>> Wildman: WASHINGTON, D.C., IS THE CAPITAL OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATION ON EARTH. AS A RESULT, IT'S AMONG THE MOST TIGHTLY SECURED CITIES ON THE PLANET. AND SINCE 9/11 SECURITY HERE HAS ONLY GOTTEN TIGHTER. FOR 200 YEARS, WHEN IT'S COME TO DEFENDING THE NATION'S SEAT OF POWER, THE ONLY PLACE TO GO HAS BEEN UNDERGROUND. HERE WE GO. ALL HARNESSED UP. FROM A TIGHTLY GUARDED MAZE OF TUNNELS BENEATH THE HEART OF THE NATION'S CAPITAL... >> WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO STOP RIGHT HERE. WE CANNOT GO PAST THIS POINT. >> Wildman: WHAT IS UP THERE, THOUGH? ...TO A RECENTLY DECLASSIFIED SUPERBUNKER BELOW THE MOUNTAINS OF WEST VIRGINIA WHERE THE NATION'S LEADERS COULD SURVIVE NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON. SO THIS IS HOW THEY WOULD HANDLE ANY DEAD BODIES. AND GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE'S SUBTERRANEAN WEAPONS FACTORY... [ Laughing ] IT'S GIGANTIC. ...HIDDEN IN A CAVE RIGHT BELOW A UNION ARMY CAMP. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL HOPPERS. WE'RE PEELING BACK THE LAYERS OF TIME... ON "CITIES OF THE UNDERWORLD: SEAT OF POWER." --<font color="#FFFF00"> Captions by VITAC --</font><font color="#00FFFF">
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A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS NO CITY IN HISTORY HAS HAD MORE INFLUENCE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THAN WASHINGTON, D.C. IT'S THE CAPITAL OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATION ON EARTH AND, AS A RESULT, D.C. IS AMONG THE MOST SECURED CITIES ON THE PLANET. BECAUSE OF THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON 9/11, THE SKIES ABOVE WASHINGTON ARE MONITORED BY CONTINUOUS AIR PATROLS, SNIPERS GUARD THE WHITE HOUSE ROOF, F-16s ARE READY TO SCRAMBLE 24/7, AND ITS STREETS ARE PACKED WITH SECRET SERVICES, BOTH SEEN AND UNSEEN. 9/11 CHANGED SECURITY AROUND THE CITY AND THE WORLD, BUT FOR TWO CENTURIES, THE KEY TO SECURING THE NATION'S CAPITAL HAS BEEN UNDERGROUND. [ WHISTLE BLOWING ] I'M DON WILDMAN. I'M IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AMERICA'S SEAT OF POWER FOR TWO CENTURIES AND ONE OF THE MOST HEAVILY GUARDED CITIES IN THE WORLD. D.C.'s UNDERGROUND IS JAM-PACKED WITH THOUSANDS OF MILES OF TUNNELS, FROM 19th-CENTURY SEWERS THAT SAVED THIS CITY FROM RELENTLESS DISEASE TO TOP-SECRET 21st-CENTURY TUNNELS THAT MOVE OUR LEADERS THROUGH THE UNDERBELLY OF THIS CITY. BUT THE UNDERGROUND HERE IS ON LOCKDOWN. THE SECRET SERVICE, THE FBI, CIA, HOMELAND SECURITY -- THEY ALL KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE. THE DECISIONS MADE UP HERE IN THESE BUILDINGS ECHO ALL ACROSS THE WORLD, BUT OUR NATION'S SECURITY DEPENDS ON WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT BENEATH THEM. BENEATH THE HEART OF THE AMERICAN CAPITAL IS A LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS AND SECRET BUNKERS CONNECTED TO THE MOST IMPORTANT BUILDINGS IN THE CITY -- THE WHITE HOUSE, THE CAPITOL, AND FBI HEADQUARTERS. BUT THE HEART OF D.C.'s UNDERWORLD ISN'T A TOP-SECRET TUNNEL. IT'S A 200-YEAR-OLD SEWER. IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT HERE, AND I'M HEADED INTO THE HEART OF D.C.'s UNDERWORLD -- THE SEWERS. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WE WERE ALLOWED TO DO THIS BECAUSE OF SAFETY CONCERNS, AND AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, THIS WHOLE PLACE COULD BE CRAWLING WITH SECRET SERVICE AGENTS AND D.C. POLICE. I'M RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AND A STONE'S THROW FROM CAPITOL HILL. TERRORISM IS OBVIOUSLY A REAL DANGER HERE, BUT IT WASN'T ALWAYS THE NUMBER-ONE SECURITY THREAT TO D.C. 200 YEARS AGO, THIS CITY WAS UNDER SIEGE BY A WHOLE NOTHER ENEMY -- RAMPANT DISEASE -- CHOLERA, MALARIA. IN FACT, ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S OWN SON WAS ONE OF THE THOUSANDS WHO DIED HERE BECAUSE OF TYPHOID FEVER. CITY PLANNERS WERE DESPERATE FOR A SOLUTION, AND THEY FOUND IT UNDERGROUND. TO SEE WHAT WAS LEFT OF D.C.'s OLDEST UNDERGROUND, THE CITY GRANTED US RARE ACCESS TO THE SEWERS BUT ASKED US TO FILM UNDER COVER OF DARKNESS. LOOK AT THIS. SINCE 9/11, THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE SEWER'S ENTRANCE HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED. BUT IT'S NO SECRET THAT THIS SYSTEM OF TUNNELS RUNS UNDER THE MOST SECURE BUILDINGS IN THE CITY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S GOOD. THANK YOU. HERE WE GO. ALL HARNESSED UP. KEVIN TUCKER FROM THE D.C. WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY WAS GONNA TAKE ME UNDER. THIS IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. I MEAN, THIS IS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYTHING HERE -- THE WHITE HOUSE IS RIGHT DOWN HERE, THE CAPITOL'S OVER HERE, GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS EVERYWHERE. IN A TOWN THAT HAS NO ACCESS, HIGH SECURITY, HERE'S A TUNNEL THAT GOES RIGHT UNDERNEATH IT ALL, AND WE'RE GOING DOWN THERE NOW. >> DON, IT'S OKAY TO COME DOWN! >> Wildman: YOU GOT ME? >> GOT YOU. >> Wildman: ALL RIGHT. OKAY. >> THERE YOU GO. ALL RIGHT, NOW STEP DOWN TO THE NEXT ONE. >> Wildman: ALL RIGHT. >> MAN COMING DOWN! >> Wildman: HERE I COME. >> ALL RIGHT. >> Wildman: ALL RIGHT. OKAY, I WON'T BACK UP TOO FAR THERE. >> RIGHT. >> Wildman: WE'RE 20 FEET UNDERGROUND HERE ON