I would venture that he was likely a Ph.D., they have greater ability to exaggerate:) than overworked MDs... Rafal Kedzierski
> To: texascavers@texascavers.com > Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2015 19:14:43 +0000 > Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Frank Nicholson > From: texascavers@texascavers.com > > "Dr." Frank E. Nicholson? An M.D., perhaps? > > Might explain the tendency to exaggerate. > > Diana > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > Diana R. Tomchick > Professor > University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center > Department of Biophysics > 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. > Rm. ND10.214A > Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A. > Email: diana.tomch...@utsouthwestern.edu > 214-645-6383 (phone) > 214-645-6353 (fax) > > > > > > > > On Feb 20, 2015, at 12:32 AM, Carl Kunath via Texascavers wrote: > > > Nicholson was quite an interesting fellow but he did his best speleology > > with a typewriter. > > > > He is cited a number of times in 50 Years of Texas Caving ( AKA: The > > Encyclopedia of Texas Caving): > > > > Pg 21, 294: Cascade Caverns and Longhorn Cave > > Pg 35, 308: There is a brief mention of a grandiose expedition to Cueva de > > El Abra with Bob Hudson and Jimmy Walker > > Pg 424: A note of Nicholson visiting Devil’s Sinkhole > > > > I could have included quite a lot more about Nicholson but the space was > > better reserved for more factual, perhaps more entertaining, accounts. One > > of the best stories involves his plan to explore a lofty dome in Carlsbad > > Cavern with the use of a balloon. Explorers would rise to the desired > > level in a basket and step out into unknown passages. This didn’t happen > > although it’s a pity as we might have learned how he planned to create the > > necessary clearance above the top of the balloon in order to reach the > > upper area of the dome and also how he planned to deal with those sharp, > > pointy stalactites. > > > > Nicholson was nothing if not consistent. Every account of his exploits > > that he authored is wildly exaggerated. In addition to the Cascade Caverns > > story related below, check out this account of the Devil’s Sinkhole: > > > > SEPT. 2, 1934 > > Kerrville – Dr. Frank E. Nicholson, explorer of Carlsbad Cavern in New > > Mexico, has announced that the Devil’s Sinkhole, 65 miles from here, is > > larger than the famous New Mexico cave. Dr. Nicholson recently visited the > > Clarence Whitworth ranch, site of the sinkhole, and conducted a series of > > explorations. He found that the cave’s mouth is about 90 feet in diameter > > and looks down upon a 600-foot “mountain peak” which rises to within 271 > > feet of the surface of the ground. The subterranean mountain is a mile in > > circumference at the base. Dr. Nicholson explored several miles of passages > > with striking and colorful formations and saw many other corridors leading > > away for unknown distances. The cave is one of the country’s greatest > > natural wonders, Dr. Nicholson said. > > > > ===Carl Kunath > > carl.kun...@suddenlink.net > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Mixon Bill via Texascavers > > Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2015 3:31 PM > > To: Cavers Texas > > Subject: [Texascavers] unique Texas cave > > > > Published, apparently seriously, in the "News-Letter of the Exploration & > > Location Committee" of the NSS, #1, Jan. 1943: > > > > A condensation of information on the exploration of a limestone cave near > > Boerne, Texas, about 1932 by a party headed by Dr. Frank E. Nicholson, > > indicates that it is perhaps the most unusual phenomenon in our science. > > The information is from an old reference, and anyone having further > > information on this cave please contact this committee. 500 feet within the > > cave is a subterranean lake overhung by stalactites which reach to the > > surface of the water, requiring swimming under water for 200 feet. > > Occasional "pockets" permit breathing. This expedition penetrated beyond > > the lake to a great vaulted tunnel, which contained a "bottomless pit," > > subterranean spring, and stream. Progress was possible to a point one mile > > from the entrance and 600 feet below the surface. The most unusual feature > > of the cave is that in it were found white colored blind crayfish, > > pheletrodroid salamanders, and blind, white translucent frogs. Most > > unbelievable is the report that at the cave's lowest level (one mile from > > entrance and 600 feet underground) 50 Spanish oak and Hackberry trees were > > found growing. That trees can grow in complete darkness with the complete > > absence of light and sunshine is a phenomenon that demands further > > investigation by speleologists. > > > > The chairman of the committee and presumably author of the piece was Erwin > > Bischoff. Scan of original can be found at > > http://www.karstportal.org/FileStorage/NSS_news/1941-v001-001.pdf > > --Mixon > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > > Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ > > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers > > > ________________________________ > > UT Southwestern > > > Medical Center > > > > The future of medicine, today. > > > _______________________________________________ > Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com > Texascavers@texascavers.com | Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/texascavers@texascavers.com/ > http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers
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