Since the Royals are still battling for baseball postseason play in September and the Chiefs easily won a season opener, it’s possible that another hot place known for fire and brimstone is close to freezing over. Should things return to normal, though, some other folks are preparing for worse scenarios.
A recent news story pointed out that an entrepreneur is outfitting old limestone mining caves in Atchison, Kan. as a survival shelter should nuclear war or some other disaster strike. For about $25,000, plus the cost of an RV to park in your spot, your family can have a hideaway for a year with food, water and breathable air guaranteed. Then you can emerge and re-populate the Earth.
I suppose we must look upon the bright side to doomsday preparations. Our neighbor over in Kansas is not the only town with a place to hide out in. Platte County is blessed with vast limestone caves, too. Old mines snake deep beneath the Park University campus in Parkville. The college has a library, classrooms, meeting rooms and storage rooms all in use, but with plenty of extra space.
Should mushroom clouds begin rising over US soil, I guess we can all head for the college and hope for the best. But could we really spend a year living in an RV in the caves? Bread, water and air would be nice. But I fear most of us are so conditioned to enjoy other niceties and distractions that a year under ground would become a screaming version of cabin fever.
I’ve been down in several of the caves in the KC metro area, including those at Park University. They are a bit bizarre as is. Some have streets and signs. Walls often have a whitewash like texture. The ones with rooms walled in seem a bit normal, though the lack of windows is noticeable.
Still, it would take a lot more than bread, water and air to get me through a year living like a mole. Here’s what I’d take with me.
Let’s have a big-screen television and four or five backups. You can’t get a repair man while shut off from the world in a cave. There should be two libraries of old movies. One would be my favorites. The other should have everyone else’s favorites. We’ll certainly be ready for a surprise by month three.