Journey with us to 1939, to the famed Rock of Ages ceremony, and follow Bertha Bailey as she meets park superintendent Colonel Thomas Boles and prepares for a very special version of the ceremony.

Rock of Ages

[Radio scanning stations, crackles into doowop rendition of the hymn “Rock of Ages,” and continues to play in the background.]

INTRO: Hello, everyone! Welcome to this episode of Rock of Ages. Rock of Ages will take on a different form as we all adapt to the challenges of this year. This project has been made possible by the diligent work, research, time, and vocal talents of the interpretive staff at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Tonight, we bring you back to 1939, with Bertha Bailey and Thomas Boles as they begin their plans for the world’s first underground radio broadcast, featuring Jim White and Robert Ripley. Sit back, relax, and listen to our park’s history.

[Music fades to silence.]

NARRATOR: Welcome to 1939! History will be made at Carlsbad Caverns National Park when Robert Ripley of the “Believe It or Not!” fame conducts his very first underground public radio broadcast from inside the Big Room. A few days prior to the broadcast, Robert Ripley’s script writer and multiple engineers from the Columbia Broadcasting company arrive at Carlsbad Caverns National Park to begin the initial preparations for one of the most unique ranger-led programs ever presented inside the cavern. Over 1,000 feet of cable and wiring has been brought down into the cavern, allowing Ripley to easily converse with his studio back in New York City, broadcasting to audiences around the globe! Listeners will be taken on an ear-view tour and told a few believe it or nots about the “World’s most beautiful natural caverns, the famous Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico.” Joining script writer Miss Bertha Bailey is Superintendent boles himself and one of his cave guides, Carmen McClean, who have prepared a special demonstration for her.

[Voices echo in cavern chamber.]

BOLES: Ah, Miss Bertha Bailey! Welcome to Carlsbad Cavern! The most inspiring place of beauty in North America, if I do say so myself.

BAILEY: Superintendent Boles, this is spectacular! I’m at a loss for words. . . . Well, truth be told, when we first met in New York five months ago, your tales of towering cave formations seemed too good to be true. [Soft giggle.] Believe it or not!

BOLES: Let’s skip the formalities. Call me Colonel. Colonel Boles. After all, a cave this grand requires leadership fit for an eagle. You never know when one of these rocks are going to step out of line.

GUIDE: [Groans in exasperation.]

BOLES: [Laughs good-naturedly in response.] And with that, allow me to introduce our finest cave guide, Miss Carmen McClean. Without her and the rest of our great ranger staff, my job would be exceedingly difficult. Their success in showcasing the wonders of this strange environment to thousands of global travelers is a true believe it or not!

GUIDE: It is a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. My parents are avid listeners of the “Believe It or Not!” show; it’ll be a real surprise for them to hear my voice on the radio!

BAILEY: Your voice?

GUIDE: Colonel Boles and I thought it would be real neat if I were to show—

BOLES: [Coughs in warning over top of her.]

GUIDE: [Hesitantly.] . . . w-were to showcase the true beauty of the cave.

BAILEY: Would not the audience be better served hearing about the Carlsbad Cave from professional promoters, such as Colonel Boles himself, or perhaps even the Governor of this enchanting state?

BOLES: Certainly, but who better to express the true breathtaking qualities of this magnificent cavern than our best guide? She and the other guides can bring this cavern to life better than anyone.

GUIDE: I wouldn’t go that far, Colonel Boles. You, after all, have [with teasing emphasis] SUNG its praises the world over. But to give you audience a better appreciation for all the wonders of this cavern, Ms. Bailey, Colonel Boles has come up with a little surprise.

BAILEY: [A little concerned.] Surprise? Now, Colonel Boles, because of the uniqueness of this broadcast, we must stick to the precise format and script.

BOLES: Yes, let’s chat about our plans for the radio broadcast, the first ever conducted underground, I might add. I remember the challenge when we first installed electric lights inside the Big Room. One thousand feet of microphone wiring—no problem! I spoke with Bob himself on the phone earlier this week.

BAILEY: Yes, he mentioned to me that a former guano miner . . . [confused pause, paper shuffling] uh . . . [more paper shuffling] a Mr. Jim White, agreed to share his story with our radio listeners?

BOLES: [Laughs.] You can call him an old guano miner, if you’d like, but this strange environment is Jim’s domain; for years he’s been the cavern’s chief explorer!

BAILEY: [Excited.] I just know that our audience is going to love hearing about his adventures!

BOLES: Well, [slight chuckle] he agreed to join Mr. Ripley and I right here, in this exact spot, Friday night. No guarantees as to how much he will talk, however. Jim is a man who [pauses before cautiously continues] gives very direct answers. I should get you a copy of Jim White’s Own Story, just in case. As for our famous underground ceremony, Mr. Ripley thought it was best to surprise you! It will make your experience underground more authentic.

