A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14235, 1 March 1917, Page 5

A THRILLING EXPERIENCE.

FIVE 'HOUR-S UNDER WATER. Tlie Dominion of Monday gives tlie> following iiuhu detailed aecuuuL «»f the experience nf a. diver : A diver employed by 1 1 it* Union Steam Sliipping LVnnpany, named Walter ttmitli, lad -a^-ery unpleasant *xpeiieneo beneath the surface "of Wellingion Harbor yesterday afternoon. A steel rope had fouled Ihe propeller of the steamer Mararoa while the ship was being got off the rocks at Cape Palliser. The rope was still attached to the prope'ler when the Mararoa berthed nt the jerry whari", and .Smith was directed to i;o do\m and clear it. A ladder was attached to the wharf at the ship's stern, and Smith weal down m h:s diver's suit shortly after 2 p.m. He- did- not get to: the* surface again till lire hours later, and most of the time he had spent tangled helplessly m a bight of the hawser. • Smith had been down some time be-, fore the men m charge of ' the air pump; ami his .lines noticed anything wrong. Then it was found thati . hfe did not respond to signals, and aiv. attempt to pull him up revealed the) fact that he was entangled firmly. .Smith 'is an elderly man, who -has haaViinuch- experience m diving, a'nd'-.his appatenV, failure to respond to signals nMdfcally .fcaused alarm, it was feared that. he had met with some serious-, aoe;4ent: • . Efforts to bring him to the 'surface with Hhe rope attached to, his suit were fruitless, and messengers were sent ,to lind another diver. Some delay occurred owing to the day lacing Sunday. The men on the wharf still failed to ?get any response to signals, but they kept the air pump going steadily, and waited for assistance. Late m the afternoon; Mi* -August Gans, the Wellington Harbor Board's diver, j reached the spot with his gear, and he went down to ascertain what, was the matter. - He. found that Smith was alive dnd uninjured, but was held firmly j round- the body by a bight; of the wire rope. The rope used for signals was also entangled, but fortunately the air pipe had kept/ •clear. • Smith was held m a recumbent position, with his feet higher than his head, affd he was almost helpless from constraint, and fatigue. He had struggled hard to release himself, but had not been able, to- help himself, i Gang found that -he had a very difficult taskitin hand. , The light was bad and tW.'Miilated (Hying. suit, bulged on eitherl side.' ofethe haarset^ , whn))i' had-' a. tight grip'on Gans had t6 come ,W the Surface several tirrie^ t<rcgive insiruetions; 1 and ' it', appeawiii* likely at one stag.? that the. assistance of a third j diver : Svould be required. The geHer«al publio was excluded, from the. whar{, hut a small cro» r d.of\ officials, and interested ; parsons -had gathered, and there. »Vas great relief .at; the nevvs that/ tSmitn \v,as alive. As the i "night approached, an electric light was Khujig^ low. ever tl»e Kt*Vn -.of the Marafcoa, atii?^anxious eyes watched tho babbles on the darks «ir taoe of the water.- The tvfo puxHps-were thudding m unison,' and. -alert hand^ •held the ropes and airpipes. : Gans appeared for a -f ew -mihutea; shortly -before i p.m., and, watched an attempt to pull Shiith up. A gain.' of > a .foot or .two was made,: hut i hen theiv >was a check, again.,; and (Sans .vent dow»^t>ncH more. 'Jhe nt>xt incidont wa* a signal from Gans tliat.le&s air was to be pumped to Smith. The ■ ipninp was slowed. '-And a few minutes later a subdued cry of triumph indicated that Smith was 'being lifted. 'Ihu two men ctune up together. Smitlt was helpless, .and had to ,be divested" of most of his gear while resting on the rungs of the ladder :at -the surface of the •^•ater, since. he had not the 'strength to, cKmb; He l^ecoyei-ed <<j-some extent m the fresh air. and was .put to- bed on. l»fjard the Mararoa. i He^ had been under water' for nearly hVas.hours, -and'his experience has proved *a very 'trying one. "I had a: terrible time^" he*< said, m answer to a question. '*! eolild not get free, and my head was; down. The air came all ' right, . but I - did not krto\v what v was ha-ppening up 'here, and- 1 could not signal. A real bad time 1 had." The man who effected the rescue< told a Dominion reporter r that he found h'mith firmly wedged into a loop of the u»pe, which had got badly .twisted. Smith's -strength, hjjd . gone, , and probably 'his struggles' to get ' clear . had t^htened the rope. Gans .had very great difficulty m clearing rrfp^. He did not succeed fully until^ he srsfhalled, lor less air m order. to reduce the pressure inside Smith's dress. "Then I stood on top of him," he said, "and got him upright again. He came clear easily at the last." . Gan9 took a very modaet view of 'his own efforts-, but he had to receive many congratulations on his successful resque. -,^