A 3-FOOT-WIDE, VERY SLIPPERY BERM THAT SLOPES DOWN TOWARDS SOME VERY NASTY WATER. THE PRIVILEGE OF TRUDGING THROUGH D.C.'s SEWERS REQUIRED THE PERMISSION OF BOTH D.C. POLICE AND HOMELAND SECURITY. >> IT'S AMAZING HOW THESE SEWERS, OVER THE YEARS, HAVE LASTED AND LOOK AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK. >> Wildman: HOW OLD IS THIS SEWER HERE? >> THIS SEWER HERE IS OVER 100 YEARS OLD. >> Wildman: NO KIDDING. TODAY, THE SEWER IS COVERED BY THE MODERN CITY, BUT WHEN D.C. WAS FOUNDED, THIS WAS A RIVER RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART OF THE NATION'S CAPITAL. IN 1790, CONGRESS AGREED TO FUND A BRAND-NEW CAPITAL CITY FOR OUR YOUNG COUNTRY. THEY SETTLED ON 100 SQUARE MILES OF WILD, SWAMPY LAND AROUND THE POTOMAC RIVER. THE COUNTRY'S FIRST PRESIDENT, GEORGE WASHINGTON, WANTED TO BUILD A CAPITAL CITY THAT WOULD RIVAL THE GREAT CITIES OF EUROPE. IN ADDITION TO BROAD AVENUES AND MONUMENTAL BUILDINGS, CITY PLANNERS WANTED TO TURN A CREEK THAT RAN THROUGH THE HEART OF THE CITY INTO A CANAL FOR BARGES. IT WAS CALLED TIBER CREEK, BUT IT WAS TOO SHALLOW AND WAS QUICKLY TURNED INTO AN OPEN SEWER INSTEAD. THE CREEK, FULL OF HUMAN WASTE AND GARBAGE, CARRIED DISEASE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. FINALLY, IN 1871, WASHINGTON'S MAYOR, ALEXANDER SHEPHERD, DECIDED TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF THE TIBER AND COVER IT UP. BUT BUILDING THIS SYSTEM WAS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING AND WOULD COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. THE CREEK HAD TO BE LINED AND COVERED WITH BRICKWORK. THE WALLS WERE BUILT 3-FEET HIGH AND OVER 5-FEET THICK TO SUPPORT AN ARCH WITH A 30-FOOT SPAN. THE PATH OF THE CREEK WAS REROUTED TO EMPTY INTO THE ANACOSTIA RIVER, NEAR THE ALREADY POLLUTED NAVY YARDS. TODAY, THE MALL IS BUILT OVER ONE OF THE FILLED-IN PORTIONS OF THE OLD CREEK BED. THE SEWER THAT WAS ONCE THE TIBER CREEK NOW RUNS DIRECTLY BENEATH THE CAPITOL BUILDING AND SEVERAL OTHER GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, THE NAMES OF WHICH CANNOT BE DISCLOSED. SO, I MEAN, THIS IS THE ACCESS TO MUCH OF WASHINGTON. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> Wildman: THE WHITE HOUSE IS DOWN THE ROAD HERE, THERE'S THE CAPITOL BUILDING. >> AND THESE SEWERS GO FOR MILES. >> Wildman: YEAH, HOW BIG IS THE SYSTEM? >> I WOULD HAVE TO SAY IT'S ABOUT AT LEAST 1,000 MILES OF SEWER. >> Wildman: NOT ONLY DO KEVIN AND HIS CO-WORKERS HAVE 1,000 MILES OF SEWERS TO MANAGE, THEY ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FBI, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AND D.C. POLICE BEFORE THEY CAN PERFORM ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. BECAUSE THE SEWERS RUN DIRECTLY BENEATH HIGHLY SENSITIVE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, ANY ACCESS TO THEM IS STRICTLY MONITORED. >> WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO STOP RIGHT HERE. >> Wildman: WHY'S THAT? >> UP AHEAD, WE HAVE A MANHOLE THAT WE CANNOT GO PAST. >> Wildman: WHAT IS UP THERE, THOUGH? >> WELL, I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S UP THERE, BUT WE CANNOT GO PAST THIS POINT. >> Wildman: SO YOU'RE NOT TELLING ME BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF YOUR SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> Wildman: OH, I SEE. TODAY, SECURING THE SEWERS AND THE MANHOLES THAT LEAD TO THEM IS A SERIOUS CONCERN. BUT IT WASN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY. BACK IN THE LATE 1940s, PRESIDENT HARRY TRUMAN USED TO GO FOR WALKS AROUND TOWN BY HIMSELF. BUT AS SECURITY CONCERNS INCREASED OVER THE YEARS, D.C. SLOWLY BEGAN TO BUILD A FORTIFIED CITY, BOTH ABOVEGROUND AND BELOW. AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COLD WAR, RONALD REAGAN HAD A SECRET TUNNEL BUILT LINKING THE OVAL OFFICE WITH THE RESIDENTIAL WING OF THE WHITE HOUSE. IN THE MOMENTS AFTER 9/11, VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY WAS LITERALLY PICKED UP BY SECRET SERVICE AGENTS AND CARRIED UNDER THE WHITE HOUSE THROUGH A LONG TUNNEL TO ANOTHER TOP-SECRET BUNKER. SINCE 9/11, EVEN THE SEWER TUNNELS ARE UNDER HEAVY SURVEILLANCE. HAVE YOU EVER POPPED UP IN THE WRONG PLACE? >> WE WERE ACTUALLY DOING A WALK-THROUGH AT THE TIME. WE WERE A LITTLE BIT OFF TRACK, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE WERE, AND WE CAME OUT OF THIS MANHOLE, AND THE SECRET SERVICE WERE THERE. >> Wildman: REALLY? AND WHAT WERE THEY DOING? >> THEY HAD GUNS DRAWN WHEN WE CAME OUT. >> Wildman: NO WAY! >> IT WASN'T SOMETHING VERY PLEASANT FOR US. WE HAD SOME EXPLAINING TO DO. >> Wildman: EVEN AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DISTRICT'S WATER AUTHORITY, KEVIN CAN FIND HIMSELF STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN IF HE MAKES A WRONG TURN. IN FACT, SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE MAJOR EVENTS IN D.C., LIKE THE INAUGURATION, SECRET SERVICE AGENTS SWEEP THROUGH THESE TUNNELS TO MAKE SURE NO ONE IS SNOOPING AROUND THE UNDERGROUND. OTHER PARTS OF D.C.'s UNDERGROUND ARE GUARDED BY LASERS WHICH PROTECT SENSITIVE TUNNELS BY DETECTING EVEN THE SLIGHTEST MOTION. EVER SINCE 9/11, I'M SURE THINGS HAVE GOTTEN A LOT MORE RAMPED UP. >> IT'S BEEN UNBELIEVABLE HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE 9/11. BEFORE 9/11, IT WAS ALMOST JUST EASY FOR ANYBODY TO ENTER THE