♪♪ ♪♪ >> I'VE ALWAYS SAID THE BEAUTY OF ARKANSAS CAN BE FOUND NOT ONLY ABOVE GROUND, BUT UNDERNEATH AS WELL.

EXPLORING THE SUBTERRANEAN WONDER IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD INDEED.

IT TRULY IS LIKE VISITING ANOTHER PLANET WITHOUT LEAVING EARTH.

AND THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WE'VE BEEN ON VIRTUALLY EVERY WILD CAVE EXCURSION OFFERED AROUND THE STATE.

UNFORTUNATELY RIGHT NOW, MANY OF THE CAVES REMAIN CLOSED DUE TO THE WHITE-NOSE BAT SYNDROME, AT LEAST UNTIL 2019.

BUT IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF EA, WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE YOU TO SOME OF OUR FAVORITES AS WE GO AND EXPLORE THE UNDERGROUND WORLD OF THE NATURAL STATE.

BEAUTY CAVE GETS ITS NAME FROM THE GRANDEUR OF THE HUGE ENTRANCE ROOM DISCOVERED IN THE 1920S.

>> MID LATE '20S IT WAS DISCOVERED AND SUPPOSEDLY BY AN OLD MAN IN HIS 80S.

>> IN HIS 80S?

>> IN HIS 80S.

CAN YOU IMAGINE WALKING AROUND THESE HILLS LOOKING FOR CAVES AND YOU'RE 80?

THEY DIDN'T HAVE FOLKS TO CARE, I GUESS.

>> TELL US ABOUT THE LATER THAN THE EXPLORATION OF IT, MILES AND MILES OF PASSAGE WAY.

>> WELL, AFTER THEY DISCOVERED THE CAVE, SOMETIME LATER PEOPLE WENT THROUGH PROBABLY IN THE 1930S AND DISCOVERED THEY COULD GO IN THIS ENTRANCE AND COME OUT ANOTHER ENTRANCE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, SO TO SPEAK, THAT THEY KNEW IN THAT CAVE.

SO, THAT BECAME A POPULAR TRIP.

IT'S STILL A VERY POPULAR TRIP TODAY.

THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MANAGER, THE ENTIRE CAVE SYSTEM, WE HAVE A MILE CLOSED NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR BECAUSE OF ENDANGERED BATS.

AUGUST 15TH EACH YEAR WE HAVE THAT OPEN.

AND THEN IN THE 1950S JIM SCHERMERHORN AND SOME OTHERS DISCOVERED THERE WHAT A WHOLE BUNCH MORE CAVES BACK TO THE EAST THAT WEREN'T REALLY KNOWN THAT WELL.

THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SINCE THE 1930S.

BUT HE REALLY OPENED UP THE CAVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND MOST OF THE CAVE WAS DISCOVERED BY JIM OR CONTEMPORANEOUS EXPLORERS WITH WITH JIM.

>> WHICH ALL LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE TENNOURI ROOM IN THE EARLY '60S.

>> I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A VERY GREAT FRIEND.

HIS JAMES IS JACK HIRSCHEN.

DAVE, JACK AND DAVE SMITH AND LLOYD DAVE US WERE HELPING JIM SCHERMERHORN TO EXPLORE THIS CAVE AND THEY WERE AT A PLATEAU CALLED THE ROUND HOUSE AND THEY WERE EATING LUNCH.

AND ONE OF THEM SAID, I WONDER WHERE THAT GOES?

AND, SO, THEY ALL THREE TOOK OFF GOING DOWN THAT PASSAGE, SOME CRAWLING, SOME CLIMBING DOWN AND UP AND A LITTLE MORE CRAWLING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT OPENS UP INTO A HUGE ROOM WITH SOME FANTASTIC FORMATIONS AND THEY SAT THERE IN AWE OF THIS GIANT ROOM IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CAVE.

AND THEY WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH SOME NAME FOR IT AND THEY REALIZED THAT THEY EACH REPRESENTED TWO DIFFERENT STATES, TENNESSEE AND MISSOURI.

SO, THEY CHOPPED TENNESSEE AND MISSOURI IN HALF AND CAME UP WITH TENNOURI.

