MYSTERIOUS DEPTHS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20088, 27 October 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

MYSTERIOUS DEPTHS.

DIVER'S STORY OF TERRORS.

BOTTOMLESS MAINDY POOL,

DARK AND EVIL SURFACE.

SEARCH FOR CHILD'S BODY.

<< There is no diver in the country who has solved, or is likely to solve, tho mystery of Maindy Pool. It is tho worst of all pools." This statement was made to a Sunday News correspondent by Mr. David Skene, a famous South Wales diver, when speaking of tho horrors of the mysterious Maindy Pool, near Cardiff Barracks, somewhere in tho depths of which lies tho body of Lilian Manloy, an eight-ycars-old Cardiff girl. Every day since tho child, while crossing over tho pool's treacherous surface of refuse in search of flowers, fell through into its unknown depths, tho distracted father has kept vigil at its edge, and was prcsont at two attempts made by Mr. Skene to find tho body. A few years ago, Mr. Skeno mado four descents of tho mysterious Pool in search of tho body of a local lorry driver named Gallop, and has more knowledge of its dangers than any other living diver.

Thousands of tons of refuso havo since been dumped into tho pool and the work of diving has thus been made rnoro dangorous than over before. It is quite unlikely now that its real depth will ever bo known. Thero are, of course, many "bottoms" to Maindy Pool, but from each of thoso one can proceed into further depths of mud and slime. Six Descents into the Pool. Pumps, machinery and a brickyard are said to bo below tho pool's dark and evil surface, and tho danger a diver has to face in descending its impenetrable slime can well bo imagined. "Mr. Skene has now mado half a dozen descents of tho pool—four when ho tried to recover the body of Gallop, and two in search of Lilian Manloy. Describing his experiences, Mr. Skene denied that In these descents Jio had come upon what might havo been human bodies. Ifo said: "So dark is it beneath tho surface of the pool, that I was never able to see a yard rn front, around, or abovo me. Tho greatest menace of the Maindy Pool, however, so far as tho diver is concerned, is in tho impossibility of finding a definite bottom. "Down in tho depths of the Pool there are shipways which havo never been fully explored, and pumps and machinery which worked them aro hidden by banks of refuso mud which havo been tipped in. " Ono might work on a ' bottom ' for ten or twelve feet, and suddenly find himself precipituted into a largo pothole, until dropping twenty to thirty feet another large ' bottom' is found; then, working round this, another drop over a ridge, lands ono into a further great depth, and so on. • Diver Goes Down 89it. "*' And since only one foot below the surface it is absolutely impossible to see a yard in any direction, tho conditions as far down tho pool to which I hivvo descended makes it utterly impossible to work, other than by senso of touch. " When I went down on this last occasion," he continued, "we had to drag tons of rubbish from off tho surface of tho pool, so as to mako a place to descend, and on which to place a raft for tho pump-men. For every 14ft. descent I mado I discovered that there were surrounding banks of refuso mud of considerable height made by the regular tipping on tho ono side of the pool. " After descending bbft. I returned to the top for another length of pipe, and descended an additional 33ft., making altogether 89ft. When I found a bottom to work in. I groped around an area for about 12ft., when I found, at an arm's length, a solid bank of refuse mud, and suddenly felt myself being enveloped up to tho armpits in mud. Yet I was still sounding water with the enormous banks of refuso mud towering above. "It was when I suddenly mado another considerable drop that the emergency signal from abovo called mo to tho top. .( realised then the futility of continuing the search of this tragic pool. Every diver knows that by working too light to master the softness of tho bottom thero is always the possibility of ' blowing up ' to the surface. Mystery Ridges in tho Pool. " In tho caso of Maindy Pool this risk cannot now be taken, because it would bo deadly dangerous, inasmuch as with practicallv the whole surface of the Pool covered by refuse and lumber of all kinds until almost a solid covering is afforded, thero would bo tho danger of not being able to regain tho limited rubbish-cleared space which had boen made, especially if ono was working Bomo distance away from his search-line. "This was one of my experiences when, a couple of years Ago, I descended Maindy Pool in search of tho body of tho lorry driver, who together with his lorry, toppled over the edge of tho pool into its awful dep'.hs. " On that occasion I worked for 3£ hours, until finally dropping over ono of the mystery ridges,' I nearly capsized my pump-men's raft. I had worked to tho end of my search-line beforo going over this ridge.

" When ultimately I returned to tho top I was so certain that the man's body had travelled in the direction I myself .had taken that when it eventually canio to the surface, if was within a foot or so from whero I had exactly indicated it would be."