TRAPPED IN CHASM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23205, 26 November 1938, Page 2 (Supplement)

TRAPPED IN CHASM

Mountain Ordeal for Young Men

T'RAPPED in a mountain chasm 90 feet below the earth by a raging torrent, six young men, who had been exploring the potholes of Pen-y-Ghent, Yorkshire, huddled together 26 hours as flood waters at their feet rose inch by inch. The six, experienced in the sport of rock-climbing in the caverns below Pen-y-Ghent, descended Long Churn, more than 200 feet deep, by a rope ladder. Flimsy Ladder They spent several hours exploring a passage 90 foot down tlio shaft. When they returned they found that a rainstorm had turned what had been a trickling stream into a torrent, which cut off their way to the surface. Their ladder was in the middle of the torrent. Thousands of tons of water were falling down the sheer wall of rock, flinging the flimsy ladder about like a piece of cotton. At any moment it might have given way, and to try to' climb

it would be suicide. Far above was the little, circle of light that was' safetyunattainable. Meanwhile the innkeeper, who had seen the men off, and relatives in Halifax and Bradford, grew anxious. When they failed to return at night an organised search of potholes was begun by experts, including members of Bradford Pothole Club, who motored 40 miles with rescue equipment. The men's ears were found, but the searchers thought they must bo dead. Then the leader of the rescue squad, Mr. Lord, shouting down a hole, thought he heard a faint reply, almost drowned by the roar of water. Double life lines were made fast, and he was lowered. At the 90ft. level he found the missing men, and after hours of difficult work they ; were hauled to safety. r >? ; v. Mr. Norman Thornber, one of the rescue party, declared that had the men been trapped another hour the rising water wotdd have made rescue impossible. One of the marooned men, Mr. A. Nichols, of Halifax, related how, when they found themselves trapped, they prepared for a long wait. Last Cigarette . "We rationed qut one ham-sandwich and pooled our 20 cigarettes, Mr. Nichols declared. "Only one cigarette at a time was lit, and wo took alternate puffs at it. We refused to get downhearted and tried community singing. It was too damp to lie down and rest, and as it got colder we huddled together in the passage, propping each other up as best we could and snatching a little sleep as we stood there. "After what seemed an eternity we found the rope ladder was being moved from above. We shouted, and a few minutes later Mr. Lord appeared. By that time we were down to our last cigarette." The rescued men were Mr. Albert Roberts, Mr. Frank Shepherd, Air. Harold Robinson, Mr. Nichols, Mr. Herbert Ambler; all of Halifax, and Mr. Harold Brown, of Bradford.