AND THEN WITH CARBIDE LIGHTS THEY USED THE SOOT FROM THOSE LIGHTS TO WRITE THE TENNOURI NAME AND THEIR NAMES AND THE DATE ON A HUGE ROCK INSIDE THE TENNOURI, AND THAT'S HOW THE TENURE A ROOM CAME ABOUT AND THAT'S HOW IT GOT ITS NAME.

AND EVEN TO THIS DAY THEY THINK IT'S SO UNIQUE OF A LANDMARK THAT NATIONAL PARK HAS LEFT THAT, WE WOULD CALL THAT GRAFFITI TODAY, BUT BACK THEN IT WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY COMMON.

THEY ACTUALLY DID IT IN VERY NICE ARTWORK AND, SO, IT'S AN INTERESTING STORY HOW JACK, DAVE, AND ROY DISCOVERED THE TENNOURI PASSAGE AND THE TENNOURI ROOM AND THEN NAMED IT AFTER TENNESSEE AND MISSOURI.

>> MIKE, TELL US ABOUT YOUR ADVENTURES IN CAVES.

NOW, PEOPLE, THEY'RE USED TO SEEING YOU ON THE RIVER AS AN OUTFITTER.

TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE, THE RUSH YOU GET COMING INTO A PLACE LIKE THIS.

>> YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL PUBLIC JUST DOESN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND, THIS IS A WILDERNESS AREA.

SO MANY PLACES IN A GIANT CAVE LIKE THIS WHERE NO STEP FOOTPRINT HAS EVER BEEN.

AND YET WE HAVE THE MAIN TRAILS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT IT'S LITERALLY AN UNDERGROUND WILDERNESS AREA.

SO, FOR ME I'VE BEEN CAVING QUITE A BIT.

I'M CERTAINLY NOT THE AUTHORITY THAT CHUCK IS, BUT I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF CAVES IN ARKANSAS AND HAVE TRIED TO LEARN AND RESPECT THOSE CAVES AND UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENTAL WITHIN THE CAVE AND THE CREATURES WITHIN THE CAVE.

IT'S ACTUALLY A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WORLD DOWN HERE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

IT'S GORGEOUS.

SO, WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THIS?

THERE'S NO PEOPLE HERE, WE'RE ALL ALONE.

IT'S JUST A PLACE TO SPEND WITH KIDS BECAUSE IF YOU CAN TEACH THEM NOT TO TOUCH THINGS AND ENJOY THE SHEER BEAUTY OF THE SITE ALONE, IT REALLY HAS SOME GREAT REWARDS TO IT.

>> BESIDE THE FACT IT'S 57, 58 DEGREES.

>> IN THE SUMMERTIME IT'S COOL, IN THE WINTERTIME IT'S WARM.

AND, SO, IT'S ALWAYS FUN BEING IN A CAVE.

I'M IN A SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT.

HERE IT IS 57 OR 58 DEGREES, BUT YOU'RE CONSTANTLY MOVING SO YOU DON'T FEEL THAT COLD.

AND, SO, IT'S A GREAT EXERCISE.

IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL PLACE TO SPEND TIME TYPICALLY IN MY OPINION WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE AND WITH FAMILY.

>> THERE ARE SOME 14 MILES OF PASSAGE WAYS IN BEAUTY CAVE.

STARFISH FOSSILS CAN BE FOUND HERE, EVIDENCE THAT ALL OF THIS WAS ONCE PART OF A SHALLOW SEA SOME 360 TO 400 MILLION YEARS AGO.

>> ALL THESE COLUMNS HERE FORMED FROM A CRACK IN CEILINGS.

WATER CAME IN, CARBONATE PRECIPITATE THAT, THESE COLUMN.

BETTER WATCH YOUR STEP UP HERE.

>> THOSE TWO COLUMNS ARE JUST AWESOME.

>> THEY ARE.

>> INCREDIBLE.

>> WATCH YOUR STEP HERE.

THERE MIGHT BE SALAMANDERS.

>> AND SURE ENOUGH WE DID COME UPON A SALAMANDER.

>> THESE GUYS START OUT LIKE... AND A THEY MATURE, THEY MOVE FROM RIGHT SIDE AND YOU HAVE TO LET THEM STAY.

