NEARLY DROWNED.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1917, Page 8

NEARLY DROWNED.

EXCITING DASH IN DARK DOWN i TUNNEL. T\vo men, named Bonnington and Cowling, had an exciting experience in the Otira tunnel at Arthur's Pass on Friday afternoon (reports the Christchmvh Star).: A party of four men, comprising Messrs' Bonnington (who work" in the tunnel), Cowling (2), and another went into the funnel on a trolley. The tunnel is now'dhe and a half miles long, and has a down srflde of one in thirtythree. While going through the tunnel the acetylene light curried by the party went out, and in th-; daii;ne.3S the trolly got out of control. Two of the passengers got off the troll, before it got goinsr. After it had gone a styirt distance tlie trolly was going al a \errific speed, ft meant certain death fn 'he. two men bui. for the fact that the j, -ips were not working, and the end o; :l •>nmcl formed a base of a pocket, v. was filled with water. The trollej . inl > the i water at a tremendous sp. Mid was only stopped by the pressi.. it the! water. , " The two men were thrown v c or six feet of water, and had t. there until assistance was obtaim,. Fortunately .. two men wero in i, tunnel at the. time, and went to tin accident, where it was found that owing to the darkness nothing could be done! Three other workmen went to the scene in another trolley, and after much difficulty a rescue-was made. The two men were in an exhausted condition, the water having been above their shoulders. Cowling was able to leave by the train for his home in CJiristelmrch, but Bonnington was considerably shaken by hi? fall from the truck.