VARISCHETTI DEAD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20056, 20 September 1920, Page 8

VARISCHETTI DEAD.

FAMOUS RESCUE RECALLED THE JJONNIEVALE SENSATION. The death occurred recently at the ivalgoorhe Government Hospital of Modesco _ Varisbhetti', who was uniprisoned in the flooded mine workings uL Bonmevale thirteen years ago. . The death of M. Varischetti recalls tne stirring story of the heroism displayed by Diver Frank Hughes, who. I! p 1907, rescued Varischetti a j ■ Gen . imprisoned in the Hooded mine workings at Bonnicvalo (Western Australia), for nine days. UNPRECEDENTED RAIN. It was on March 19. 1907, as the result of unprecedented rain at Ilonnierale, six miles from Coolgardie, that a largo body of water rushed into the mam working of tho Westralia and Eastern Extension mine, in the dopthfe of which about forty men were at work. Hurriedly they escaped, all but Varischetti, an Italian, the father of five motherless children. He was at work in tho rise from No. 10 level, and when he discovered tho water it was too late lor his retreat, fur the flood had risen rar above the horizontal passage to which he would have to descend in order to make his way to the shaft. ENTOMBED MAN. Knocks from the entombed man assured his mates that he was still alive --a fact _ accounted for by the compressed air cushion in the head of the use. Seeing that it would bo about ten days before the hairless man could be reached m ordinary circumstances Lie authorities at Perth dispatched to Ooolgardie a special train conveying divers with their assistants and divine apparatus. Interest rrom that dav became intense, and bulletins from the mine were awaited with feverish anxiety. On March -.2, at 5,30 p.m., Hughes, whose knowledge of mining gave him an advantage over the other divers, with . 0 IC T, D'vor Hearne. succeeded m reaching Varischetti, and in convoying lond and an electric lanm to him Varischetti was surprised, * bin not alarmed, at the appearance of the diver. VISITS TO THE ENTOMBED MAN. Hughes made frequent visits to the imprisoned miner. On the last occasion, when the water had receded somewhat—the afternoon of March 28 “he stayed with Varischetti half nom; or more trying to cheer him up. ilc told him they would ho going out presently and h© nodded and said “All right.” Hiurhes tied a rope around \ arisclictti’s waist, and fasten on it to Ins own, and got him to lean on Ins shon dor. Hughes stnmcderl along with Ins burden until he reached a part of the mine where other williim hands were waiting to lend their aid.” CRIPPLED AND DESTITUTE. ,1 A T ears later it was reported hat the man whose deed had thrilled •h© voriel had fallen unon evil days He had become crippled* with rhcmriaism, and was destitute A committee that was formed m Melbourne, after relieving his immediate necessities interviewed the then Prime Miniat*-. Medals parchments and nraise were ns lot but they are of little use in the markets, said on© of tho denotation. An old miner himself, Mr Fisher was able to appreciate the value of Diver Hughes’s work, and the appeal to him was not m ram. Hughes died ast year m Brisbane. But the memory of his heroic feat in again and descending into the deaths of a mine, and making his way through the mud, slush and darkness of a flooded J,™?’ ' n ° ar ™ n e food, light and other comforts to the imprisoned miner, will ictnam. • ’