On January 30, 1925, Floyd Collins enlarged a hole in the corner of Sand Cave hoping to find a shorter route to the extensive and popular ^*Mammoth Cave System. Unfortunately Sand Cave is famous not as Floyd Collin's Mammoth Cave entrance, but where Floyd was trapped alive for over two weeks and where he finally sucked in his last tortured breath.
(^*Ironically, Mammoth Cave does indeed pass beneath Sand Cave.)

A curious Kentucky cave explorer myself, my family and I took a trip to see Sand Cave on the 74th anniversary of Floyd's entrapment and took some photos of Sand Cave. The pictures tell the story.

Much as it would have appeared to Floyd Collins on the day he entered the cave; Here is Sand Cave on January 30, 1999:

Retrieving the body from the shaft. Click photo to enlarge.

Passage where Floyd was trapped.

Unfortunately, I forgot my flash, the inside the cave shot doesn't have much contrast.
If you have a pair of night vision goggles handy, that should help.

Floyd's body after extraction. Click photo to enlarge.

Back to Floyd Collin's Web Page

squeezed in since January 30, 1999
Copyright © 1999; Designed and maintained by Jon Hagee
My thanks to Joe Pearson and Web Publishers for providing this Web site
and to Jack Hock for the grate and roadsign photos!