I DON'T SEE GILLS ON THIS ONE.

AS THEY REACH MATURITY THEY LOSE THEIR GILLS.

ON THE SURFACE, LAY EGGS.

>> A LOT OF SECTIONS ONE HAS TO GO THROUGH.

>> THERE ARE A LOT.

THERE ARE A LOT OF STRETCHES HE, HANDS AND KNEES CRAWLING LIKE THIS.

BUT THE SIGNATURE MOVE, DOWN THE MIDDLE.

>> CAVING REALLY IS LIKE GOING TO ANOTHER PLANET WITHOUT LEAVING EARTH.

>> AS SOON AS YOU ENTER THAT PORTAL, YOU LEAVE ONE WORLD BEHIND AND ENTER A DIFFERENT WORLD, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE CONNECTED.

YOU CAN SEE THINGS THAT MAKE MANY PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN, WHICH IS EXCITING.

OR YOU MAY SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING IN A CAVE, YOU KNOW.

10,000 YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING, 8,000 YEARS AGO, WHICH CAN BE PRETTY EXCITING, TOO.

YOU SEE AN ORGANISM NEVER BEEN DESCRIBED BY SCIENCE.

OR SOMETIMES IT'S JUST THE BEAUTY OF THE WHOLE THING.

IT'S JUST A VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO BE.

I PERSONALLY LIKE THE DARKNESS AND THE QUIETNESS OF THE PLACE.

NO PLACE ELSE IN THE WHOLE OUTSIDE WORLD THAT I KNOW OF THAT YOU CAN GO AND BE IN ABSOLUTE DARKNESS AND NOT SEE AN AIRPLANE FLY OVER OR SATELLITE GO OVER IN THE NIGHT SKY.

IT'S JUST PURE BLACK AND DARK, SOMETIMES NEARLY PURELY QUIET.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

>> IT IS LIKE BEING ON SOME ALIEN WORLD.

>> YEAH.

YEAH, I CAN'T REMEMBER THE FELLOW'S NAME, BUT SOMEBODY SAID GOING CAVING IS THE ONE PLACE LEFT WHERE A MAN -- PERSON OF MODEST MEANS CAN DISCOVER THE WORLD.

>> WITH A SPECTACULAR NATURAL ENTRANCE, WAR EAGLE ARCHLY ENHAS BEEN AN AMAZEMENT OF PEOPLE.

YOU CAN TAKE THE REGULAR COMMERCIAL TOUR HERE OR DEPENDING HOW ADVENTURE SOME YOU ARE, THE WILD CAVE EXCURSION, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY.

SIT BACK, RELAX, LET US DO THE CRAWLING FOR YOU.

WAR EAGLE CAVERN IS LOCATED ON THE SHORES OF BEAVER LAKE EAST OF ROGERS.

KEEPING UP WITH DENNIS BOYD AND JIM MADISON OF WAR EAGLE ARCHLY ~ CAVERN, WE BEGAN OUR TOUR, 3 FOOT HIGH, 85 FOOT LONG TUNNEL, AH, BUT THE FUN WAS JUST STARTING.

>> WE HAVE ANY SUN YET?

>> USED BY NATIVE AMERICANS00 OF YEARS BEFORE THE FIRST SETTLORS CAME TO THIS AREA, WAR EAGLE CAVERN WAS ONCE KNOWN AS BAT CAVE.

IT IS STILL HOME TO ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST COLONIES OF PIPISTRELLE LAND GRAY BATS.

THERE MAY BE AS MANY AS 75,000 BATS IN THE CAVE.

YOUR CHANCES OF COMING UP ON HUGE COLONIES OF BATS LIKE WE DID ARE QUITE GOOD.

BECAUSE THE GRAY BATS USE THE CAVE AS A MATERNITY ROOST DURING THE SPRING MONTHS, WILD CAVE TOURS ARE CONDUCTED ONLY JULY THROUGH OCTOBER.

AS FAR AS CAVES GO, WAR EAGLE CAVERN IS THEV AS OLD A MOST CAVES, ONLY ABOUT 250 MILLION YEARS.

>> SO, THIS CAVE IS ACTUALLY A MUCH YOUNGER CAVE THAN A LOT OF CAVES AND WE'RE A HORIZONTAL CAVE.

