Mammoth Cave curiosities : a guide to rockphobia, dating, saber-toothed cats, and other subterranean marvels

Sir Elton John, blind fish, the original Twinkie, President Ronald Reagan's Secret Service detail, and mummies don't usually come up in the same conversation―unless you're at Mammoth Cave National Park! Home to the earth's longest known cave system, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the oldest tourist attractions in North America. Although this remarkable place has been immortalized in works ranging from Herman Melville's Moby Dick to H. P. Lovecraft's "The Beast in the Cave," the realities of life at Mammoth Cave can be stranger than fiction. In this charming book, Colleen O'Connor Olson takes readers on a tour through a labyrinth of topics. She discusses scientific subjects such as the fossils of prehistoric animals and the secret lives of subterranean critters, and she provides essential information on dating in the cave (the age of rocks and artifacts, not courtship). Olson also explores Mammoth Cave's rich history, covering its use as the world's first tuberculosis sanatorium as well as its operation as a saltpeter mine during the War of 1812, and shares the inspirational story of the park's first female ranger. Throughout, Olson offers up humorous accounts of celebrity visits and astounding adventures and even includes a chapter dedicated to jokes told in the cave over the years. Whether you're visiting the national park, thinking about visiting, or just curious about a place recognized as one of the world's greatest natural wonders, don't miss this delightful guide to the wild and wonderful subterranean world of Mammoth Cave. Sir Elton John, blind fish, the original Twinkie, President Ronald Reagan's Secret Service detail, and mummies don't usually come up in the same conversation―unless you're at Mammoth Cave National Park! Home to the earth's longest known cave system, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the oldest tourist attractions in North America. Although this remarkable place has been immortalized in works ranging from Herman Melville's __Moby Dick__ to H. P. Lovecraft's "The Beast in the Cave," the realities of life at Mammoth Cave can be stranger than fiction.In this charming book, Colleen O'Connor Olson takes readers on a tour through a labyrinth of topics. She discusses scientific subjects such as the fossils of prehistoric animals and the secret lives of subterranean critters, and she provides essential information on dating in the cave (the age of rocks and artifacts, not courtship). Olson also explores Mammoth Cave's rich history, covering its use as the world's first tuberculosis sanatorium as well as its operation as a saltpeter mine during the War of 1812, and shares the inspirational story of the park's first female ranger.Throughout, Olson offers up humorous accounts of celebrity visits and astounding adventures and even includes a chapter dedicated to jokes told in the cave over the years. Whether you're visiting the national park, thinking about visiting, or just curious about a place recognized as one of the world's greatest natural wonders, don't miss this delightful guide to the wild and wonderful subterranean world of Mammoth Cave. Front cover -- Copyright -- Contents -- Introduction -- 1 The Mammoth Cave Dating Guide -- 2 Rockphobia -- 3 Bones -- 4 Secret Lives of Cave Critters Revealed! -- 5 The Gypsum-Twinkie Connection -- 6 Prairie Park Companion -- 7 Prehistoric Cavers -- 8 Saltpeter -- 9 The Cave Cure -- 10 Exploring the World's Longest Cave -- 11 The Cave Wars -- 12 Want a 2:00 A.M. Cave Tour? Come to Great Onyx! -- 13 Cave Guide Coy Hanson -- 14 Lost John -- 15 CCC Boy Fred K. Hanie Jr. -- 16 Ronald Reagan's Visit to Mammoth Cave -- 17 Rachel Wilson, a Woman in the Underground World of Men -- 18 Nuclear-Fallout Shelters in Mammoth Cave -- 19 The Literary Mammoth -- 20 Celebrities Underground -- 21 Colossal Cave Adventure -- 22 Cave Jokes -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Index Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the earth's longest known cave system, and this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the oldest tourist attractions in North America. Whether you're visiting the national park or just curious about a place recognised as one of the world's greatest natural wonders, don't miss this delightful guide to the wild and wonderful subterranean world of Mammoth Cave. Would Mammoth Cave make a good nuclear fallout shelter? Was a mummy really found in the cave? Olson takes readers on a tour, provides essential information on the cave and it's history, and shares trivia and jokes about one of the world's greatest natural wonders