HEROIC DIVER'S EFFORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 10 April 1907, Page 4

HEROIC DIVER'S EFFORTS.

DETAILS OF THE RESCUE OF VAIUSCHETTI. '-IV following details of the heroic efforts made to rescue the entombed miner \ ariseheiti from the flooded East Ex- - tension Mine, hi We-L Australia are taken from the Melbourne Argus of 20th i March. It will be fresh in the memory of our readers that the gallant rescue work was rewarded with success. 11 "The self-effacement of Diver Hughes s in asking that some of the esteem ) which was being showered oil him should L ?be given to his chief assistant. Diver ' Hearue, of Fremantle (writes the Perth 5 correspondent of the Melbourne journal) c lias increased the popularity of the bold ' Kalgoorlie diver. Hughes nearly lost f his life on Thursday, when he made a } successful trip to Varischetti's place of ' incarceration, but he made light of ;he 1 affair, and merely regarded it as a div- 1 ing incident of no great importance. s When he returned he was just about ' done for." 1 The general manager of the WVstralia > Mine (Mr Eubiscnjin) states that it was '■ also by ;lic merest lluke tliat Yurisclietli 1 and the other men who were overtaken c by the flood on Tuesday were in Xo 1(1 ' level. Only the day before, for no very 1 special reason, lie had called them up ■ from Xo 11 level to Xo 10. and to tin* ) fortunate circumstance all the men owe their lives Mr ltukisc'inn also states i thai had there been another few feet of water in the snaft the water pressure > would have been greater than tile air -i pressure in the rise, and Varischetti > would have been drowned. He ad.lml i that the present rescue Mas one of tile I most unique in mining rceonK In fact, ' he thinks that it is the first of its kind, i Diver Hughes, in an interview to day, < stated:—"When I went below on Friday i morning I found that I had to face to- 1 tal darkness and muddy water in going 1 down the underlay shaft, and it was a i feat I nad never undertaken before. 1 1 could see that there would be a, cons id- - erable amount .of difficulty in the opcr- 1 ation. Acting on the advice given to 1 me by Mr Beard, the underground manager, I followed -the north wall of the pass which connected Xo. 1 and No. 10 levels until I came to the slroot. I found a considerable amount of dirt in the shoot, and I at once proceeded to empty it out of the way. Then I took up the boards and got down into the No. 10 level. Next I signalled for Diver Fox, who was to come down after me. I waited for a considerable time, but as there was no appearance of tne diver I gave the signal to be liauled up. When my face plate had been taken off I enquired what was the matter, and was told that Fox could not pass my pump. I then waited until he passed the pump, and went down and signalled for the other diver to follow. I waited some time, and received a signal to come up. W hen I had come up to the party in the level, I was informed that Fox's legs had 'gone crook.' Fox undressed and Diver Hearne was dressed in his diving suit. "I then made another descent, and signalled from the No. 10 level for Hearne to come down. He did so without delay. However, as there was a misunderstanding as to what his duties were, we both went up to the top again, ami had a complete understanding. It. was imperative, as Varischetti's life was in peril, that he should be reached without delay. "I then made my fourth descent, and signalled for Hearne to come down. He responded with promptitude, and I handed him my life-line, air-pipe, etc., and proceeded along the level, wading tnrougli soft silt up to my knees. It was with considerable difficulty that I reached the foot of the rise. I knew where I was by feeling the rock-drill air-hose going upwards. I shook this hose once, twice, thrice; but there was no response. I then gave Varischetti another chance to respond, and shook 'the ikose again. To my delight there was a responce, although but slight. Still the pipe was shaken by Varischetti—of that there could be no doiibt. "'By this time I was fairly played out, having been under water for four descents aggregating not less than two and a half hours, so I made mv way back to the No. 9 level. By the time 1 readied the surface of the water I was alino-t completely It was 'then nearly 1 o'clock and I determined to make another attempt to reach Varischetti at 4 o'clock. I went down about that hour, taking with me an hermetically sealed electric lamp, and food for Varischetti. "When I reached the rise, and got out of the water, I turned the light upwards and saw Variscwtti standing in a half crouching position, with both amis outstretched. He was peering into the water, and clearly alarmed. I could hear him shouting even through my helmet, but I could not distinguish his words. He turned away from me obviously in terror but I beckoned to him to come down 'to the edge of the stope. He did so after a while. I handed liim the electric lamp and the food, which, of course, was in, a water-tight tin, and consisted of concentrated food, such as peptonized beef extract and cocoa, together with a supply of candle and matchas. He took the lamp, but did not then take any notice of the bag. "I offered to shake hands with him, ' but he did not seem to understand. I i shook hands with myself and then held out my hand again.' He understood me, and came down and gave me a firm grasp. Then I left him, and as I disappeared into the watery depths I saw him turn the light to the water, watching my exit. ' "I made a second successful descent '■ on Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock. I took more food with me, in tins—pounded rump steak, free from sinew or fat. j flavored, and made into sandwiches. I took also a bottle of claret, a tin of soda biscuits, and a letter in a small tube. The letter was sent by his brothers. one of whom came down from Kttnowna, while the other lives in Bonnievale. "Varichetti did not understand what the tube was for, so I pulied out the cork, and inserted my little finger, till I exposed the letter, and handed him the tube again. I also gave him a code of signals for communicating with those in the No. !) level. He sat down and read the letter, I shook bands with him •{gain, and left him, after a stay of about twenty minutes. ' t "On Sunday I made a third successful attempt, and took a small electric lamp, , and gave it to Varischetti, who seemed in good health and spirits for the little time I saw him. [ had a good look at him. He took the light, and sat down on the timber, wrote a. message, put it in the tube, and handed it to me." Had you any great difficulty in getting down the pass? "Yes, for it is so narrow that T had to wriggle through it. In places Ihsre is just room for a man ,to get down with a squeeze. I had 4ho misfortune to lose my heavy boots twice. andUof oourse, had a difficulty in keeping a standing position."