What kid isn't fascinated by elevators? I know I was. I probably still am. My oldest son was

obsessed when he was younger. Is it glass? How many floors are there? Is it fast? Can I push the

button? Elevators might seem like a strange topic for national parks, but today we're going to

talk about a very special elevator. In 1931, the National Park Service began construction on what was then the second highest,

or shall we say, deepest, elevator shaft in the world, descending tourists 754 feet into

the wonders of Carlsbad Caverns.

And it's been at the center of some pretty wild incidents. I'm Jason Epperson, and this is parkography.

Deep below the surface in the Guadalupe Mountains at the border of Texas and New Mexico

lies one of the world's greatest wonders, Carlsbad Caverns.

When the park opened, the only way to enter the cavern was to be lowered in a large

bucket that had been previously used to harvest bat guano.

Shortly after, a staircase and a trail were constructed to take visitors through the natural

entrance, a one-and-a-quarter mile strenuous hike downwinding switchbacks.

The 30s brought innovation to the caverns, allowing one of the more difficult parks to enter to become one of the easiest.

On December 29th, 1930, around-the-clock excavation began from both above and below.

They took 12 tons of explosives to clear out the 4,000 cubic yards of rock.

On December 23rd, 1931, the state-of-the-art

Otis elevator was finished. To ride it, an additional 50 cents was charged, limiting its use

until the end of the Great Depression. On January 25, 1939, at 1231 p.m., Ranger Leslie Thompson

was working the elevator shift and had just

returned to the surface, where a group of 11 visitors was buying tickets. Assistant electrician

Claude Carpenter took control of the elevator from Thompson to bring the chief clerk and

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