THIS IS A RIVER WE'VE ONE FOLLOWING GOING BACK UNDERGROUND.

IF THAT RIVER FINALLY RECEDED FROM THERE, THIS BEV THING WOULD START GROWING.

AND 500,000 YEARS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GET ALL OF THESE REALLY GROWING ON THERE.

SO, YOU'VE GOT TO COME BACK HERE, CHUCK, IN ANOTHER HALF A MILLION YEARS AND WE SHOULD SEE A LOT MORE BY THAT TIME ON THERE.

WE ARE GOING COUNTER SOME FURTHER BACK INTO THE CAVE ON THERE.

RIGHT NOW THIS IS HOME TO BATS AND A YOU PROBABLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE, WE'VE GOT SOME BATS HANGING OUT ON OUR CEILING.

THEY'RE GETTING READY TO GO INTO HIBERNATION HERE.

THE BROWN BAT IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.

>> THEY'RE NOT THE ENDANGERED TYPE?

HE >> NO, SIR.

ALL BATS ARE PROTECTED.

WE DO HAVE SOME GRAY BATS THAT ARE A LITTLE RARE AND THEY REALLY HIDE FROM US A LOT.

THEY'RE A LITTLE MORE ENDANGERED.

>> I GUESS THE ONES WITH THE LONG EARS ARE THE SPECIES THAT ARE ENDANGERED.

>> YES, SIR.

THERE'S ACTUALLY OVER A THOUSAND DIFFERENT KINDS OF BATS IN THE WORLD ON THERE.

WE HAVE ABOUT TWO THAT MAKE THEIR HOME IN THE CAVE AND ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT SPECIES THAT LIKE TO HANG OUT HERE IN THE SUMMERTIME.

>> AND YOU MENTIONED TO US BEFORE THE REASON WHY THEY HANG UPSIDE-DOWN.

>> WELL, THE REASON A BAT HANGS UPSIDE-DOWN -- I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN SPOT IT HERE A DISTANCE AWAY.

BUT YOU ONLY SEE A BAT HANGING UPSIDE-DOWN FOR ONE IMPORTANT REASON.

IT'S THE ONLY REASON HE CAN FLY.

SHORT LEG, BIG LONG WINGS, DIFFICULT PROPORTIONATE TO HIS BODY.

THE FLYING HE WILL LET GO, LEAP OVER, FLY AND GLIDE.

WHEN HE HANDS HE HAS TO GO UPSIDE-DOWN.

IF A BAT IS DOWN ON THE GROUND HE'S IN REAL TROUBLE DOWN THERE.

~ >> WE TALKED ABOUT THE BAT HAIR.

THAT'S STILL USED TODAY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE HAVE PILES.

WE HAVE NEARLY 100,000 BATS USE THIS CAVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND THEY DO LEAVE QUITE A MESS BEHIND.

NOTHING MORE THAN BAT FERTILIZER USED PRIMARILY FOR FART LIEER.

BUT IN THE PAST IT'S BEEN USED TO MAKE GUN POWDER BACK IN THE TIME OF THE CIVIL WAR.

STILL USE SOME TODAY.

THE THING LADIES ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR, IT IS A KEY INGREDIENT AS A BASE TO MAKE EYE MASCARA WITH.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO PUT ANY ON AFTER THIS.

WE HAVE A LOT OF LADY SWEAR OFF MASCARA WHEN THEY HEAR THAT.

>> ALONG THIS WILD CAVE ROUTE YOU'LL COME UPON A 30 FOOT TALL NARROW ROOM WHERE WATER DROPLETS EVENTUALLY MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN TO THE CAVE FLOOR.

WATCHING THEM A THEY FREE FALL IS IN ITSELF QUITE FASCINATING.

YOU MAY WANT TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF BY TRYING TO CATCH ONE OR TWO OF THE DROP LETS WITH YOUR MOUTH.

>> IT'S GOOD.

>> THIS TWO-HOUR WILD CAVE TOUR AT WAR EAGLE ARCHLY EVERYONE IS BY RESERVATION ONLY AND YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 4 OR 5 TALL.

A LONG SLEEVE SHIRT IS RECOMMENDED TO AVOID SCRAPE AS WELL AS SHORTS.

