile brought |
| 00:21:02 |
city folks, eager for amusement. |
| 00:21:06 |
Everyone who owned a cave |
| 00:21:09 |
Each was touted as being bigger |
| 00:21:13 |
The so-called Cave Wars |
| 00:21:19 |
Crystal Cave belonged |
| 00:21:23 |
but it was too far |
| 00:21:29 |
Thirty-seven-year-old Floyd, |
| 00:21:33 |
was determined to find a cave closer |
| 00:21:38 |
He set off alone on a |
| 00:21:43 |
and squeezed into a narrow, |
| 00:21:47 |
never before explored. |
| 00:21:53 |
A hundred feet or so into |
| 00:21:56 |
Floyd dislodges a rock that falls |
| 00:22:06 |
Every detail of this fateful mishap |
| 00:22:14 |
Struggling to free himself, |
| 00:22:18 |
His arms are pinned at his sides. |
| 00:22:21 |
He can do nothing but shout for help. |
| 00:22:25 |
Twenty-four hours later |
| 00:22:29 |
A younger brother, Homer, |
| 00:22:33 |
Coffee and sandwiches revive Floyd, |
| 00:22:36 |
but no amount of tugging or pulling |
| 00:22:42 |
Would-be rescuers knock down more |
| 00:22:48 |
Soon more help arrives, |
| 00:22:50 |
but rescue efforts are clumsy |
| 00:22:55 |
Curious onlookers begin to gather. |
| 00:22:58 |
They become restive and quarrelsome. |
| 00:23:01 |
A week goes by. |
| 00:23:03 |
Floyd is still alive |
| 00:23:09 |
It becomes a carnival. |
| 00:23:11 |
Souvenirs are sold |
| 00:23:15 |
It's hard to maintain order |
| 00:23:24 |
Skeets Miller |
| 00:23:27 |
braves the tortuous passage seven times |
| 00:23:32 |
and describe his plight. |
| 00:23:35 |
Miller takes down food and drink |
| 00:23:37 |
and an electric light bulb |
| 00:23:41 |
In bitter cold and rain, |
| 00:23:47 |
When a cave-in blocks the passage, |
| 00:23:52 |
People all over the country |
| 00:24:01 |
Floyd's brothers expect the worst. |
| 00:24:04 |
Rescuers finally reach him |
| 00:24:08 |
It is too late. |
| 00:24:10 |
Floyd has been dead for some time. |
| 00:24:13 |
The crowd goes home. |
| 00:24:15 |
The public is soon interested |
| 00:24:21 |
It takes two months |
| 00:24:28 |
The rock that trapped Floyd |
| 00:24:31 |
but a mere 27-pound stone, |
| 00:24:39 |
His death left a legacy of fear |
| 00:24:42 |
mysterious underground |
| 00:24:54 |
Today, there are about 16,000 devotees |
| 00:25:00 |
Here, where Tennessee, Alabama, |
| 00:25:04 |
the countryside is studded |
| 00:25:07 |
vertical caves |
| 00:25:15 |
Nine-year-old Leah Brown |
| 00:25:17 |
holds a world speed record |
| 00:25:21 |
Her partner, Avis Van Swearingen, |
| 00:25:24 |
also holds a climbing record |
| 00:25:31 |
With skill and courage |
| 00:25:33 |
they suspend their lives |
| 00:25:38 |
We call that rope the nylon highway |
| 00:25:40 |
because it takes us |
| 00:25:42 |
and new parts of the cave, |
| 00:25:52 |
If I'm the first one down a drop, |
| 00:25:56 |
the very first person |
| 00:25:59 |
if we can't really tell |
| 00:26:03 |
the person who goes down first |
| 00:26:07 |
so that you can put your climbing gear |
| 00:26:10 |
Also, we put a knot at the bottom |
| 00:26:13 |
so we can't rappel off the end of it, |
| 00:26:16 |
which has happened to people. |
| 00:26:21 |
I like the deep pits, |
| 00:26:23 |
because when they're deep, |
| 00:26:27 |
That's why I like the deep pits, |
| 00:26:29 |
because the short ones |
| 00:26:35 |
The first time I did it in a pit, |
| 00:26:38 |
it was only a 90-foot pit |
| 00:26:43 |
I don't get scared very easily. |
| 00:26:45 |
I like going fast. |
| 00:26:47 |
When I go down fast, |
| 00:26:49 |
the floor is real tiny and then |
| 00:26:53 |
and I like to watch that. |
| 00:27:04 |
An unfettered commitment |
| 00:27:06 |
compels cavers to seek new thrills |
| 00:27:11 |
For some, the quest |
| 00:27:19 |
The Austrian Alps. |
