The cave you refer to is called Bats cave, and it is in N.W. alachua co., about 5 miles north of newberry and about the same south of High Springs. Where you found yourself in the cab of the old truck was the main entrance into the system. The farmer who owned the place used to let us go in there if we didn't mess it up,this was back in the late 60's, early 70's, but finally tried to plug the hole with old truck parts and other scrap metal in a fruitless attempt to protect it from distruction by U.F. students.There are other entrances,but the main one that you refer to has a set of iron bars installed at the bottom with a trapdoor in the center that could be locked. It was most definantly meant to keep someone inside.

I know that cave like the back of my hand, having practically lived in it as a teenager and young adult."Me and the boys" would camp in it, swim in it, and go out of our way to haul out many piles of garbage and beer cans left in it by partying U.of F.students who had no problem messing the place up and leaving it like that.

Whether it was a place for POW'S or not ,I don't know. We were always told by the old man that it had been part of the underground railroad.

Ironically, now it belongs to the Univ. of Fl. and no one can go in it unless they belong to them, because they feel the need to protect it from people who like to party and who leave the cave in a bad state. "magine that... it was U.F. students who caused the problem to start with.

Let me know if you have any info that I might like to have.