“Has anybody ever died down there?”
–Yes, and this is that story.
World-famous since the mid-1800s, Howe’s Cave had been modernized for visitors in 1927-29 with an elevator entrance, clean paths, and electric lights. A grand reopening on Decoration Day, 1929 made Howe Caverns, Inc. one of upstate New York’s most popular tourist destinations.
Less than a year later, two of the new corporation’s employees died in the cave under baffling circumstances in the early morning hours of April 24, 1930. They collapsed near the postcard-worthy formation the Bell of Moscow.
At 5 a.m. that same morning, 7½ tons of dynamite knocked 60,000 tons of limestone from the hillside at the old cement quarry, just southeast of the cave. Had fumes from the blast found their way through the maze of caverns’ passages and killed the men more than a half-mile away? Or had it loosened dangerous gases lurking in the cave for eons?
This is the untold story of that tragedy: the rescue attempts, the investigation and coroner’s report, and finally, the legal recourse sought by the widows of the two men. Much of the story is told in vivid, first-hand accounts taken from court records of one of the cases. The testimony—by rescuers, cave experts, quarrymen, explosives engineers, doctors, and chemists under the dueling questioning of the widow’s attorney and his adversary —unravels the mystery of who was responsible and illuminates unfamiliar avenues of the dark, remarkable cave. How will the jury decide?
The Cave Electrician’s Widow:The Tragedy at Howe Caverns & Courtroom Battle for Justiceis part David vs. Goliath; part mystery, part courtroom drama, part travelogue through the fascinating underground realm of the caverns, and much more.
Includes more than 20 photos and maps to recreate for readers the entire tableau of the 1930 tragedy – both above and below ground.
 "The Cave Electrician's Widow - The Tragedy at Howe Cavers & Dramatic Courtroom Fight for Justice")