SEWERS. POST 9/11 NOW, ALL OF THAT HAS CHANGED. >> Wildman: AMERICA'S FOUNDING FATHERS WOULD NEVER HAVE IMAGINED THAT THE FILTHY SEWERS THEY COVERED UP OVER 100 YEARS AGO WOULD BE SO TIGHTLY GUARDED. IT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF A NATION THEY CONCEIVED AND BUILT TWO CENTURIES AGO. FOR SECURITY AND SAFETY REASONS, ACCESS TO MOST OF THE TUNNEL WAS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. IN FACT, A LAW WAS RECENTLY PASSED FORBIDDING ANY ACCESS TO MAPS OR SCHEMATICS OF D.C. UNDERGROUND INFRASTRUCTURE. WALKING DOWN HERE, I MEAN, YOU GET A SENSE OF HOW VULNERABLE THIS PLACE IS. THERE'S OVER 1,000 MILES OF SEWER TUNNELS UNDERNEATH OUR NATION'S CAPITAL. THERE'S MANHOLES ALL AROUND THE CITY. WE ALL SEE THEM WHEN WE WALK AROUND. THAT'S WHAT THIS TUNNEL LEADS UP TO. WHAT A CHALLENGE TO KEEP IT SECURE ABOVEGROUND AND BELOW. >> Wildman: THE MONUMENTAL BUILDINGS OF WASHINGTON, D.C., ARE IMPRESSIVE. BUT IT'S THE PEOPLE INSIDE THEM -- JUDGES, SENATORS, THE PRESIDENT -- WHO MATTER THE MOST. THEY REPRESENT THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, AND IN WARTIME, THEY BECOME TARGETS FOR THE ENEMY. [ WHISTLE BLOWS ] I'M ABOUT 250 MILES OUTSIDE D.C. AT A FIVE-DIAMOND RESORT CALLED THE GREENBRIER. IT'S BEEN HERE SINCE 1778, TWO YEARS AFTER THE U.S. BECAME THE U.S. EVERYBODY SINCE ANDREW JACKSON ALL THE WAY TO J.F.K. AND GEORGE BUSH JR. AND SR. HAVE STAYED HERE. BUT BENEATH THIS HUGE, 6,500-ACRE RESORT IS A WHOLE OTHER WORLD, A MUCH DARKER ONE -- A DOOMSDAY BUNKER BUILT TO HOUSE THE ENTIRE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT -- THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IN THE EVENT OF A NUCLEAR ATTACK, THE WHOLE SEAT OF AMERICAN POWER WOULD HEAD UNDERGROUND. IN 1949, FOUR YEARS AFTER THE U.S. DROPPED AN ATOMIC BOMB ON HIROSHIMA, THE SOVIET UNION DETONATED ONE OF THEIR OWN IN KAZAKHSTAN AND POSSIBLE ARMAGEDDON BETWEEN THE TWO SUPERPOWERS MOVED INTO HIGH GEAR. SCHOOLCHILDREN WERE TAUGHT TO DUCK AND COVER. >> THAT SIGNAL MEANS TO STOP WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING AND GET TO THE NEAREST SAFE PLACE FAST. >> Wildman: CIVILIANS DUG FALLOUT SHELTERS IN THEIR BACKYARDS. AND BY 1957, PRESIDENT DWIGHT EISENHOWER HAD DEVELOPED AN AMBITIOUS PLAN TO PROTECT THE ENTIRE U.S. GOVERNMENT FROM NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION. >> THIS CONFLICT STRIKES DIRECTLY AT THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS AND AT THE LIVES OF OUR SONS. >> Wildman: IN THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO, AN ATOM BOMB THE SIZE OF THE ONE DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA EXPLODES OVER THE CAPITOL BUILDING. THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE IS INSTANTLY REDUCED TO DUST. THE FORCE OF THE EXPLOSION SENDS THAT RADIOACTIVE DUST 5 MILES INTO THE AIR, A GIANT FIREBALL IGNITES A CHAIN OF FIRES FOR MILES ACROSS THE CITY, AND A 1,000-MILE-AN-HOUR BLAST WAVE FLATTENS ALL THE BUILDINGS WITHIN A HALF-MILE RADIUS. THOUSANDS DIE INSTANTLY, AND ANYONE WITHIN 10 MILES OF THE BLAST TO LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE FLASH IS BLIND. 15 MINUTES LATER, THE RADIOACTIVE DUST, KNOWN AS FALLOUT, STARTS TO DRIFT DOWN. DEPENDING ON WIND DIRECTION, THESE LETHAL PARTICLES COULD SPREAD OVER 200 MILES. TWO DAYS LATER, THE RADIATION WOULD HAVE DIED DOWN TO NONLETHAL LEVELS. THE TRICK WAS TO SURVIVE THAT LONG. EISENHOWER BELIEVED THAT THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT THE 535 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WAS A SUBTERRANEAN FALLOUT SHELTER. IT NEEDED TO BE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM D.C. TO AVOID A DIRECT HIT BUT CLOSE ENOUGH FOR A SPEEDY EVACUATION. AND IT NEEDED TO BE BUILT IN COMPLETE SECRECY. THE GREENBRIER WAS THE PERFECT LOCATION. IT HAD SERVED AS AN ARMY HOSPITAL DURING WORLD WAR II. IT WAS LATER REBUILT AS A MOUNTAIN RESORT AND REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST WELL-KNOWN RESORTS IN THE COUNTRY. LINDA. >> DON, GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> Wildman: THIS IS A REALLY IMPRESSIVE HOTEL. >> IT IS A GREAT HOTEL. >> Wildman: LINDA WALLS HAS WORKED AT THE GREENBRIER FOR 30 YEARS. SHE KNOWS EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE RESORT AND WAS GOING TO TAKE ME UNDER THE HOTEL'S WEST WING TO A SECRET PART OF OUR COUNTRY'S COLD WAR PAST, A BOMB SHELTER BUILT FOR THE NUCLEAR AGE. BOY, YOU REALLY GET A SENSE OF HOW IT'S REALLY SORT OF CONCEALED RIGHT BENEATH A WORKING HOTEL. >> IT IS JUST AMAZING. >> Wildman: THE ENTRANCE TO THE SUPERBUNKER WAS TOO BIG TO HIDE, SO THEY DIDN'T TRY. THE HOTEL ABOVE USED IT REGULARLY FOR DELIVERIES. BUT THIS 433-FOOT-LONG VEHICULAR ACCESS ROAD WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE CONGRESSIONAL LIMOUSINES AND ARMY TRUCKS SHOULD THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPEN. GOD FORBID IT HAPPEN, BUT THE CONGRESSMEN WOULD HAVE BEEN COMING IN THIS ENTRANCE, RIGHT? >> YES. THIS WAS ONE OF THE ENTRANCES. >> Wildman: FORTUNATELY, THE UNTHINKABLE NEVER HAPPENED. BUT LINDA WALKED ME ALONG THE EXACT PATH A TERRIFIED NUCLEAR ATTACK SURVIVOR WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED. HOW DID IT WORK? WERE THEY TOLD TO BRING THINGS OR...? >> BASICALLY, PEOPLE JUST WOULD HAVE ARRIVED WITH THE CLOTHES THEY WERE WEARING. >> Wildman: AND THEY