REMARKABLE ESCAPE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17237, 17 April 1930, Page 10

REMARKABLE ESCAPE

MEN CAUGHT IN TUNNEL

DIVE THROUGH DRAIN PIPE

(Pur Press Association.) NEW I'lA.MiUTll, last night. I rapped in the centre of a 4Coft.' long tunnel by a sudden inrush of water, six men at the New I'lyniouth borough electric power extension works had a remarkable escape through the ingenious device of one oa the parly. The party had completely Idoeked the centre ol Ihe tunnel with sandbags, through which passed a two fool pipe to drain the water in the tunnel, while the gang installed calves lo control the water in the dam, I'ioin which the tunnel led. While the) we.'e at work a free fell across the power hues and cut off the current. The power-house stall were ignorant of the fact that the gang was in the tunnel and diverted water from the turbines so that it rushed into the tunnel, trapping the men between the rapicllv risiue Hood and the sandbag waif. '

With ii flash of genius, one member of the parly realised that their only hope of escape was through the two fool pipe leading through the sandbag barrage and filled with the rushing water. One member of the party by this lime was practically helpless and the others unceremoniously bundled him into the mouth of the pipe and tin- water sucked him through and deposited him in the power end of the tunnel in safety. The remaining members oil the gang, one at a lime, dived into the pipe and were shot out at the oilier end. They lost no time in leaving the tunnel.