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| Underground Vaults & Storage hosts U.S. Senior Open guests |
| July 06, 2006 |
These wives take special trip 650 feet below the first tee
by Jeffrey Martin
Wichita Eagle
HUTCHINSON - The surprise was their surprise.
By now, the significant others of the players on the Champions Tour should be used to the lavish treatment they're subjected to at each event. There shouldn't be anything the tournament officials can offer these women that they haven't experienced yet.
But Wednesday morning was an exception. Fifteen wives and girlfriends of golfers competing in the U.S. Senior Open gathered at Underground Vaults & Storage -- which is headquartered here at a mine owned by the Hutch Salt Company -- unsure of what to expect.
Joe Inman and Jerry Pate tagged along, but the women didn't seem to notice. Once the doors to a two-story elevator that descended 650 feet opened, revealing a dark and cavernous world that is fascinating yet difficult to comprehend, everyone was captivated.
This was something different, something far more memorable than, say, a shopping excursion to Wichita.
"I think it's fascinating," Debbie Bean said. "You're grateful to the USGA for setting up these events and the variety of things we're allowed to do, but I personally love when you see something unique to a community.
"It's nice to take advantage of that instead of being pampered at a spa."
Don't get Debbie, the wife of Andy Bean, wrong. She enjoys the finer things, the distinctly (and perhaps stereotypical) activities designed for women. But this is the Champions Tour. These women aren't rookies. Any planned daytime diversion had better be original.
Imagine their reaction when they entered UV&S's main entrance and were instructed to don a hard hat. Immediately, these women, with their exquisite outfits, hair and makeup, were hooked.
"Ooohhh! We get to wear these?"
They couldn't get started soon enough, but they had to wait. The elevator covers 600 feet a minute, so it took about 70 seconds. They were also urged to bring a coat because of the cool temperature in the mine. It is always 68 degrees, with a humidity of 40 percent.
The reason those numbers are important, UV&S president Lee Spence explained, is because the mine is ideal for preserving anything. Ranging from reels of movie film to official government documents, anything can be stored there. Twenty-three foreign countries do business with UV&S. Every state in the U.S. is represented.
A museum, the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, is scheduled to open in October.
This site, Spence said, was more ideal for storage than other existing sites because it's cheaper and it's isolated. There is no threat of earthquakes or tropical storms.
Boxes labeled "Growing Pains" and "Family Matters" went ignored, as did those filled with contemporary movies such as "Summer Catch" and "Men In Black II." But there were a few squeals when the location of "Gone With the Wind" was divulged.
Tough crowd, these women.
As expected, there was salt. Lots of salt, 980 acres of deposits but only 40 used for storage. There were questions about its use (not for consumption, but for use on roads), about the seemingly intricate patterns along the walls and ceilings (nothing fancy, just how the machine extracts the salt) and whether or not anything could survive in the depths (no).
Six hundred and fifty feet below ground, no windows, no sunlight and, for all but a few, no spouse in sight, these women were having a blast.
"This is so neat," said Kristin Murdock, Roy Christensen's girlfriend.
She sounded surprised, but delightedly so.
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