FIND THEMSELVES FACED WITH A VERY OMINOUS DOOR. >> OUR 30-TON DOOR. >> Wildman: THE MASSIVE DOOR WEIGHS 60,000 POUNDS. IT HAD TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND A NUCLEAR BLAST BUT WAS DESIGNED SO JUST ONE PERSON COULD CLOSE IT, SEALING CONGRESS INSIDE. WOW! THAT IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE THAT IT'S DESIGNED SO THAT 30 TONS OF STEEL AND CONCRETE CAN BE MOVED. OKAY. THIS IS GONNA MAKE A NOISE. [ DOOR CLANGS, THUDS ] EVERYBODY OUTSIDE IS IN A NUCLEAR DISASTER. IN HERE, FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, WE'RE SAFE. THE EXISTENCE OF THE BUNKER WAS KEPT TOP SECRET. ONLY A FEW PEOPLE IN THE WORLD KNEW EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS. >> ALL OF THE PRESIDENTS SINCE EISENHOWER WERE AWARE OF THIS FACILITY. THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP OF CONGRESS DID NOT KNOW. >> Wildman: NO WAY. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT, UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES OF NUCLEAR ATTACK, I'M A REPRESENTATIVE FROM IOWA, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TO ME UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY KNEW THERE WAS A PLAN, RIGHT? >> BUT THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY KNOW THE DETAILS, AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS HERE. >> Wildman: WHEN THEY ARRIVED, THE CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN WOULD SEPARATE FROM THEIR FAMILIES, WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO A LESS SECURE BASEMENT FACILITY UNDER THE MAIN HOTEL BUILDING. BECAUSE THE BUNKER WAS RESERVED FOR THE COUNTRY'S MOST IMPORTANT LEADERS, IT WAS ONLY BUILT TO HOLD ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE -- THE LEGISLATORS AND THEIR AIDES -- ESSENTIALLY RELOCATING THE SEAT OF U.S. POWER BENEATH THE 6,500-ACRE GREENBRIER RESORT. ON THE LOWEST LEVEL, THREE STORIES DOWN, IS A POWER PLANT WITH FUEL- AND WATER-STORAGE TANKS. ABOVE THAT ARE TWO LEVELS OF DORMITORIES, MEETING ROOMS, AN INFIRMARY, AND A CAFETERIA, ALL WITH 5-FOOT-THICK CONCRETE WALLS. SHELL-SHOCKED AND POSSIBLY CONTAMINATED BY RADIATION, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WOULD WALK THROUGH THIS MASSIVE 60,000-POUND DOOR AND DOWN THIS FOREBODING CORRIDOR. SO THIS LOOKS LIKE WAR DOWN HERE. THIS IS SERIOUS. >> VERY SERIOUS, INDEED. AND THE LEDGES WERE ACTUALLY FILLED WITH SUPPLIES. >> Wildman: UH-HUH. >> THERE WAS A 60-DAY SUPPLY OF FOOD HERE. >> Wildman: THE BUNKER WAS EQUIPPED FOR A TWO-MONTH STAY, BUT IT WAS THE FIRST FEW MINUTES THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CRITICAL FOR THE SURVIVORS, GETTING RID OF THE DEADLY RADIOACTIVE DUST CLINGING TO THEIR CLOTHES AND SKIN. >> THIS IS ONE OF TWO DECONTAMINATION AREAS. THIS PARTICULAR DECON AREA COULD HAVE PROCESSED 120 PERSONS PER HOUR. >> Wildman: WOW. >> EVERYONE WOULD HAVE STRIPPED, MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE. >> Wildman: OKAY. >> THE CLOTHING WOULD HAVE GONE IN THIS CHUTE INTO A BAG, AND THE CLOTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN BURNED. AFTERWARDS, EVERYONE WOULD HAVE BEEN PROCESSED THROUGH THE SHOWERS. >> Wildman: THESE ARE THE SHOWERS. >> THESE ARE THE SHOWERS. 12 JETS. >> Wildman: SO YOU'RE A SENATOR OR A REPRESENTATIVE FROM IOWA OR ILLINOIS OR WHATEVER, YOU'RE STANDING HERE NAKED, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT STATE THE COUNTRY IS IN OUTSIDE -- MAYBE THERE'S NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST. YOU'VE BEEN SPRAYED DOWN, AND YOU'RE GONNA LIVE THE NEXT TWO MONTHS IN THIS BUNKER TO RUN THE COUNTRY. POWERFUL DECONTAMINATION SHOWERS ARE 90% EFFECTIVE AT REMOVING RADIOACTIVE PARTICLES, BUT IF FALLOUT DUST IS INHALED, THE CHANCES OF SURVIVAL ARE SLIM TO NONE. THE MEN WHO DESIGNED THE BUNKER KNEW IT WAS VERY POSSIBLE MANY OF THE CONGRESSMEN AND WOMEN WOULD DIE, EVEN IF THEY MADE IT INSIDE THE BUNKER. >> THIS CAN BURN HOT ENOUGH, THIS CAN BURN FAST ENOUGH TO CONSUME BIOLOGICAL WASTE. >> Wildman: SO THIS IS HOW THEY WOULD HANDLE ANY DEAD BODIES, ANY CORPSES THAT NEEDED TO BE DISPOSED OF, AS WELL. THOSE WHO DID SURVIVE WOULD HAVE EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED TO EXIST COMPLETELY SEALED OFF FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD FOR TWO MONTHS. WHEN THE WORLD OUTSIDE WAS IN CHAOS, THE GREENBRIER BUNKER NEEDED TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT, BEGINNING WITH POWER. >> THIS IS THE POWER PLANT. IN AN UNDERGROUND BUILDING, THE POWER PLANT IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT ROOM OF ALL. >> Wildman: 'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T DEPEND ON THE PUBLIC GRID. POWER WAS NEEDED FOR LIGHT AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, VENTILATION. THE BUNKER WAS DESIGNED TO HOLD 1,000 PEOPLE, AND ALL THAT BODY HEAT WOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED BY THE CONCRETE, TURNING THE SHELTER INTO A DEADLY SAUNA WITHIN HOURS. IN ADDITION, MAINTENANCE CREWS KEPT THREE 25,000-GALLON WATER TANKS AND MASSIVE FUEL TANKS TO POWER GENERATORS AND VEHICLES THEY MAY HAVE NEEDED TO SURVIVE. LOOK AT THIS RESOURCE. LOOK HOW MUCH FUEL THEY HAD TO HAVE DOWN HERE -- THREE OF THESE TANKS. IT READS RIGHT ON THE SIDE -- 14,000 GALLONS OF DIESEL FUEL, FILLED UP, READY TO BE USED AT ANY TIME. I MEAN, THIS... [ METALLIC KNOCKING ] ...IS A STATE OF READINESS. FOR THOSE WHO SURVIVED THE FIRST TWO DAYS AFTER THE NUCLEAR ATTACK, THE NIGHTMARE WAS JUST BEGINNING. THEY WOULD HAVE TO GOVERN A DEVASTATED NATION AND POSSIBLY DECIDE THE FATE OF THE WORLD LOCKED INSIDE THIS SUBTERRANEAN CITY. >> Wildman: ON OCTOBER 30, 1961, THE SOVIET UNION TEST-DETONATED A 50-MEGATON ATOMIC BOMB. THE MUSHROOM CLOUD TOWERED OVER 200,000 FEET... AND THE DESTRUCTIVE FORCE OF THE BLAST WAS SIX TIMES AS POWERFUL AS THE BOMB DROPPED ON HIROSHIMA. IT WAS COLD WAR AMERICA'S GREATEST NIGHTMARE -- A SUPERBOMB, A WEAPON POWERFUL ENOUGH TO WIPE OUT OUR NATION'S CAPITAL IN UNDER 15 SECONDS. WHAT MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT A PLAN WAS ALREADY IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE GOVERNMENT, EVEN IF THE CITY WAS UTTERLY DESTROYED. 250 MILES OUTSIDE D.C., THREE STORIES BENEATH THE POSH GREENBRIER RESORT, THE GOVERNMENT HAD BUILT A MASSIVE 112,000-SQUARE-FOOT BUNKER TO HOUSE U.S. LEGISLATORS. MY GUIDE, LINDA, HAD TAKEN ME ALONG THE SAME PATH MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TAKEN IN CASE OF A NUCLEAR ATTACK, FIRST THROUGH A CONCEALED ENTRANCE, THEN DOWN A LONG CORRIDOR AND PAST A 60,000-POUND BLASTPROOF DOOR. EVERYONE WOULD HAVE TO TAKE HIGH-PRESSURE DECONTAMINATION SHOWERS, THEN BE ISSUED MILITARY CLOTHING. THOSE WHO MADE IT WOULD MOVE INTO THE BUNKER. OTHERS, WHO HAD SUCCUMBED TO RADIATION POISONING, WERE INCINERATED. IT WAS UP TO THE SURVIVORS TO RUN THEIR GOVERNMENT FROM 64 FEET BENEATH THE GROUND. WHILE THE REST OF THE WORLD WAS IN CHAOS, THEY COULD GO ON IN THIS SELF-SUFFICIENT SUBTERRANEAN CITY. THE BUNKER WAS WELL-EQUIPPED BUT FAR FROM LUXURIOUS. LIVING CONDITIONS DOWN HERE WOULD HAVE BEEN BARE BONES, WORSE THAN A MILITARY BOOT CAMP. SO THIS IS WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN SLEEPING. >> YES. THERE WERE 18 DORMITORIES. >> Wildman: IN ADDITION TO THE DORMS, THERE WAS A CAFETERIA, AN INFIRMARY, AND A WELL-STOCKED PHARMACY WITH A LARGE SUPPLY OF ANTIDEPRESSANTS. THIS IS A COMMUNAL LIFESTYLE. >> YES. VERY CLOSE QUARTERS, INDEED, WITH VERY LITTLE PRIVACY. THE ONLY PRIVACY WAS A DRAWER AT EACH BUNK. >> Wildman: I CAN'T CONCEIVE OF WHAT THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE LIKE FOR ALL THESE CONGRESSPEOPLE TO LIVE DOWN HERE IN SUCH CLOSE QUARTERS. THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN GOING STIR CRAZY. >> THIS REALLY WASN'T BUILT TO PRESERVE INDIVIDUALS. THIS WAS BUILT TO PRESERVE THE DEMOCRATIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT. >> Wildman: THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE CONTINUED ON THE TOP LEVEL, 64 FEET UNDERGROUND IN THE 100-SEAT SENATE CHAMBER AND IN THE LARGER ASSEMBLY ROOM NEXT DOOR FOR THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ISN'T IT AWESOME TO THINK OF THE EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WOULD CALL FOR CONGRESS TO BE CONVENED IN A HALL LIKE THIS? THE CAPITAL HAS MAYBE BEEN DESTROYED, BUT THESE GUYS ARE RUNNING THE COUNTRY IN A MAKESHIFT HALL. HOW AMAZING TO THINK OF THE HALLOWED CONGRESS WORKING AT DESKS THAT WERE USED IN HOMEROOM. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> Wildman: INCREDIBLE. CONGRESS WOULDN'T BE WORKING ALONE. IN THE EVENT OF AN ATTACK, THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT WOULD BE WHISKED AWAY INTO THE AIR AND WORK FROM A SPECIALLY MILITARIZED 747. THERE WERE BUNKERS FOR THE SUPREME COURT IN VIRGINIA AND FOR THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF IN PENNSYLVANIA. THE GREENBRIER WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, SERVING AS CENTRAL COMMAND TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM ALL AND WITH THE NATION AT LARGE. A TELEVISION STUDIO AND BRIEFING ROOM WAS SET UP, COMPLETE WITH IMAGES OF THE NATION'S CAPITAL. SO THESE GIANT IMAGES OF D.C. -- THE WHITE HOUSE, THE CAPITOL -- WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THESE? >> THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN USED AS BACKDROPS BY THE SENATOR, BY A CONGRESSMAN, TO POSE. >> Wildman: SO THIS ALLOWED A CONGRESSMAN IN THE MEDIA ROOM TO BE BROADCAST ON TELEVISION IN FRONT OF REASSURING IMAGES OF WASHINGTON. >> EXACTLY RIGHT. >> Wildman: REASSURING THE POPULATION THAT LIFE WAS GOING TO GO ON, THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE. EVERYTHING IN THE BUNKER COMPLEX, FROM THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE DECONTAMINATION ROOMS, POWER PLANTS, LIVING QUARTERS, AND OPERATION ROOMS, HAD TO BE KEPT SECRET. BUT HOW DID THEY HIDE SUCH A MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN THE AGE OF ESPIONAGE? THE GOVERNMENT NEEDED A DECOY, AND THE GREENBRIER WAS THE PERFECT CAMOUFLAGE. IN THE 1950s, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDED A BRAND-NEW WING OF THE RESORT IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR COOPERATION AND THEIR SILENCE. IN 1959, THE GREENBRIER BROKE GROUND ON ITS WEST WING. IT INCLUDED GUEST ROOMS, CONFERENCE ROOMS, AND AN UNUSUALLY LARGE AND WELL-FORTIFIED BASEMENT. THE TRUE NATURE OF THE BASEMENT WAS A SECRET TO MOST GREENBRIER EMPLOYEES, EXCEPT FOR A FEW WITH TOP SECURITY CLEARANCE AND A MYSTERIOUS GROUP OF SUBCONTRACTORS WHO POSED AS TV REPAIRMEN BUT REALLY MAINTAINED THE BUNKER. FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS, THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION WAS REAL, AND THOSE TOP-SECRET GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES KEPT THIS BUNKER STOCKED AND READY... THAT IS UNTIL THE LOCATION OF THE BUNKER WAS LEAKED TO THE PRESS AND THE GOVERNMENT ABANDONED THE GREENBRIER. PRESUMABLY, A PLACE LIKE THIS EXISTS SOMEWHERE ELSE EVEN TODAY. THEY JUST MOVED THIS OPERATION SOMEWHERE ELSE, BASICALLY. >> I'D LIKE TO THINK SO. >> Wildman: ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, A TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE PENTAGON TRANSFORMED OUR NATION'S CAPITAL INTO A CITY UNDER SIEGE. BUT THAT WASN'T THE FIRST FOREIGN THREAT TO STRIKE WASHINGTON, D.C. 200 YEARS AGO, OUR BRAND-NEW COUNTRY WAS ON THE VERGE OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION BY A DIFFERENT ENEMY -- A BRITISH NAVY LOOKING FOR PAYBACK. AND OUR LAST HOPE WAS ANOTHER FIVE-SIDED FORTRESS. JUST 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF WASHINGTON, D.C., IS THE PORT OF BALTIMORE, A GATEWAY TO EVERY MAJOR CITY ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD. PROTECTING THE HARBOR AND THE CITY HAS BEE KEY TO DEFENDING THE NATION FOR ALMOST 200 YEARS, AND FORT McHENRY WAS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE. I MET UP WITH PARK ARCHAEOLOGIST JOHN POUSSON. >> HOW YOU DOING? >> Wildman: SO THIS IS THE FABLED FORT. HE WAS GONNA SHOW ME HOW FORT McHENRY SAVED OUR YOUNG NATION AND BROUGHT US INTO A MODERN ERA OF WARFARE BY GOING UNDERGROUND. WHEN WAS THIS FORT BUILT? >> IT WAS BUILT BEGINNING IN THE LATE 1790s. >> Wildman: UH-HUH. FORT McHENRY IS ABOUT 42 ACRES IN SIZE, AND, LIKE THE PENTAGON, IT HAS A FIVE-SIDED DESIGN. OVER THE YEARS, THE U.S. MILITARY ADAPTED THE FORT'S DEFENSE AS THEY LEARNED LESSONS FROM THEIR BATTLES WITH THE BRITISH. MUCH LIKE AMERICA'S HOMELAND SECURITY WAS ADAPTED TO DEAL WITH THE THREAT OF TERRORISM AFTER 9/11, IT WAS THE WAR OF 1812 THAT ACTED AS A WAKE-UP CALL FOR A YOUNG AMERICA. THE U.S., JUST THREE DECADES OLD, WAS AT WAR WITH ENGLAND -- AGAIN. 30 YEARS AFTER THE U.S. HAD DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE, THE BRITISH WERE STILL MEDDLING IN U.S. AFFAIRS, FROM RESTRICTING OUR TRADE TO KIDNAPPING AMERICAN MERCHANT SAILORS AND PRESSING THEM INTO MILITARY SERVICE. THE U.S. FOUGHT BACK, SENDING OUT PRIVATEERS -- PIRATES WITH A LICENSE TO ATTACK AND PLUNDER BRITISH MERCHANT SHIPS -- AND BALTIMORE WAS ONE OF THE PRIVATEERS' HEADQUARTERS. THE BRITISH RETALIATED. THEY SACKED THE CAPITAL, WASHINGTON, D.C., BURNED AND GUTTED THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THEN THEY TURNED THEIR SIGHTS ON BALTIMORE. ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS GET PAST FORT McHENRY. ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1814, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MILITARY FORCES ON THE PLANET WAS POISED FOR ATTACK JUST OUTSIDE OF BALTIMORE HARBOR. FROM HERE, WE WOULD HAVE SEEN THE BRITISH SHIPS RIGHT THERE. >> THERE WERE 16 SHIPS. THERE WERE SEVERAL FRIGATES, THERE WERE THREE BOMB SHIPS, AND A NUMBER OF ROCKET SHIPS. >> Wildman: BEGINNING AT DUSK IN THE MIDST OF A TORRENTIAL RAIN, THE BRITISH FLEET BEGAN FIRING EXPLOSIVE SHELLS FROM ALMOST 2 MILES AWAY AND KEPT UP THE ASSAULT FOR 25 HOURS. THE BATTLE OF BALTIMORE WAS UNDER WAY. THIS IS A SMALL SPACE. MUST HAVE BEEN PURE CHAOS. >> YEAH. >> Wildman: IT ONLY GOT MORE CHAOTIC WHEN A BRITISH SHELL PENETRATED A BUNKER AND STRUCK A WEAPONS CACHE. MIRACULOUSLY, THE CACHE NEVER EXPLODED, LIKELY BECAUSE OF THE RAIN. BY DAWN, THE BRITISH REALIZED THEY WERE SIMPLY WASTING AMMO, AND THE FLEET WITHDREW. IT WAS A NEAR MISS THAT SPARKED A CHANGE IN THE NATION'S SECURITY. THE BUNKERS FOR THE MILITARY'S WEAPONS AND SOLDIERS NEEDED AN UPGRADE, AND THEY STARTED WITH THE UNDERGROUND. ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK DOWN HERE. SO THIS WAS LITERALLY -- THIS WAS BUILT FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PERSONNEL. >> YES. >> Wildman: SO THIS IS A 19th-CENTURY BUNKER. AND SO THE PROTECTION COMES FROM THE BARREL-VAULTEDNESS HERE. >> THERE'S A THICK BRICK VAULT AND WALLS, AND OVER THAT, THERE'S EARTH FILL. >> Wildman: THIS WAS THE AMERICAN MILITARY'S FIRST RESPONSE TO A LETHAL AERIAL ASSAULT. IN THE DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE OF BALTIMORE, THEY INCREASED THE THICKNESS OF THE BRICK WALLS FROM 2 1/2 FEET TO 5 FEET, THEN ADDED 3 FEET OF DIRT ON TOP OF THAT. THE SOLDIERS WERE WELL-PROTECTED NOW, BUT THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE FORT WAS THE HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE WEAPONS CACHES. SO, THIS WOULD BE THE STORAGE OF THE AMMUNITION, THE GUNPOWDER. >> THIS IS WHERE THE POWDER WOULD BE STORED. BUT IT ALSO SERVES TO PROTECT THE FORT AND THINGS AROUND THE MAGAZINE SHOULD IT ACCIDENTALLY EXPLODE. >> Wildman: IT IS SORT OF AN UNINTENTIONAL BOMB JUST SITTING HERE WAITING TO GO OFF. IN THE WAR OF 1812, FORT McHENRY WAS LUCKY WHEN THE ARSENAL DIDN'T EXPLODE DURING THE BRITISH ASSAULT, BUT THE ARMY LEARNED ITS LESSON. IF THE POWDER DID EXPLODE, THE CYLINDRICALLY SHAPED ROOM WOULD BECOME A GIANT ROMAN CANDLE, CONCENTRATING AND DIRECTING THE FORCE OF THE BLAST UP AND OUT THE STAIRS, SENDING SHRAPNEL AND FIRE INTO THE FORT. SO THE BUILDERS ADDED ANTECHAMBERS, SMALL ROOMS ON EITHER END OF THE MAGAZINE, TO ABSORB AND REDIRECT ANY EXPLOSION UPWARDS. IT