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 Author | Topic: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave (Read 9,980 times) |
L Roebuck
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|  | 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Thread Started on Nov 3, 2005, 3:50pm » | |
Program to remember the 1965 tragedy at Schroeder’s Pants Cave
By ROB JUTEAU Evening Times Staff Writer (Thurs., Nov. 3)
DOLGEVILLE — The effort to recover the body of James G. Mitchell from the narrow cave on Frank Petkovsek’s farm in the town of Manheim garnered national attention in February 1965. The recovery effort is making headlines again as Christian Lyon will host a slide show, discussion and screening of his documentary on the tragedy at Schroeder’s Pants Cave this Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Dolgeville Volunteer Fire Department.
“This year marks the 40th anniversary of the tragedy, so why not host such an event,” Lyon said. “A lot of the younger generation have no idea that Dolgeville and Manheim made national headlines when a six-man rescue squad was flown in from Washington on Air Force Two to lead the recovery effort. The members of the older generation remember it like it was yesterday because it happened right in their own backyard. It will be interesting to get members of both generations together so they can hear the details of a story that captivated the nation.”
According to the Monday, Feb. 15, 1965, edition of The Evening Times, Mitchell, 23, of Winthorp, Mass., entered the cave on Saturday, Feb. 13, 1965, with two fellow explorers, Hedy Miller, 21, of Cambridge, Mass., and Charles Bennett, 23, of Croton-on-Hudson. The young chemist and speleologist became stuck in a vertical shaft about 235 feet from the entrance and his companions struggled unsuccessfully for about three-quarters of an hour to free him. Shortly before 7 p.m., Bennett made his way to the Russell Gressler farm, from which help was summoned.
The rest of the story....
http://www.littlefallstimes.com/articles/2005/11/03/news/news3.txt
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #1 on Feb 19, 2006, 8:36pm » | |
I just joined this group and am glad to see my article here. I have been working on this documentary for the past few years and will be shooting much more footage this spring. I gave a 2 hour presentation on this tragedy, to a room filled with hundreds, in Dolgeville, NY and it was a very moving evening. I will keep you all updated on this documentary as I will surely need your imput and help along the way in various capacities. But for now I am just glad to have joined this forum.
Christian Lyon
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Christian Lyon
Schroeder’s Pants Cave |
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madratdan
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #2 on Feb 19, 2006, 10:43pm » | |
Welcome to the discussion board, Christian. Please do keep us updated. Sounds like a great project to work on. You could probably enter it in competition at an NSS convention.
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Dan Sullivan
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L Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #3 on Feb 20, 2006, 10:18am » | |
Welcome to the board Christian!  Its a very moving article please keep us updated.
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Sharon Faulkner
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #4 on Feb 20, 2006, 2:59pm » | |
Welcome Christian! I'll echo the others, the story is very interesting. Thanks for offering updates.
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #5 on May 15, 2006, 9:49pm » | |
I received a recent e-mail wondering what is going on with my documentary. Well a lot actually. I have been very busy meeting with various people and getting all the facts. It really is a fascinating story. I will be leading a group back to Upstate NY in June to film more and I then will begin putting the film together. I will be giving a presentation on Schroeder's Pants Cave and the tragic accident that claimed the life of James Mitchell, at the National Convention in WA. this August so I hope you all plan to attend. I sure am looking forward to telling the story.
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Christian Lyon
Schroeder’s Pants Cave |
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L Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #6 on May 16, 2006, 9:05am » | |
Thanks for the update Christian! The Schroeder’s Pants Cave article was very moving so I can imagine your presentation is going to be very dramatic.
We still have not yet decided if we will attend the Washington NSS Convention or not. But your update certainly is swaying me toward going just to see your presentation and to meet you!
Thanks again for the update. If you don't mind, drop by and let us know how the documentary is going. 
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Sharon Faulkner
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #7 on May 16, 2006, 8:12pm » | |
One of those light bulb over the head moments....I just realized that the James G. Mitchell from this documentary is the same one that inspired the creation of the NSS Mitchell Award. Duh!
Quote:JAMES G. MITCHELL AWARD: The James G. Mitchell Award was established in 1969 to be given for the best scientific paper presented at any of the sessions of the annual convention by a member (or members) of the Society age 25 or younger who has applied or been recommended for this award. The Award consists of a certificate and a cash award based on the income earned by the James G. Mitchell fund. (Act 43-139)
http://www.caves.org/nss-business/bog/description.html |
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L Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #8 on May 17, 2006, 8:13am » | |
Do you think this is going to be the most interesting presentation at the NSS Convention this year?!
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #9 on May 17, 2006, 2:17pm » | |
Well - I am a bit prejudice This story has been a passion of mine for almost my whole life. Schroeder's Pants Cave was discovered by my grandfather and great uncle in 1948 and my father was one of the volunteer firemen that was called to the accident early on in 1965. His picture, coming up out of the cave made the front page of almost every major newspaper across the country, including the LA Times. As a kid growing up, I always heard stories and saw my dad's scrapbook which just fueled my interests. I too would then go back there with numerous relatives to not only see Schroeder's but the various other sinkholes in hopes to find more underground passages. After leaving NY for Hollywood, the story was always in the back of my mind and so in 2003 I started to track down the people that were involved with the accident including members of that original National Cave Rescue Team and members of the Mitchell family. In November of 2005, I went home and gave a 2 hour presentation, to coincide with the 40th anniversary, that included slides from the 40's, my findings, all the newspaper clippings from the accident, and a 7 min. trailer of the documentary. The fire hall was filled with over 200 people and the response was overwhelming. So YES I do think my presentation will be the best. And I don't mean this in any negative way to the others that will be giving presentations. Hope to see and meet many in WA.