BAILEY: I can promise you the talk of majestic caverns out here in the desert sure has Mr. Ripley and I excited. It’s simply difficult to match his ideas to his travels. . . . [Resignedly] Well, as long as we can rehearse any performance and synchronize our timing with the studio, I’m . . . open to ideas. I trust your judgement, Colonel Boles; I know you’ve handled trips into the cavern thousands of times. How would you normally conduct a tour of these magnificent caverns?

BOLES: I am thrilled you asked, Bertha. Please, find a seat and extinguish your lantern, so that mine may be the only one illuminated.

BAILEY: [Slightly nervous.] All right. . . . [Lantern handle squeaks. Bertha blows out the candle.]

BOLES: In a moment, you will get an idea of true darkness. [Speaking like a showman.] I want you to reflect on what you have seen here this afternoon. Those architects of nature, water, and gravity have created the thousands of stalactites hanging from the ceiling and the giant stalagmites around us. It is truly an underground cathedral, grander than any church on the surface. People travel the world seeking out things of great age and wonder, like the pyramids of Egypt, or the Redwoods of California. Now to my left is one of the major outstanding formations of this cavern. Years ago, several of the world’s most distinguished geologists, determining by height and volume, computed its age and estimated it to be fifty million years old. Now, fifty million years is a long time. It has stood here ten times longer than the oldest pyramid. It was fully grown before the biggest Redwood was but a sapling. Hence the name, “Rock of Ages,” built in darkness and in silence. Huge, beautiful, wonderous, magnificent, unmatched by the hands of man! And this is just one of the many wonders here in the Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico. This is the memory we want you, Bertha, to carry via radio to hometowns and home states, an [emphasizes each syllable] ear-view trip through the cavern today. Many people may soon travel great distances to visit us, but now here we are all together, sharing this auditory moment in the most beautiful cave on Earth. The hymn, “Rock of Ages,” has been sung to you in churches, in Sunday schools, but never in an underground cathedral such as this. Millions have come before you, and millions more shall visit, because of [emphasizes each syllable] folks just like you, who produce these wonderful broadcasts and allow our voices to be heard by ten million citizens of the world!

[Lantern handle squeaks. Colonel Boles dramatically inhales and blows out the candle.]

[Water drips in the background.]

SOPRANO SOLOIST: [Voice echoes deeply in cavern chamber as she begins the hymn “Rock of Ages.” Water continues to drip in background.] Rock of Ages, cleft for me Let me hide myself in thee Let the water and the blood From thy wounded side which flowed Be of sin the double cure Save from wrath and make me pure

FULL QUARTET: Rock of Ages, cleft for me Let me hide myself in thee Let the water and the blood From thy wounded side which flowed Be of sin the double cure Save from wrath and make me pure

[Echo of final chord slowly fades into the dripping darkness]

NARRATOR: Robert Ripley himself arrived at Carlsbad Cavern on June 2, 1939. At 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the broadcast was live on the air from seven hundred fifty feet below the ground. From the bowels of the earth, Ripley chatted with park superintendent Thomas Boles, the governor of New Mexico John Miles, and explorer Jim White. This episode of “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” was a smashing success. The famous ranger rendition of the “Rock of Ages” hymn was heard not just in the expansive cavern, but also in America’s largest cities, smallest towns, and in homes all over the world. Listeners who tuned in to this first, one-of-a-kind underground broadcast were treated to just some of the unbelievable tales of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Brought directly to their ears, the unique auditory journey through the cavern inspired the curiosity of many audience members, who quickly planned their own visits to this grand cavern. Three hours after the extraordinary broadcast, Robert Ripley left the cave and was on the road to El Paso. He arrived home in New York the next afternoon and was able to take a comfortable nap on the surface of the earth, dreaming sweetly of the wonders below . . . believe it, or not.

[Doowop rendition of the hymn “Rock of Ages” begins and continues to play in the background.]

OUTRO: Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Rock of Ages. This episode featured the voices of rangers James Gunn as Colonel Thomas Boles, Pam Cox as Bertha Bailey, Jane Santaella as Carmen McClean, and Aubrey Brown as the Narrator. Alongside the singing talents of Kelli Housley, Jane Santaella, Brian Cole, Dave Brumbaugh, and Gabe Montemayor, this episode was researched and written by Anthony Mazzucco, with additional research by Kelli Housley, and additional dialogue by Aubrey Brown. Recording production was done by James Gunn and Anthony Mazzucco, music and audio engineering by Gabe Montemayor, with Abby Burlingame and Aubrey Brown at the creative helm. Thanks for listening . . . and happy trails!

[Music fades to silence.]