WAS HOPED THAT THE ARCHED CEILING AND EARTH OVERHEAD WOULD THEN COLLAPSE IN, STIFLING THE BLAST AND PUTTING OUT FIRES. LUCKILY, THE DESIGN WAS NEVER PUT TO THE TEST. THE WAR OF 1812 NOT ONLY LEFT A DEEP IMPRESSION ON AMERICA'S HOMELAND SECURITY, IT ALSO INSPIRED A YOUNG LAWYER, FRANCIS SCOTT KEY, TO WRITE A POEM ABOUT THE BATTLE HE WITNESSED FROM ACROSS THE HARBOR. AS DAYLIGHT BREAKS, THEY SEE... THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER. RIGHT THERE. THEY GOT IT IN THE SAME PLACE. BUT IT'S HUGE. IT'S TWICE AS BIG AS THE FLAG THEY'RE FLYING THERE. AND HE SEES THIS THROUGH A SPYGLASS, AND HE WRITES THE POEM, "IN DEFENSE OF FORT McHENRY," WHICH THEN BECOMES, DOWN THE YEARS, "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER," OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM. THERE IT IS. THE WAR OF 1812 WAS AMERICA'S FIRST BIG TEST IN WARFARE. THE BRITISH BOMBARDMENT TESTED OUR WILL AND ABILITY TO ADAPT, TO KEEP UP WITH THE INCREASINGLY DEADLY TECHNOLOGY OF WAR. BOTH THEN AND NOW, THE BASIC APPROACH IS THE SAME -- TO SURVIVE TERROR FROM ABOVE... YOU HAVE TO GO UNDERGROUND. >> Wildman: FOR FOUR YEARS, THE CIVIL WAR RAGED AROUND THE NATION'S CAPITAL. IT WAS AMERICA'S BLOODIEST CONFLICT, INFLICTING OVER A MILLION CASUALTIES, KILLING OVER 600,000. BATTLES WERE WAGED OVER 26 STATES, AS FAR WEST AS IDAHO AND NEW MEXICO. THERE WERE 11 CONFEDERATE STATES, LED BY GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE, AND 25 UNION STATES, LED BY ULYSSES S. GRANT. THE MASON-DIXON LINE DIVIDED THE TWO WARRING SIDES. FOR BOTH THE UNION AND CONFEDERACY, WEST VIRGINIA WAS KEY. DURING THE CIVIL WAR, IT WAS OFFICIALLY A UNION STATE AND WAS HEAVILY PATROLLED BY UNION TROOPS. BUT THE CONFEDERATES HAD AN IMPORTANT ADVANTAGE HERE -- THE UNDERGROUND. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN D.C. HAS SPENT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS DEVELOPING SUREFIRE, STATE-OF-THE-ART SECURITY MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST CATASTROPHES. BUT EVEN THE BIGGEST MAN-MADE ENGINEERING PROJECTS CAN'T MATCH THE NATURAL DEFENSES OF MOTHER NATURE. SO WHEN AMERICA'S MOST NOTORIOUS GENERAL NEEDED A FOOLPROOF BUNKER TO PROTECT HIS TROOPS DURING OUR BLOODIEST WAR, HE FOUND IT IN A DEEP, DARK CAVE, ONE THAT REACHES OVER 70 MILES INSIDE A MOUNTAIN. AND THEY MADE CAMP THERE WITH THE ENEMY TROOPS RIGHT OVER THEIR HEADS. ORGAN CAVE, WEST VIRGINIA, IS A TINY COMMUNITY, BUT THE CAVE IT'S NAMED AFTER PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN AMERICA'S HISTORY. I'M HERE TO MEET JANIE MORGAN. SHE'S A LOCAL EXPERT ON THIS CAVE. SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT ITS INCREDIBLE HISTORY AND ITS AWESOME GEOLOGY. SHE'S TAKING ME INSIDE. JANIE. HOW YOU DOING? DON -- HOW ARE YOU? >> I'M FINE. READY TO GO CAVING? >> Wildman: SO, HOW DEEP IS THIS CAVE? >> 486-FEET DEEP AND 300 FEET BEYOND THAT OF WATER. >> Wildman: REALLY? >> THE CAVE IS ABOUT 4 TO 5 MILES, PLUS. WE HAVE 200 PASSAGES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN MAPPED OR SURVEYED YET. >> Wildman: LET'S GET DOWN. >> LOOK UP HERE ON TOP OF THIS RIDGE. THE NORTHERNERS, THE YANKEES, CAMPED UP THERE DURING THE CIVIL WAR AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE CONFEDERATES WAS IN THE CAVE. >> Wildman: A WHOLE YANKEE CAMP UP THERE? >> YEAH. NOW, WHEN WE GO DOWN IN, THE CAVE WILL BE 150 FEET DOWN UNDER TO START WITH. >> Wildman: ALL RIGHT. [ Laughing ] IT'S GIGANTIC. IF I WAS TO ENTER THIS CAVE AS WE DID HERE AND WALK TO THE END OF WHAT IS KNOWN, HOW LONG WOULD THAT TAKE ME? >> IT WOULD TAKE YOU FOREVER BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A CATACOMBS. IT'S LIKE A SPIDER WEB. >> Wildman: AND THIS ROOM, WE'RE NOT BUT 200 FEET FROM THE ENTRANCE HERE. THIS IS THE BIGGEST ENTRANCE I'VE EVER SEEN, AS FAR AS A ROOM GOES. >> THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS COME IN UNDER GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE AND HELD CHURCH SERVICES IN HERE, AND IT HOUSED 1,100 CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS. >> Wildman: NO KIDDING. IN 1861, WEST VIRGINIA WAS A UNION STATE, BUT MANY OF THE BACKCOUNTRY FOLKS HERE SUPPORTED THE CONFEDERACY. THE LEADER OF THE SOUTHERN ARMY, ROBERT E. LEE, KNEW THAT, AND HE ALSO KNEW ABOUT THE CAVE. IN THE 1830s, A YOUNG ROBERT E. LEE CAME TO ORGAN CAVE AS A VISITOR. LITTLE DID HE KNOW THE ROLE BOTH HE AND THE CAVE WOULD PLAY IN OUR NATION'S GREATEST CONFLICT. >> THIS IS WHAT ROBERT E. LEE SEEN WHEN HE COME HERE DURING THE STAGECOACH TOURS BETWEEN 1822 TO 1836. >> Wildman: I SEE. SO HE CAME HERE LONG BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR. >> YES. >> Wildman: A LIFELONG MILITARY MAN, GENERAL LEE NOTICED SOMETHING ELSE IN THE CAVE. BESIDES GEOLOGICAL WONDERS, THE CAVE IS A NATURAL SOURCE FOR A KEY INGREDIENT IN GUN POWDER. LOOK AT THIS, THIS ROCK HERE. SEE THE GLITTERY STUFF ON IT THAT LOOKS LIKE SPARKLES. >> Wildman: OH, YEAH. >> THAT'S SALTPETER. >> Wildman: SO THEY ACTUALLY MINED THE SALTPETER IN THESE CAVES IN ORDER TO MAKE GUNPOWDER. >> THIS PARTICULAR CAVE FURNISHED 75% OF THE SALTPETER FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY. >> Wildman: REALLY? >> THIS CAVE IS ALSO KNOWN AS LEE'S -- GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE'S UNDERGROUND AMMO FACTORY. >> Wildman: GUNPOWDER HAS BEEN MADE THE SAME WAY