asscciation for mexican cave studies box 7672 ut station austin ...

AMCSACTIVITIES LETTEREdited by Bill RussellTyping and Editorial Assistanceby Pat AsnesFall Report Letter No. 3 Oct 1915The AMes Activities Letter is published by the Membership Committee ofthe AMCS to keep members informed of recent speleological activity in Mexico.Brief accounts of current trips are welcome.This third AMCS Activities Letter covers the su~er and fall of 1915.Activity as usual was centered in the Cd. Valles-Cd. Mante area of northeasternMexico, but this summer cavers crisscrossed Mexico from the south bank of theRio Grande to the beaches of the Caribbean. The last part of this issue is againdevoted to a discussion of map symbols. This discussion has become more far-reachingthan just reconciling the differences between the AMCS and the Hedges lists. Discussionshave included the optimum number of symbols to be included on a list, thetypes of map lettering, and even the desirability of such almost universal symbolsas the circle around the ceiling height. From these discussions should come a listacceptable to all cavers. The money to pay for printin~ the lengthy discussion ofcave sYmbols comes from a special AMCS political slush fund. This fund was establishedwhen I was editing the first issue and the IRS needed overtime work to get out therebates on time, so I decided to delay the first issue and use the money to printextra pages in the Activities Letter.The cover of this issue of the AJ~S Activities Letter is from an engravingby Frederick Catherwood of the Mayan ladder in Xtacumbi1xunam, a large cave innorthern Campeche. This engraving is reprinted from the John Lloyd Stephens bookIncidents of Travel in Yucatan first published in 1843. The ladder was constructedby the Indians to bring water from the lower levels of the cave when the shallowwells in town went dry. This drawing is especially appropriate as a similar ladderis still in the cave today and was used this summer by AMCS members.Steve Zeeman and Dino Lowery are now returning from the cold and dark ofAlaska and should be back in time for Dino to do an original for the Christmas-NewYear Issue.Pierre St. Martin is now 1210 m. deep -- the French connected the M3 shaftwith the upstream section.Prom Norm PaceIf you need a new membership card, don't hesitate to write -- membership cardswere printed free for the AMCS by Ronnie Fieseler and he used all the scrap paperin the print shop which produced enough cards to completely fill the average Iowacave -- so we can easily send anyone an extra.