the path behind ....

the path behind ....

...Ruby Falls
The path behind the waterfall was built in 1954.
Over 70,000 feet of wiring is in the cave for the over 500 lights.
The alternate exit from Ruby Falls Cavern was constructed in the 1970s. This pathway, which extends an additional 1000 feet from the elevator to the side of the mountain cost $100,000 to build. The alternate exit was created by Cowin Engineering Company of Birmingham, Alabama. They are the company that drilled the original shaft. In 1985, the company also constructed bypasses in the cave.
The men who constructed the pathways at Ruby Falls were mining engineers from the copper mines of Copperhill, Tennessee.
•Many of the formations in the cave were broken by young tour guides during the Great Depression. They broke off formations and sold the onyx to help support their families. During this time, the cave also suffered from vandalism. Very little of the damage to the cave was caused by the excavation process.