Wrong info on the benton park cave access

[BROUSER]

Not a question. An order. Want to see some pictures. Soon.

[redox]

Yeah, Memory_Machine and I crawled down into this big hole in Benton park soon after it appeared (3 weeks ago). It is a result of percipitious soil subsidence caused by a large split in the tar lining of benton park's lake, which allowed almost all the water to drain into the cave system below via a fissure. We actually saw (and smelled) a dead perch inside the sinkhole when we were down there. Memory_Machine has way better pictures of this thing; mine suck and don't give any reference as to scale, but here they are, as you ordered.

Drained lake


Hole (right next to lake)



Going into hole



Inside hole!

[redox]

[BROUSER]

Wow. Yeah, that looks pretty unstable.

[junkman306]

Awesome pics!

[junkman306]

I don't know that I'd go into it very often though. As brouser said it looks pretty unstable.

[squabbit]

Anybody got some dynamite and a power washer? we could be in that cave in about 5 minutes. Cholera, skeletons, and dead fish, here we come.

[Freak]

Is this still around? Anyone do anything or did you make like Minneapolis explorers and jerk off for a week instead? A pressure washer is all you need, rent one! If the lake is dry you'll need a water source as well.

Dynamite would just collapse everything, directed water jets are much more efficient and controllable (and actually obtainable by the average person)

Since the water is obviously going somewhere, you can probably just blast the bottom of the hole with the stream until more dirt slumps into the cave. Then slide in!

Bring a rope and some strong fuckers to pull you out quick when the sinkhole starts to collapse

[That guy]

Hello all , first post here wooot ... I just wanted to chime in here , I live right up the street from Benton park , and have been talking to Mr.Rabbit about the English cave . From my understanding from folks in the know , the water from the lake did not create the sinkhole. I was told the city drained the lake to take weight off of the cave roof , so the hole thing doesn't come in . It is a mission of mine to find access to the cave , I am trying my best to find out how to get in safely , it isn't worth getting killed for . I actually would like to get our neighborhood association and the parks department to reopen the cave for tours , it was done in the 30's . it has been dicussed in neighborhood meetings , it just hasn't gone anywhere .. If what I heard is correct this is the old entrance ,where the current bridge is today , it has since been covered with concrete .I am still looking for pics of when the beer garden ,or tours where open to really determine if it was infact the entrance .

[That guy]

Here is a pic of the sinkhole starting to take the stairs on the other side of the lake . And a snow pic I took of the park in December of last year , before the sinkhole started , just thought I'd throw that in there

[squabbit]

I don't know about the city draining the pond to take pressure off the cave roof. I'm not calling you a liar, but that would mean that the city is worried about the thing collapsing, and that would be a big deal. Also, if the ponds were a threat to the cave's stability, wouldn't that mean the city would be getting rid of the ponds in the park? That would take some serious maneuvering and public spin and I haven't heard anything. Welcome to the forum, nice pictures.

[redox]

Nah it drained into the fookin cave. Memory_Machine and I went as far into the sinkhole as possible, I stuck my head into a little viod where I saw a rivulet of water draining away into a small hole in some limestone. Again, the most telling thing was the dead perch inside the hole. The city didn't drain the lake. I saw a large tear in the tar lining right by the hole with a bunch of dead fish piled up around it. BTW Freak, that hole has since partially collapsed, but it's still there.

[That guy]

I don't know about the city draining the pond to take pressure off the cave roof. I'm not calling you a liar, but that would mean that the city is worried about the thing collapsing, and that would be a big deal. Also, if the ponds were a threat to the cave's stability, wouldn't that mean the city would be getting rid of the ponds in the park? That would take some serious maneuvering and public spin and I haven't heard anything. Welcome to the forum, nice pictures.

Well I am just going off what my neighbors who are head folks in the neighborhood association said to me . That lake has been leaking for a long time , if you see where the sinkhole opened up, almost directly across from it is where the stairs are sinking in , I think that whole section either has , or is going to go , and it runs directly under the lake , that is why it was explained to me the parks department drained it . Then again , that is just what was said to me .. I hope the city don't go and fill the cave in . That was another thing said to me . Thanks for the picture complimates . I have a sht load of differant pics , helps keep me out of trouble

[Chris]

Beautiful pics, man!

[memory_machine]

Seriously! Those are some beautiful shots that I'd be willing to hang on my wall (after I take down the nudie posters). Well done!