BROKEN RIB CAVE: A SECOND ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY

Marion O. Smith

On July 6, 1996, Gerald Moni, Alan Cressler, Andy Porter, Lin Guy, and I went
to the mountainside % mile southwest from Road Noise Cave. The objective was to
"Straighten out". for the Tennessee Cave Survey all the recent vertical discoveries
by Spencer Mountain Grotto and myself. Jerell Killian (Cookevilie, TJ), Rufus and
Lisa Mulinix (Rock Springs, Ga), Steve and Rosemary MacDonell, and Mark Moore (all
Spencer, TN) were briefly present to show us the entrances of Resurrection, Cruxi-
fixion, and Red Expo caves, with onais internal pits of 91, SO, and 101 feet.
Resurrection and Cruxifixion were first located by Spencer Mountain Grotto members
during April and May, 1996, and during the same period they plus Jerell Killian also
rediscovered Red Expo Cave, originally reported to the TCS by Hal Love, and after a
tricky traverse found the virgin 101 foot wat. “Wonder Crack.” L, of course, pac
found Road Noise Cave, with ite 25 and 116 fect. pits, on May 19, 1996,

Anyway, today, some twenty-five feet northeast of the Spencer Mountain Grotto
trail down the face of the Haweeen ie contact on the way to Red Expo Cave, Moni,
Cressler, Porter, Guy, and I came upon a tight crawl entrance. I felt cool air and

had the most enthusiasm of the group in “pushing" it, and after a couple tries,

managed to back through double squeezes to a twenty foot deep chimney. After fumbling

around in breakdown a while Cressler joined me and we found a walking passage to
what turned out to be a 94 foot pit. Soon, Porter joined us and gear was shoved
through the entrance. Alan set a bolt and we took turns (me, Alan, and Andy, in
that order) yoyoing the pit. This little discovery is about 200 feet long and 120

feet deep, and named in honor of my fall in another cave the day before.