SINCE 900 A.D. IN CHINA. IT'S A MIX OF CHARCOAL, SULFUR, AND SALTPETER, ALSO CALLED POTASSIUM NITRATE. SALTPETER IS FORMED WHEN LIMESTONE IS EXPOSED TO ROTTING MANURE, LIKE BAT GUANO. WE WON'T DISTURB HIM. THOUSANDS OF BATS CREATED A NATURAL SUPPLY OF SALTPETER, BUT EXTRACTING IT FROM THE DIRT AND PROCESSING IT WAS TOUGH WORK, ESPECIALLY 150 FEET UNDERGROUND. SO THEY'RE MINING THE SALTPETER UP THERE, BUT THEY'RE CARRYING IT DOWN THERE? >> THEY'RE CARRYING IT BACK A HALF A MILE INTO THE CAVE. >> Wildman: WITH UNION SOLDIERS CAMPED JUST OVERHEAD, THE CONFEDERATES HAD TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTION OPERATING IN THEIR UNDERGROUND WEAPONS FACTORY. ORGAN CAVE RUNS 70 MILES INSIDE THE MOUNTAIN, WITH COUNTLESS CHAMBERS AND PASSAGEWAYS. THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS MINED THE SALTPETER NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE CAVE, THEN WALKED A TREACHEROUS PATH HALF A MILE ALONG LEDGES AND CLIFFS TO THE HOPPER ROOM, WHERE THE SALTPETER WAS PROCESSED AND EVENTUALLY TURNED INTO GUNPOWDER. >> THIS IS THE LEDGE THAT THE SOLDIERS WALKED ON TO GET TO AND FROM THE HOPPER ROOM, AND THEY WAS CARRYING ON THEIR BACK ABOUT A 150-POUND BAG OF CAVE DIRT IN A GUNNYSACK. >> Wildman: SO THEY WEREN'T WALKING WHERE WE ARE. THEY WERE WALKING UP HERE, ON THIS LEDGE UP HERE. >> RIGHT. >> Wildman: AND SO THEY WERE CARRYING A SACK OF DIRT. WHAT ELSE? >> GOT YOUR PINE TORCH. >> Wildman: A TORCH, OKAY. >> AND THEIR MUZZLE-LOADER. >> Wildman: ALL RIGHT, SO THEY'RE CARRYING THEIR GUN, THEIR TORCH, AND THE GUNNYSACK. >> DO YOU SEE HERE THE MARKINGS ON THE WALLS? >> Wildman: OH, YEAH. >> THESE ARE TO BE TALLY MARKS FROM THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS. >> Wildman: SO THEY'RE KEEPING TRACK OF THE RAW MATERIALS AND THE SOLUTION THAT'S MADE. BY THE SPRING OF 1861, NORTHERN BLOCKADES HAD STRANGLED SOUTHERN SUPPLY LINES. THEY WERE SHORT ON EVERYTHING EXCEPT GUNPOWDER, AND THIS CAVE WAS THE REASON WHY. SECRECY WAS A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH. THE CONFEDERATES MADE SURE THEIR GUNPOWDER FACTORY COULDN'T BE DETECTED BY UNION TROOPS CAMPED OVERHEAD. THEY ALSO HAD A SENTRY POST JUST ABOVE THE HOPPER ROOM. >> RIGHT UP HERE IS WHERE THE SENTRY WOULD HAVE BEEN. AND FROM THIS POINT THERE, HE COULD SEE ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN THE AISLE WHERE WE JUST WALKED. >> Wildman: OH, SO THIS IS THE LOOKOUT RIGHT HERE. >> YES. >> Wildman: WELL, YOU CAN SEE WHY. SO THESE SENTRIES COULD JUST WATCH ANYBODY WHO WAS COMING AND GOING. WHAT DID THEY SEE OUT HERE? >> WELL, IT WOULD BE PITCH BLACK, AND ALL THEY WOULD SEE WOULD BE TORCHES MOVING UP AND DOWN AS THE PEOPLE WERE WALKING. >> Wildman: WHAT DO YOU THINK? THEY HAD LIKE A PASSWORD OR A SIGNAL OR SOMETHING? >> I WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE A SIGNAL BECAUSE WORDS WOULDN'T... >> Wildman: CARRY. >> SOUND WOULDN'T CARRY IN THE CAVE. >> Wildman: SO THEY HAVE TO SORT OF SIGNAL WITH A TORCH. >> RIGHT. >> Wildman: AND IF THEY DIDN'T GIVE THE RIGHT SIGNAL THEN POW! RIGHT THERE. FROM THE ENTRANCE, WE HAD WALKED A HALF-MILE DEEP INSIDE THE CAVE ALONG A NARROW LEDGE TO THE HOPPER ROOM, WHERE THE SALTPETER PROCESSED. WHOA. LOOK AT THIS. HOPPERS ARE WOODEN, FUNNEL-SHAPED DRUMS USED TO LEACH SALTPETER FOR GUNPOWDER PRODUCTION. >> OH, IT'S MAGNIFICENT. >> Wildman: THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL HOPPERS. >> THIS IS THE ACTUAL HOPPERS MADE BY THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS. THIS IS THE ACTUAL DIRT THAT THE SOLDIERS CARRIED AND DUMPED IN THE HOPPERS. >> Wildman: THIS IS LIKE FROZEN IN TIME HERE. THE TECHNOLOGY WAS SIMPLE -- WOODEN V-SHAPED HOPPERS WERE LINED WITH STRAW, THEN FILLED WITH DIRT. WATER WAS POURED OVER THE TOP, AND AS IT FILTERED THROUGH, IT LEACHED THE SALTPETER OUT. THE MINERAL-RICH SOLUTION RAN OUT THROUGH A WOODEN SPOUT INTO A CATCH DROP. THE PROCESS WAS REPEATED AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL THE FINAL SOLUTION WAS THICK ENOUGH TO FLOAT AN EGG IN. AFTER THE SOLUTION WAS MADE, THE CATCH DROPS WERE CARRIED A HALF MILE BACK TO THE CHAPEL ROOM, WHERE THE SALTPETER BREW WAS BOILED DOWN INTO CRYSTALS. THIS REALLY BRINGS HOME HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO WAGE WAR, TO MAKE THE GUNPOWDER. >> YES. TO SEE WHAT THE MEN ACTUALLY WENT THROUGH -- YOU CAN SEE PHOTOGRAPHS, AND YOU CAN VISUALIZE, BUT UNTIL YOU GET INTO A SITUATION LIKE THIS AND ACTUALLY FEEL IT, YOU DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH. >> Wildman: IN NOVEMBER OF 1863, THE SOLDIERS WHO MANNED THIS FACTORY LEFT THEIR POSTS TO FIGHT IN THE BATTLE OF DROOP MOUNTAIN. ROUTED BY UNION FORCES, THE SOUTH SUFFERED NEARLY 300 CASUALTIES THAT DAY. THEY NEVER RETURNED TO ORGAN CAVE. WEST VIRGINIA REMAINED IN NORTHERN HANDS FOR THE REST OF THE WAR, BUT THE TOP-SECRET CONFEDERATE WEAPONS FACTORY WAS NEVER DISCOVERED. AFTER FOUR YEARS OF A WAR THAT RIPPED APART THE NATION, A UNIFIED AMERICA FINALLY BEGAN TO REBUILD, GROWING INTO THE WEALTHIEST AND MOST POWERFUL NATION IN THE WORLD. BUT PROTECTING ITS CAPITAL HASN'T BEEN EASY. FROM A LABYRINTH OF TUNNELS UNDER D.C.'s MOST PROTECTED BUILDINGS TO A SUPERBUNKER BUILT FOR THE NUCLEAR AGE, NO ONE CAN PENETRATE THE MYSTERIES OF D.C.'s UNDERGROUND OR KNOW WHAT OTHER TOP-SECRET MEASURES EXIST BENEATH OUR NATION'S SEAT OF POWER.