| 00:27:21 |
A fifth of the world's deepest caves |
| 00:27:28 |
These ice caves are 5,000 feet |
| 00:27:31 |
They are natural deep freezes |
| 00:28:05 |
Here, geological time is condensed. |
| 00:28:09 |
We can witness the growth |
| 00:28:11 |
in short periods of months or years, |
| 00:28:14 |
which in their stone counterparts |
| 00:28:51 |
From year to year these caves |
| 00:28:54 |
As they thaw and freeze again, |
| 00:28:56 |
the fantastic ice formations |
| 00:29:01 |
Few places on earth are more beautiful |
| 00:29:06 |
with perhaps one exception. |
| 00:29:12 |
Some cavers have merged their love of |
| 00:29:16 |
venturing into a bizarre world |
| 00:29:27 |
Originally formed above sea level, |
| 00:29:29 |
these caves became submerged |
| 00:29:34 |
as the last Ice Age retreated. |
| 00:29:37 |
They are now 70 feet |
| 00:29:56 |
Underwater caves are deathtraps |
| 00:30:20 |
But, from time to time, |
| 00:30:21 |
tempting fate can have |
| 00:30:28 |
In 1990, when exploring |
| 00:30:31 |
the Mediterranean coast of France, |
| 00:30:33 |
a professional diver surfaced |
| 00:30:39 |
He found a treasure chest of art, |
| 00:30:45 |
Paintings and engravings depict |
| 00:30:50 |
before the last great ice sheets melted |
| 00:30:54 |
Some experts question the authenticity |
| 00:30:58 |
but close examination is impossible. |
| 00:31:04 |
Cosquer Cave is a place |
| 00:31:08 |
To protect it, the cave is now sealed |
| 00:31:13 |
In time a new entrance may be built |
| 00:31:24 |
An expanse of sinkholes and |
| 00:31:28 |
south central Kentucky |
| 00:31:30 |
where, beneath the surface, |
| 00:31:35 |
They are everywhere, |
| 00:31:40 |
This is Floyd Collins country, |
| 00:31:42 |
and the contest to attract |
| 00:31:49 |
The star attraction is Mammoth |
| 00:31:55 |
A national park since 1941, |
| 00:31:58 |
the cave now draws more |
| 00:32:07 |
Back in the 1800s |
| 00:32:08 |
tour guides here were |
| 00:32:12 |
One of them, Stephen Bishop, |
| 00:32:14 |
became perhaps the greatest caver |
| 00:32:18 |
On his own, |
| 00:32:21 |
a rope, and a sketchbook, |
| 00:32:23 |
Bishop explores the depths |
| 00:32:28 |
He creates a surprisingly accurate map |
| 00:32:35 |
Deep in the cave |
| 00:32:36 |
Bishop is confronted by a gaping void |
| 00:32:39 |
that came to be known |
| 00:32:58 |
Beyond, Bishop explores regions |
| 00:33:03 |
But in these remote reaches |
| 00:33:07 |
that someone has preceded him. |
| 00:33:22 |
Some archeologists believe |
| 00:33:26 |
may have also encountered one |
| 00:33:31 |
Trapped under a boulder |
| 00:33:33 |
are the ancient remains |
| 00:33:39 |
Not for another century would |
| 00:33:43 |
and then as the technology |
| 00:33:47 |
removed from beneath |
| 00:33:50 |
A sensation in its time, |
| 00:33:52 |
the mysterious body would be |
| 00:33:56 |
and given the name Lost John. |
| 00:34:00 |
Two to three thousand years ago |
| 00:34:02 |
this man was digging around |
| 00:34:06 |
when it dislodged and crushed him. |
| 00:34:11 |
What was he doing here? |
| 00:34:13 |
How did he get here? |
| 00:34:15 |
No one believed that ancient humans |
| 00:34:19 |
into the forbidding depths |
| 00:34:25 |
Today, new evidence helps |
| 00:34:29 |
Archeologist Ken Tankersley |
| 00:34:32 |
investigating the traces |
| 00:34:37 |
Armed with cane reeds collected |
| 00:34:41 |
Tankersley simulates |
| 00:34:44 |
explorers would have used here. |
| 00:34:52 |
We have long known that human beings |
| 00:34:57 |
But Lost John suggested |
| 00:35:00 |
had gone far into Mammoth |
| 00:35:02 |
perhaps two day's travel. |
| 00:35:06 |
Was this possible? |
| 00:35:08 |
At first Tankersley himself had doubts |
