RESCUE OF ENTOMBED MEN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 836, 7 May 1910, Page 3

RESCUE OF ENTOMBED MEN.

BOTH WELL.

Grevmouth, May 5

Word has just been received that Doyle and Duggan, who had been entombed since Monday morning, were rescued from the Otira tunnel. They are quite well, and very thankful for their escape.

The three men in the Grey Hospital are making satisfactory progress towards recovery.

Formal evidence was taken at the inquest touching the death of Charles Beamer, who was killed at Otira tunnel, and it was then adjourned. Beamer’s body will be sent to his relatives at Hobart for interment.

Since the morning the drive at Otira tunnel has been thoroughly cleaned up, and the shaft more strongly timbered. Refuse from last night’s storm has been taken from the shaft, and all cleaned to the bottom of the last shot.

A shot was fired at 2 p.m. at a depth of three feet, which shattered the rock for some depth and loosened the roof of the heading within. After further efforts the men were liberated shortly after 8 o’clock, and emerged quite uninjured. They were able to walk to their huts.

The Otira correspondent of the Lyttelton Times supplies a graphic description of the heroism of George Pitts, one of the men who was entombed by the second fall in the Arthur’s Pass tunnel.

George was at his breakfast when the alarm was given that a fall of earth had occurred, and immediately he rushed to the rescue. The first man he encountered was his own camp mate, buried almost entirely by huge rocks and timbers. By superhuman efforts Pitts removed this single-handed, and carried his injured companion out ot danger. He rushed again to the rescue, and found Charles Beamer almost buried in the same heap, and commenced to work to rescue him. He had almost succeeded when the second and largest fall took place, completely overwhelming both Beamer and Pitts.

After several hours of excavating along the right side of the three men, Pitts, Beamer and Baird were found. Only the leg of Pitts and the side of Beamer’s head, and the upper portion of Baird’s body could be seen, but the groans and cries of the entombed men were plainly heard, and almost frantic efforts were made to remove the fallen rock and timber to release them. By and by it was seen that a truck providentially had been left on the line, and though this was smashed, it had been the means of preventing the life being crushed out of the unfortunate men.

One party worked towards Baird, while a second party worked to extricate Pitts, who had to be removed before Beamer could be got at. The work was extremely difficult, and necessitated the sawing through of the buffer beams of the truck —a tremendous task, as only the point of the saw could be got to work, and there were bolts and rocks to contend with, in addition to which Pitts’ own body was in danger of being injured by the movement of the saw. The work was eventually accomplished alter three hours’ sawing and chopping of bolts, and Pitts was released.

Then it was discovered to what heroic lengths Pitts’ bravery had carried him, though it seems almost incredible that a man in such bodily pain and mental anguish could so far think of his fellows. Pitts was able to reach Beamer’s head, which was almost entirely covered by small grit and rock, and with his bare fingers he scraped away the stuff and made it possible for Beamer to breathe. To see what this effort cost him one had only to examine his fingers. The nail and skin, and even the flesh itself was torn away by his heroic efforts. It is difficult to convey an accurate description of Pitts’ position. His body was doubled into the shape of the letter U, considerably flattened, with his arms outstretched behind, while between his legs and body were the buffer beams of the truck, with the ironwork pressing into his body and the crushed end of the truck pressing heavily on to his back and head. Only his presence of mind in putting his carbide lamp under the buffer beam, and there supporting the truck end, prevented bis head from being cut clean off. As soon as he was released his rescuers and comrades cheered him with cries of “ Good old Britou !” “ Brave boy, George !” “ Good old lad !” and showered their caresses on him as they would on some pet. The scene was very touching.