TUNNEL COLLAPSES

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2666, 1 December 1923, Page 3

TUNNEL COLLAPSES

ON EAST COAST RAILWAY. NO HOPE FOR TWO ENTOMBED MEN. RESCUED MAN IN HOSPITAL. Napier, November 30. About 5 o’clock last evening a lai-ge portion of the tunnel which is being excavated on the East Coast railway collapsed entombing three men. Five othei-s who" were wox-king on the spot where the earth fell had miraculous escapes. The names of the men who were entombed are: — JOHN ROBERT HOHENSEE, aged 50 years, mai-ri.ed. T. O'MAHONEY, aged 25 years, single. C. DIMMOND, aged 27 years, single. The rescuers reached Dimmond at 10.30 p.m. He was pinned in a precarious position, and they commenced the long task to relieve him. Hope for the other two is small. About 80 men are at the public works eamix at Kaiwaka, whex-e the accident occurred. They had been engaged for some time in putting in the tunnel, which, when completed, will be about 10 chains in length, through the bill. The work is done in shifts by gangs of eight men. About two chains of the tunnel is completed up to the spot where the fall took plaee.

The shift had been at work barely an hour when suddenly a portion of the tunnel collapsed, completely burying three of the men. Fortunately the men were not all working at the one plaee. 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 shoulder.

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 Dimmond was known to be on the right side. An endeavour was made to locate the entombed men, but the uncertainty of their position made the uisk difficult. The rescuers listened for sounds, but none came from the left. A sound was heard on the right, and after several hours’ digging* the first victim was located and fonnd to be still alive. The man was Charles Dimmond, who was pinned down by timber and two big pieces of rock. A huge piece of rock was pressing against his head. At “midnight, the rescuers were still endeavouring to extricate Dimmond but it was considered it would be some hours before he would be linally extricated. Dimmond 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. Later. In connection with the tunnel disaster, it is not expected that 'the remaining two bodies can be recovered inside of two days, therefore hope of rescuing the men alive has been given up. It is feared as the gangs remove the debris more will fall. Dimmond was got out at 10 a.m. conscious, though suffering from severe injuries. He was removed to the Napier Hospital. The two men still remain entombed at the Kaiwaka tunnel. Rescue work continues, but the chances of releasing the men alive are considered remote. Dimmond is progressing satisfactorily, but is not out of danger.

The average number of billiard balls cut from the tusks of an elephant is ten —each tusk usually yielding five.