| 00:35:13 |
I'm always amazed when I think about |
| 00:35:16 |
what it takes for us to go into a cave. |
| 00:35:19 |
We wear a hard hat; |
| 00:35:22 |
whether it's electric or carbide; |
| 00:35:24 |
and we carry two sources |
| 00:35:26 |
We wear enough clothing |
| 00:35:30 |
These people wore virtually nothing |
| 00:35:34 |
loin cloths at best. |
| 00:35:36 |
Probably most frequently, |
| 00:35:38 |
based on what we've seen in the cave |
| 00:35:42 |
these people were naked, |
| 00:35:54 |
The reed torches were the only light |
| 00:35:58 |
They produce surprisingly |
| 00:36:02 |
and conjure ghosts |
| 00:36:15 |
Their daring was incredible. |
| 00:36:17 |
For humans, light is life in a cave. |
| 00:36:21 |
But these explorers traveled |
| 00:36:24 |
with nothing but reed torches between |
| 00:36:30 |
Their pathway can be followed even now |
| 00:36:39 |
A trail of burned torch fragments |
| 00:36:43 |
to a cavity in the rock face. |
| 00:36:48 |
Digging marks and a crude implement |
| 00:36:51 |
are evidence of some kind |
| 00:36:54 |
That's magnificent. |
| 00:36:59 |
A primitive tool, |
| 00:37:01 |
one of dozens found deep in the cave. |
| 00:37:04 |
What was it used for? |
| 00:37:07 |
Another clue: |
| 00:37:09 |
a rich seam of selenite crystal |
| 00:37:16 |
These findings prove that |
| 00:37:20 |
in widespread mining of crystals |
| 00:37:27 |
The scale of the operation |
| 00:37:29 |
Tons of material were removed. |
| 00:37:33 |
The mining continued without |
| 00:37:38 |
The ancient miners took selenite |
| 00:37:43 |
But what they were used |
| 00:37:46 |
as medicines, or ornaments, |
| 00:37:50 |
or for use in rituals? |
| 00:37:55 |
Just as mysteriously, |
| 00:37:59 |
the mining suddenly ceased. |
| 00:38:02 |
As yet no one knows why. |
| 00:38:05 |
All that remains is abundant evidence |
| 00:38:10 |
driven by needs and desires |
| 00:38:15 |
To our right, down below, |
| 00:38:19 |
For many, many years lights were not |
| 00:38:24 |
Visiting Mammoth today |
| 00:38:28 |
But as they are guided |
| 00:38:32 |
few visitors can imagine the tortuous |
| 00:38:37 |
not knowing the true depth of the pit |
| 00:38:43 |
Reaching the other side, |
| 00:38:45 |
they were surprised to find an avenue |
| 00:38:51 |
This opened up the doorway to the vast |
| 00:38:54 |
unknown mileage that |
| 00:38:59 |
Mammoth Cave Ridge skirts |
| 00:39:05 |
On the other side, beneath Flint Ridge |
| 00:39:08 |
lies another cave network, |
| 00:39:15 |
Here, 40 years ago, |
| 00:39:17 |
one of the great exploits |
| 00:39:23 |
In the 1950s a group of weekend |
| 00:39:28 |
into the secrets of Flint Ridge. |
| 00:39:31 |
There had long been talk of a vast |
| 00:39:34 |
that might link all |
| 00:39:40 |
It began as an exciting pastime. |
| 00:39:46 |
Over the years hundreds of |
| 00:39:50 |
There were untold yards |
| 00:39:54 |
There were pits and crevices and mazes |
| 00:40:01 |
Flint ridge developed its own |
| 00:40:06 |
Shower Shaft, Agony Avenue. |
| 00:40:13 |
But the cave grew, |
| 00:40:14 |
until Flint Ridge alone |
| 00:40:18 |
And if it could be connected |
| 00:40:21 |
then this was the underground Everest |
| 00:40:24 |
by far the longest cave in the world. |
| 00:40:28 |
In the summer of 1972 |
| 00:40:30 |
a team entered Flint Ridge to probe |
| 00:40:34 |
that led toward Mammoth. |
| 00:40:37 |
It took seven hours to reach the end |
| 00:40:42 |
Then they tackled what would be called |
| 00:40:46 |
It seemed impenetrable. |
| 00:40:54 |
But one of the team had a knack |
| 00:40:58 |
Pat Crowther a computer programmer |
| 00:41:03 |
Well, it never occurred to anyone |
| 00:41:05 |
It was a crazy place to even think |
