The Fate & Legacy of Floyd Collins (Finale)

By Friday, February 13th, 1925, rescue workers were getting close to Floyd Collins, who lay trapped deep down in Sand Cave. Above ground, crowds gathered and prayed for Floyd. Reporters questioned state officials for any updates. Photographers readied their cameras around the rescue shaft, hoping to capture the big moment. 

By that point, Floyd Collins had been stuck for two weeks. Rescuers were confident they would find him. They just didn’t know if they’d find him alive.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Norm pulled from: 

“Charles Lindbergh – No Fan Of The American Press – Sound Familiar?” Mr. Magazine, September 5, 2019. https://mrmagazine.me/2019/09/05/charles-lindbergh-no-fan-of-the-american-press-sound-familiar-a-mr-magazine-blast-from-the-past-circa-may-1954/.

Collins, Homer, and John Lehrberger. The Life and Death of Floyd Collins. Cave Books, 2001.

“Fingerprints and Bloodstains.” Kentucky Cop Stories, January 29, 2022. https://kentuckycopstories.wordpress.com/2022/01/29/fingerprints-and-bloodstains-louisville-ky/.

Kem, David Randolph. The Kentucky Cave Wars: The Century That Shaped Mammoth Cave National Park. David Randolph Kem, 2014.

Murray, Robert K., and Roger W. Brucker. Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins. University Press of Kentucky, 1982. https://archive.org/details/trappedstoryofst0000murr.

Reilly, Lucas. “The 1925 Cave Rescue That Captivated the Nation.” Mental Floss, July 13, 2018. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/544782/1925-cave-rescue-that-captivated-the-united-states-floyd-collins.

Theiss, Nancy. “1936 Murder Case Still Resonates in La Grange.” Courier-Journal, June 2, 2026. https://archive.is/vPbAz.

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