The Wrangell Sentinel

Lost Scientist Is Safe After Week in a Cave

NICKAJACK CAVE, Tenn. - Lawrence Ashley, the geologist who has been wandering frantically through Nickajack Cave since last Monday night trying to find his way out, this afternoon weakly staggered to the door of the home of Hope McReynolds, owner of the cave. Ashley had stumbled onto an unknown opening in the cave eight miles across sand and mountain from where he entered over a week ago. Seeking greater depths and added mysterious wonders which he believed to exist, Ashley passed through a narrow and small opening disturbing the loose earth and rock which avalanched down behind him and closed the path by which he might have returned. For days Ashley wandered, searching, clambering through narrow openings, losing sight of directions or depth, climbing, descending, crawling, walking, slipping until he became crazed in search of an outlet and life. Other than being in a state of exhaustion, sore and bedraggled, and almost out of his mind Ashley was uninjured. Dozens of searching parties had been sent into the dark recesses during the time the geologist was missing but none were able to find even a trace of the missing man and hope virtually had been given up for his safety.