| 00:41:10 |
The Tight Sport was a very tiny, |
| 00:41:13 |
vertical crevice out the bottom |
| 00:41:19 |
And if you just casually looked down |
| 00:41:23 |
you would say no one could |
| 00:41:28 |
Somehow Crowther squirmed through. |
| 00:41:32 |
Six weeks later, |
| 00:41:33 |
miles beyond where anyone |
| 00:41:36 |
a chilling but significant discovery |
| 00:41:41 |
In a mud bank were the initials P.H., |
| 00:41:45 |
scratched there by Pete Hanson, |
| 00:41:49 |
He could have come here only |
| 00:41:55 |
Carpenter Richard Zopf |
| 00:41:58 |
and recalls the impact |
| 00:42:00 |
We had the feeling that we had found |
| 00:42:02 |
...the passage that was going |
| 00:42:05 |
but we hadn't done it. |
| 00:42:06 |
We seen virtually a mile of passage |
| 00:42:09 |
but we didn't know |
| 00:42:11 |
And we plugged along |
| 00:42:14 |
and we surveyed and we surveyed |
| 00:42:17 |
Ten days later the group tried again, |
| 00:42:20 |
reaching what they now called |
| 00:42:26 |
Excitement and exhaustion dominated |
| 00:42:32 |
The worst thing we feared was that |
| 00:42:37 |
so that the water would come clear |
| 00:42:39 |
and it sure looked like that |
| 00:42:42 |
The water was getting |
| 00:42:44 |
and the ceiling was coming down. |
| 00:42:46 |
We're getting bent over, |
| 00:42:48 |
scrunching our backs up |
| 00:42:50 |
trying to keep from getting |
| 00:42:53 |
And it was getting so wet that I told |
| 00:42:58 |
I'm going to look ahead a little bit. |
| 00:42:59 |
Because I know if I get completely wet |
| 00:43:01 |
I can get out of the cave, |
| 00:43:05 |
And just go as far as |
| 00:43:08 |
not to get my chest wet and not to put |
| 00:43:16 |
I don't have a good sense of the time |
| 00:43:17 |
but John only went a few feet, |
| 00:43:21 |
And then there was a pause |
| 00:43:24 |
What's happening, John? |
| 00:43:25 |
And John says: |
| 00:43:27 |
You know the passage is opening up! |
| 00:43:29 |
And, well, you know: |
| 00:43:32 |
From that low point the passage |
| 00:43:35 |
into the huge Echo River passage... |
| 00:43:38 |
and eventually my eyes adjusted enough |
| 00:43:41 |
I could begin to see a wall clear |
| 00:43:44 |
a hundred feet away perhaps. |
| 00:43:47 |
And there was a bright, shining, |
| 00:43:51 |
horizontal line along the wall, |
| 00:43:53 |
which is something |
| 00:43:56 |
You don't see any straight lines. |
| 00:43:58 |
And it had these vertical lines |
| 00:44:00 |
and I realized that was a handrail. |
| 00:44:01 |
We had come out on a tourist trail! |
| 00:44:03 |
All of sudden John shouted: |
| 00:44:07 |
And those words just |
| 00:44:09 |
It was kind of like |
| 00:44:12 |
Everybody just surged forward... |
| 00:44:14 |
...and we realized that |
| 00:44:21 |
Achieving the dream of decades, |
| 00:44:23 |
they had connected two great |
| 00:44:28 |
Today, it is a cave with 340 miles |
| 00:44:35 |
It's one of these, you know, |
| 00:44:38 |
complete victories that |
| 00:44:40 |
Usually things are shades of gray |
| 00:44:46 |
or your personal relations with |
| 00:44:53 |
In climbing a mountain, |
| 00:44:57 |
Either you reached the top |
| 00:45:01 |
And this was one clear-cut victory |
| 00:45:03 |
by golly, |
| 00:45:05 |
and we came out the Mammoth Cave side |
| 00:45:09 |
It was a strange and lonely victory. |
| 00:45:13 |
After a grim struggle in the dark, |
| 00:45:16 |
they emerged in Mammoth Cave |
| 00:45:21 |
Not even a watchman |
| 00:45:23 |
as they trudged into |
| 00:45:26 |
tourist landmarks underground |
| 00:45:31 |
And they would complete |
| 00:45:33 |
with sublime ease |
| 00:45:41 |
There was no fanfare, |
| 00:45:45 |
But they were still overjoyed. |