KNEE PANTS AND HELMET WOULD ALSO BE WISE ALONG WITH THREE SOURCE HE OF LIGHT FOR BACK UP.

ALSO BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHES BECAUSE YOU WILL GET WET AND MUDDY.

BUT ALL IN ALL IT IS A LOT OF FUN AND YOU MAY JUST WANT TO COME BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN TO EXPLORE THE INNER DEPTHS OF WAR EAGLE CAVERN.

>> LIKE MOST CAVES, COSMIC CHARACTERV HAS ITS UNIQUE FORMATION.

BUT UNLIKE OTHER CAVES, THIS CAVERN ALSO HA TWO SMALL UNDERGROUND LAKE, THE BOTTOMS OF WHICH HAVE YET TO BE DISCOVERED.

AND IF YOU'RE REALLY ADVENTURE SOME, THERE IS ALSO A WILD CAVE ROUTE.

SO, LET US TAKE YOU ON YET STILL ANOTHER OZARK UNDERGROUND WONDER.

THE FIRST FEW FEET OF THIS WILD CAVE TOUR ARE THE TRICKIEST.

>> OF COURSE, WHAT OUR VIEWERS DIDN'T SEE WHAT WE ALMOST LOST A VIDEOGRAPHER.

MICHAD HOLLIDAY WENT AHEAD OF US SO HE COULD GET THE SHOT OF US GOING ACROSS.

ALMOST LOST HIM DOWN IN THAT LAKE.

YOU MADE IT.

>> THE CAVE WAS FOUND IN 18 45, GOLD PROSPECTER, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET BEHIND ME.

WE'RE ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET IN THE CAVE HERE.

DIDN'T OPEN COMMERCIALLY UNTIL 1927 WHICH WAS LOT OF THE TIME COMMERCIAL CAVES OPENED UP.

ROUTE 6 IS IN THE AREA.

A LOT OF PLACES -- PEOPLE STARTED GOING CROSS-COUNTRY AND THEY WANTED TO SEE THE WONDERS OF NATURE.

WHEN THEY GOT BACK IN THE OZARKS, THIS IS' QUITE A FEW CAVES.

BY THAT TIME PROBABLY 25 OR 30 MOM AND POP CAVE.

THIS WHAT ONE OF THEM IT HAVE WAS CLOSED IN WORLD WAR II, REOPENED IN 1952.

I CAME HERE WHEN IT WHAT CHANGED FROM MYSTERY CAVE TO COSMIC CAVERN IN 1972 AND I'VE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE.

THE TOUR HAS -- THREE TIMES WE'VE ADDED ONTO THE TOUR ROUTES SINCE WE'VE BEEN HERE.

WE'VE ADDED PROBABLY WHAT WHAT 700 TO 800 FOOT TOUR.

THIRD OF A MILE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE TRIP.

>> THE UNDERGROUND LAKES ARE WHAT MAKE THIS CAVERN SO INTERESTING.

>> ACCORDING TO THE GEOLOGIST AND WE'RE SITUATED IN THE DOLOMITE, THERE IS A LARGE CRACK IN THE CEILING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CAVE, 90% OF THE CAVE FOLLOW THIS FAULT LINE.

THE FAULT RUNS VERY DEEP.

THIS FAULT IS BROKE INTO AN AQUIFER CALLED RUBIDOUX.

IT NEVER DROPS FROM A CERTAIN POINT.

WE ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF WATER.

WE HAVE THREE PLACE IN THE CAVE THAT HAVE A CONSTANT WATER LEVEL.

NEVER GOES BELOW THAT POINT.

IT'S BEEN UP MANY TIME OVER THE SIDEWALK SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, BUT NEVER DROPS BELOW A CERTAIN POINT.

IT KEEPS FEEDING BACK A FURTHER AMOUNT.

>> SINCE THE CAVE'S DISCOVERY, THE BOTTOMS OF THE LAKES HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND.

>> NOBODY CAN REACH THE BOTTOM BECAUSE MAN'S TECHNOLOGY HASN'T GONE THAT FAR YET.

WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIT SOME OF THESE PLACES.

EVERYBODY HAS IDEAS.

