Lost River - Karst Information Portal

The Richard Blenz Nature Conservancy
of one year. There were
also limitations on
how far work could
proceed into the cave,
due to the 1,500foot
length of large
air hose available.
Graffiti-covered ceiling in Buckner Cave. Photo by Willie Hunt.
Additionally, it was
known there wouldn’t
be enough time to
eradicate all graffiti
within reach of the
equipment.
Therefore, at the
outset of the project
an area was targeted,
formerly called the
Signature Room but
now called the L.V.
Cushing Room for
the late 18th century
for use, and Bloomington caver Dave Everton original signature left there, as a primary focus
began the pursuit. The equipment was now of removal. It was known that there would be
owned by the Peppersauce Cave Conservation plenty of graffiti to remove in every direction
Project but still managed by Ray. The Richard in that immediate vicinity for as long as the
Blenz Nature Conservancy Executive Board equipment was available.
gave Dave the green light to coordinate the It should be noted that since the cave
project. The trailer with equipment was located received visitors during the 19th century
in Sewanee, Tennessee, so arrangements were and was known to contain several historic
made to transfer it to Bloomington. The signatures, an effort was made to document the
Peppersauce Cave Conservation Project kicked historic graffiti so it could be spared. Therefore,
in some grant money for transportation and the several markings were found, documented, and
trailer was moved to the Richard Blenz Nature photographed by Randy Jackson in areas of the
Conservancy property in March 2006.
cave which were targeted for cleaning.
To kick off the project, Ray flew out to Rather than head to the Cushing Room
Bloomington from his temporary location right away, graffiti removal began in the entrance
in New Mexico and gave an orientation to room; later, the air, power, and phone lines
a group of cavers in the entrance room of were extended into the cave through the 700-
Buckner Cave on Saturday, April 15, 2006. That foot crawlway and into an intersecting passage
started a series of work weekends held there at adjacent to the Cushing Room. This area is
the property, with graffiti removal using the commonly referred to as the “T” and is where a
sandblasting equipment as the highest priority. central base of operations was set up. Since three
The following is an overview of the project to separate teams could sandblast simultaneously,
date.
one team ran lines backward and worked in
Before actually starting the work, Dave certain areas in the crawlway while another
had no real clue of what kind of effort would team worked at the T. The third team worked
be needed. It was known up front that the in the passage adjacent to the Cushing Room.
equipment would be available for a limited time Each subsequent workday, the crawlway team
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