| 00:45:47 |
Like all cavers, in victory or defeat, |
| 00:45:51 |
they were used to being on their own. |
| 00:46:00 |
Beneath the New Mexican desert, |
| 00:46:03 |
the National Geographic expedition |
| 00:46:06 |
Begins its second week underground. |
| 00:46:12 |
The cave's beauty is now legendary, |
| 00:46:16 |
but there is more to discover here. |
| 00:46:18 |
High on a hill deep within the heart |
| 00:46:24 |
Sulfur is prevalent here and |
| 00:46:29 |
And tiny bacteria are found |
| 00:46:32 |
with fungi that feed on them. |
| 00:46:35 |
In turn, the bacteria may feed |
| 00:46:38 |
thriving in eternal darkness. |
| 00:46:42 |
Evidence indicates an unusual genesis |
| 00:46:46 |
As hydrogen sulfide rose from below, |
| 00:46:49 |
it mixed with oxygen in water or air, |
| 00:46:55 |
This potent chemistry gradually |
| 00:46:59 |
creating the cave from the bottom up. |
| 00:47:08 |
Lechuguilla's vulnerability |
| 00:47:11 |
may preclude it from ever becoming |
| 00:47:17 |
A profound respect for the cave |
| 00:47:20 |
and severely enforced. |
| 00:47:26 |
Special shoes are worn for |
| 00:47:30 |
may mar exquisite flowstone. |
| 00:47:48 |
Stalagmites of calcite line the shores |
| 00:47:52 |
so called because of the thousands |
| 00:48:04 |
Looking like fried eggs, |
| 00:48:06 |
this kind of cave pearl is built up |
| 00:48:12 |
Another variety of cave pearl forms |
| 00:48:17 |
becomes coated with calcite. |
| 00:48:20 |
Over time the relentless dripping |
| 00:48:25 |
and the coating becomes thicker, |
| 00:48:27 |
like the creation of a pearl |
| 00:48:35 |
Lake Castrovalva guards |
| 00:48:39 |
The only way across is to swim. |
| 00:48:43 |
But the conservation creed demands |
| 00:49:05 |
The air and water temperatures |
| 00:49:33 |
Intricate stone formations |
| 00:49:37 |
slowly deposited by waters rich |
| 00:49:41 |
For eons these exotic shores |
| 00:49:46 |
calm until now. |
| 00:49:57 |
Light on the station. |
| 00:49:59 |
The primary function of any expedition |
| 00:50:04 |
to produce a detailed map. |
| 00:50:07 |
Keeping accurate records is virtually |
| 00:50:13 |
Two thirty-nine, point five. |
| 00:50:14 |
It's what separates them from earlier, |
| 00:50:19 |
Plus four. |
| 00:50:20 |
Plus four. |
| 00:50:21 |
Finding something new is |
| 00:50:25 |
The second comes later |
| 00:50:29 |
Each night the latest survey date |
| 00:50:34 |
to produce an updated map. |
| 00:50:41 |
The ancient skeleton |
| 00:50:46 |
Kiym Cunningham examines |
| 00:50:50 |
It's a mystery. I mean, altogether |
| 00:50:54 |
We're a thousand feet below |
| 00:50:57 |
Many vertical pits and long passages |
| 00:51:00 |
So, he was a heck of a caver! |
| 00:51:03 |
He evidently died right on the margin |
| 00:51:07 |
so I would imagine possibly |
| 00:51:10 |
came to the pool to drink. |
| 00:51:12 |
Only source of water he could find. |
| 00:51:15 |
And maybe the mineral content |
| 00:51:17 |
It was not a good pool to drink from |
| 00:51:26 |
The amount of carbon dioxide |
| 00:51:29 |
If the level down here |
| 00:51:35 |
it could indicate other openings |
| 00:51:40 |
Somewhere within the cave's vast system |
| 00:51:44 |
the air is being disturbed. |
| 00:51:50 |
Still, Lechuguilla refuses to yield |
| 00:51:56 |
It remains alien |
| 00:52:00 |
a landscape from another world. |
| 00:52:35 |
Lechugulla's wonder is a fragile thing |
| 00:52:38 |
What man can discover, |
| 00:52:43 |
Most of us may never see |
| 00:52:46 |
and others that lie still undiscovered. |
| 00:52:50 |
But perhaps it will be enough to know |
| 00:52:55 |
Lechuguilla now consists |
| 00:52:58 |
of breathtaking passageways. |
| 00:53:01 |
New discoveries continue |