WHY DON'T YOU TRAIN THE FISH TO GET TROUT IN HERE SO WE CAN PUT LIGHTS ON AND MAYBE GO BACK AND HAVE A CAMERA TIED TO HIM.

WE HAVE SOME REALLY WILD ANALOGIES ABOUT HOW TO GET BACK IN THE CAVE AND -- BUT WE NEVER FOUND THE TRUE BOTTOM OR TRUE END BECAUSE THE FAULT LINE TO THIS EXTENT IS 5 AND 10,000 FEET IN THE GROUND WHICH MAY NOT BE VERY WIDE BUT IT'S STILL THERE.

DOESN'T TAKE MUCH OF A CRACK IN THE GROUND TO BRING WATER UP.

WITH A WATER PIPE, DOESN'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME BEFORE THE WATER GETS TO THE HOUSE.

>> DIVERS HAVE EXPLORED THE LAKES, BUT HAVEN'T BEEN TOO SUCCESSFUL.

>> WE'VE HAD THREE SETS OF DIVERS.

ONE DIVER IN THE SECOND LAKE BACK HERE, WHEN THEY DOVE TO MAKE AN IMAX MOVIE SHOWN IN BRANSON NOW, HE HE WHAT ABLE TO SQUEEZE THROUGH A SMALL CREVICE AND TOUCH THE CEILING OF A BIG UNDER WATER ROOM, HAD A CANDLE POWER LIGHT, HE COULD SEE THE ROOM BUT COULDN'T FIT THROUGH T. THE WALLS WERE SO SHARP AND COVERED WITH FLINT HE COULDN'T SQUEEZE IN THERE.

THAT IS THE NEXT POSSIBILITY AS FAR AS GOING UNDER WATER.

HUGE UNDER WATER ROOMS THEY CAN'T GET TO.

>> COSMIC CAVERN IS HOME TO THE RARE OZARK'S BLIND CAVE SALAMANDER AND TWO PARTICULAR BARRELS.

>> I BROUGHT AN OLD MAN IN THE CAVE IN 1986 THAT, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CAVE, HE WHAT BRAGGING ABOUT WHEN HE WAS A KID THEY HAD SOME BOATS MADE OUT OF OLD BARREL.

BEST WAY TO GET THROUGH A CAVE IS ROLL FOUR BARRELS TOGETHER AND TIE THEM TOGETHER.

THEY DID THAT WITH OAK CAVE.

THEY LEFT IT BACK HERE AND SANK.

THIS GUY ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CAVE, I HAD AN OLD BARREL BOAT, HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT.

AND I SHOWED HIM THE OLD BARRELS THAT WHEN THE WATER IS LOW, HE SAID YEP, THAT'S OUR BOAT.

THAT WAS 1911 WHEN I WHAT DOWN HERE WITH IT.

HE WAS ABOUT 11 YEARS OLD.

TO THIS DAY WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY EYEWITNESSES THAT CAN GO BACK THAT FAR BECAUSE NOT MANY PEOPLE COME IN 100 YEARS LATER TO TELL YOU STORY.

I'VE BEEN HERE 35 YEARS.

I'VE HEARD LOTS OF STORIES OF A LOT OF OLD-TIMERS THAT HAVE GONE AND SINCE PAST AWAY, AND WE HAVE DOCUMENTEDED QUITE A BIT OF IT.

>> RANDY BEGAN OFFERING THE THRILL OF WILD CAVING TO VISITORS BACK DURING THE EARLY 1990S.

>> 1993, JANUARY 23RD, WE FOUND A WHOLE NEW SECTION OF CAVE THAT WENT BACK ALMOST A QUARTER OF A MILE.

AND THE LITTLE BITTY CRAWL WAY WE HAD TO SQUEEZE THROUGH WHAT LIKE A SMALL HOLLOWED OUT TUNNEL WE BLASTED TWO CHARGE OF DYNAMITE.

WE EXPLODED A MONTH, MONTH AND A HALF, AND WITHIN A YEAR'S TIME WE HAD A WALKWAY PART OF THE WAY BACK.

BETWEEN THAT AND THAT FIRST YEAR FROM '93 TO '94 WE STARTED SHOWING ABOUT 200 PEOPLE THE BACK PART OF THIS CAVE FOR $35.