Christian Lyon
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Christian Lyon
Schroeder’s Pants Cave |
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #10 on May 17, 2006, 2:19pm » | |
Quote:One of those light bulb over the head moments....I just realized that the James G. Mitchell from this documentary is the same one that inspired the creation of the NSS Mitchell Award. Duh!
Quote:JAMES G. MITCHELL AWARD: The James G. Mitchell Award was established in 1969 to be given for the best scientific paper presented at any of the sessions of the annual convention by a member (or members) of the Society age 25 or younger who has applied or been recommended for this award. The Award consists of a certificate and a cash award based on the income earned by the James G. Mitchell fund. (Act 43-139)
http://www.caves.org/nss-business/bog/description.html |
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Christian Lyon
Schroeder’s Pants Cave |
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #11 on May 17, 2006, 2:21pm » | |
That is correct Sharon.
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Christian Lyon
Schroeder’s Pants Cave |
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L Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #12 on May 17, 2006, 9:32pm » | |
Oh my .... the story just keeps getting more interesting, Christian. Or maybe it is just your passion that is showing through. No doubt in my mind your presentation will be the best this year. But hey I love to hear a good story!
In case some of us can not make it to Convention do you have any plans to make your documentary available to the public?
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Brian Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #13 on May 17, 2006, 9:34pm » | |
Or at least cavers that don't get to convention??
I hope to see this one as well. Sounds great!
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Brian Roebuck
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #14 on May 18, 2006, 5:49pm » | |
Yes I do plan on having the documentary go public. I am checking out many different avenues. I realize that not everyone will be able to see my presentation in August just as not everyone was able to see it in November when I put on my findings up till that point. I really want as many people as possible to know of this story and to keep the name and memory of James Mitchell alive. It is my belief that he did not die in vain but that much good came from the tragedy.
Christian Lyon
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Christian Lyon
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L Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #15 on May 18, 2006, 8:26pm » | |
Well I am anxious to see it!
Please do post to let us know when and where us caver's can get a copy of the Schroeder’s Pants Cave documentary.
Good Caving,
Lynn
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #16 on Jun 4, 2006, 11:34am » | |
On June 11th in Dolgeville, NY at 6pm at the Dolgeville Mill - I will be giving an updated presentation of the documentary I have been working on. Anybody in the area should stop by - it's open to all and free (always a good combo). I will be discussing briefly, the events of 1965, and in more detail the events that I have discovered since my Nov. '05 presentation. Exciting news to be reported on that night.
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Christian Lyon
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L Roebuck
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| | Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #17 on Jun 14, 2006, 11:25am » | |
Hey Christian how did your June 11th Schroeder’s Pants Cave presentation go?
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #18 on Jun 15, 2006, 1:47pm » | |
HI Lynn ~
Thanks for checking in. My presentation went great. Again it was to a packed house with close to 200 in attendance. And as mentioned I had some exciting information to announce. As most know, the body of James Mitchell was never recovered in 1965 and for the past 41 years, Schroeder's Pants Cave has been his final resting place. The weekend of June 23-25, a group of expert cavers that I assembled from around the country, will gather in Dolgeville, to finally retrieve the remains and have them cremated, to pass on to the existing members of the Mitchell family, so that they can have some sort of closure. Being able to organize, execute and tell the story of this historic, yet tragic event, is something that I am extremely proud of and honored to be able to do. I do not take this lightly and over the past three years, many hours of thought has gone into it. I hope to see you all in Washington in August.
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Christian Lyon
Schroeder’s Pants Cave |
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L Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #19 on Jun 16, 2006, 8:30am » | |
Christian, I'm glad to hear the presentation went well. It is apparent to all that you have devoted a great deal of time and effort to finally be able to tell the story of caver James Mitchell and Schroeder’s Pants Cave. I believe it is good you are also organizing the effort to finally recover James G. Mitchell's remains for the family so they may have closure after all these years.
But it is doubtful we will be able to attend the NSS Convention in Washington this year so regretably I will probably have to miss your documentary. 
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Lyonz
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #20 on Jun 16, 2006, 11:04am » | |
Hi Lynn ~
No problem - I am making this documentary so that all will be able to see it. There is still so much to do with it, that in WA. I will only be telling the story of Schroeder's Pants Cave and the 1965 tragedy. I probably will only show bits from the filming for time reasons and also because it just won't be done. I appreciate the support and kind words and I will be sure to keep everyone in the caving community up to date as to my progress.
All the best.
Christian
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Christian Lyon
Schroeder’s Pants Cave |
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L Roebuck
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| | Re: 1965 Schroeder’s Pants Cave
« Reply #21 on Jun 17, 2006, 7:04pm » | |
Thank you Christian I am very anxious to see your documentary. As always, I will be waiting to hear the latest news on your project. 
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