COLLAPSE OF TUNNEL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 49, Issue 15049, 30 November 1923, Page 5

COLLAPSE OF TUNNEL.

THREE MEN ENTOMBED.

RESCUE PARTY AT WORE. ONE MAN FOUND ALIVE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NAPIER, This Day. At about five last evening a large portion of a tunnel that is being erected on the east coast railway at Kaiwaka collapsed, entombing three men. Five other men who wore working at the spot where the earth fell had miraculous escapes.

THE ENTOMBED MEN. The names of the entombed men are John Robert Hobensee, 50 years, married. T. O’Mahoney, 25, single. C. Dimond, 27, single.

The rescuers, at 10.30 p.m. reached Dimond, who was pinned in a precarious position and commenced a long task to relieve him. Hope of rescuing the other two is small.

About 80 men are at the Public Works camp at Kaiwaka, where the accident occurred and have been engaged for some time in putting in a tunnel, which, when completed, will be about 10 chains in length through the hill. The work is done in shifts by gangs of eight men.

About two chains of the tunnel had been completed up to the spot where the fall took place.

MIRACULOUS ESCAPES.

The men in the gang were: John E. Hobensee, T. O’Mahoney, C. Dimond, J. Young, G. Fraser, M. Conway, W. Jenkins and E. Jenkins. They went into the tunnel on the 4 o’clock shift and had been at work barely an hour when suddenly a portion of the tunnel collapsed, completely Iburying three men. Fortunately, the men were a little scattered. Young, aged 50, a single man, was caught by the falling debris, but managed to extricate himself and crawl clear. He was injured about the head and shoulders. Fraser fell on his face, but was not injured. Hobensee, who was the leader of the gang, and O’Mahoney, were thought to have been near the left hand side of the tunnel and Dimond was known to be on the right side. LISTENING FOR SOUNDS.

Endeavour was made to locate the entombed men, but the uncertainty of their position made the task difficult. The rescuers listened for sounds, but none came from the left. A sound was heard on the right.

After several hours’ digging the first victim was located and found still alive. The man was Charlie Dimond, who was pinned down by two big pieces of timber and pieces of rock, a huge piece of rock pressing against his head.

FEVERISH RESCUE WORK. At midnight the rescuers were still endeavouring to extricate Dimond, but it was considered that it would be some hours before lie would be finally extricated.

Dimond was a member of the Tunnelling Corps in the New Zealand forces. O’Mahoney was a native of Ireland, and has a sister residing in Hamilton. Feverish work is proceeding to extricate the other men.

HOPE ABANDONED. NAPIER, This Day. , In connection with the tunnel disaster it is not expected that the remaining two bodies can be recovered inside two days, therefore, the hope of rescuing the men alive has been gLen U P-

It is feared that as the gangs remove the debris more will fall.

Dimond was got out at 10 a.m. He was conscious though suffering from severe injuries. He has been removed to the Napier Hospital.