IT GOT NASTY, MUDDY, LAKES YOU HAD TO GO ACROSS WHICH MADE IT MORE INTERESTING AND COLDER ROUTE.

IN '94 WE HAD THIS SECTION BACK TO WHERE I'M STANDING ADDED ON AND WE STILL TOOK A BOAT.

I STILL WENT BACK FURTHER IN THE CAVE.

WE WERE THE FIRST TO ADD ON A WILD TOUR.

EVERYBODY LATER STARTED DOING IT AND KIND OF THOUGHT OF MY EXAMPLE.

BUT NOW WE HAVE A LITTLE DECK AND IT'S A LITTLE EASIER TO GET BACK IN THERE.

WE SPEND ABOUT 2 TO 2-1/2 HOURS.

WE DON'T TAKE MORE THAN 6 PEOPLE, LESS THAN TWO, AND DEPEND ON THE CAMERAS.

I HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN RUN IN AND OUT OF HERE IN AN HOUR AND A HALF.

I HAVEN'T TAKEN A TOUR FASTER THAN THAT.

THERE'S SO MUCH TO SEE.

THERE'S 800 FEET OF CAVE BACK HERE.

IT UZ DIDANT SOUND LIKE A LOT, BUT IT'S THE QUALITY, NOT THE QUANTITY.

BEAUTIFUL DAY.

>> THERE'S ONE PARTICULAR CAVE STRAW FORMATION IN THIS CAVERN THAT IS QUITE UNIQUE.

>> THE TRAIL, WE HAVE THE LONGEST KNOWN THAT DOESN'T TOUCH FROM THE CEILING TO THE FLOOR.

IT'S GOT ABOUT 200-FOOT GAP.

THE CEILING PROVIDED THE WATER AND THE FLOOR WAS 12-1/2 FEET LOWER AND THE WATER ALL BUILT UP FROM THE CEILING TO THE FLOOR.

AND NOW IT'S FREESTANDING AFTER THE TOP 2-1/2 FEET ARE FILLED.

AFTER CHECKING AROUND, THOUGH, WE FOUND THAT IS THE LONGEST KNOWN STRAW MITE KNOWN TO EXIST IN ARKANSAS.

IT'S THE WEIGHT OF IT IS TOP HEAVY.

SHOWS US THAT THE WATER FLOODING HASN'T CAUSED ANY DAMAGE TO IT AND IT ALSO SHOWS US THAT NOTHING IS NEW DOWN HERE.

IF ANYTHING MOVED THE SLIGHTEST LITTLE BIT, WRONG DRIP OF WATER, THAT WOULD NOT BE STANDING WHERE IT IS.

>> IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S DEFYING GRAVITY.

SHOULDN'T STAND THERE LIKE THAT LIKE IT IS.

>> IT'S HOLLOW INSIDE.

IT HAS ONLY HALF THE DENSITY OF WHAT AN ICE SICKLE WOULD HAVE.

A GOOD SNEEZE, AND IT COULD BE GONE.

>> RANDY SAYS THERE'S EVEN MORE CAVE TO COSMIC CAVERN.

>> NOW THEY SQUEEZE THROUGH A SMALL LONG FOOT LONG PASS ALAN WAY AND ABLE TO STAND UP 15 FEET HIGH.

IT STILL GOES, AND THE AIR FLOWS.

AIR FLOW IS LIKE A NEON ARROW.

IT WILL SHOW WHETHER THERE IS A WIND BACK THERE.

WE ARE 425 FEET UNDER A RIDGE THAT GOES BACK 8 MILES.

WE DON'T THINK WEILL EVER FIND ALL OF THIS PLACE.

>> SO, IF YOU'RE THINKING OF POSSIBLY GETTING INTO WILD CAVING, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND JOINING ONE OF THE MANY GROTTO CLUBS AROUND THE STATE.

NEVER, EVER TRY TO GO OUT AND VENTURE IT ALONE.

FOR MORE ON WILD CAVING PLUS MANY OF OUR OTHER TOPICS AND DESTINATIONS, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT AETN.ORG/EXPLORING ARKANSAS.

AND WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN THE NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EXCITING ADVENTURE ON EXPLORING ARKANSAS.

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