TRAPPED IN A TUNNEL

Feilding Star, Volume 8, Issue 2560, 17 April 1930, Page 6

TRAPPED IN A TUNNEL

DIVE INTO WATER-FILLED . PIPE WATER DIVERTED FROM TURBINES ONLY WAY OUT TAKEN fi’er Press Association)New Plymouth. April 10. Trapped in the centre of a 400-I'eet long tunnel by a sudden onrush of water, six men at New Plymouth borough electric power extension works had a remarkable escape through an ingenious thought of out ol the party. The party had completely blocked lh 0 centre of th e tunnel with sandbags, through which passed a twofoot pipe to drain the water in the funnel while the gang installed valves to control the water in the dam from which the tunnel led. AVlille they wore at work a tree fell across tli t - power lines and cut off the current. Tlie power house staff, ignorant of tli,, fact that the gang was ill tli ( . tunnel, diverted the water from tlq. turbines, so that it rushed Into the tunnel, trapping the men between the rapidly rising flood and the .sandbag wall.

With a flush of genius, one member of the jiarty realised that the only hope of escape was through the two foot pipe leading through the sandbag barrage, and which was lilled with rushing water. line member of the party by this tiiii e was practically helpless. The other s unceremoniously bundled liim into tlij. mouth of th e pi]»c and the water sucked him through and deposited him into the lower end of the tunnel and safety. Tile remaining members of th e gang, one at a time, dived into the pip e and were shot out of the other end. They lost no time in leaving the tunnel.