Vernon Dalhart Gennett Walk of Fame Medallion
May 22nd in Gennett History, 1928: Vernon Dalhart recorded “The Death of Floyd Collins” in NYC. It appeared on Champion 15048, Silvertone 8134, and Supertone 9227. The Champion issue sold 6,292 copies between 1926 and 1930.
From wikipedia re: Floyd Collins: On January 30, 1925, while trying to discover a new entrance to the system of underground caves that were a popular tourist attraction in Kentucky, Collins became trapped in a narrow crawl way 55 feet (17 m) below the surface. The reports about efforts to save Collins became a nationwide newspaper sensation and among the first major news stories to become a major sensation on the new technology of amateur radio. After four days during which Collins could be brought water and food, a collapse in the cave closed the entrance passageway to everything except voice contact. Collins died of exposure, thirst, and starvation after about fourteen days underground, three days before a dug rescue shaft could reach his position. Collins’ body was recovered two months later.
Gennett Records Discography 