The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-12-26

Las IA Danss, Foui-sincnfng Hols r,s
over Fifty uoury Many EeeG
Under the Ground.

Now York City Professional divers
brought 70 place Of safety two italian
watchmen who had been imprisoned
III the tunnel which The Pennsylvania
Railroad is excavating at Long Island
City for over fifty hours.
Two trips were made through the
tunnel BY the divers on the first trip
the men were located ana spoken ia.
They We're safe and sound On bulk
head. nine feet above the water.
Foul air, the Uncertainty Of deliver
ance, lack OF foodlapd fear mad told on
the Italians. They We're covering in
the "Reminiscences on top Of the struc-
ture that had saved them from q sub
terranean grave as the waters broke
through a sewer and into the tunnel
The CLEAN OF four torches first at
fracted the imprisoned men. 1t was
the ordinations that they involun.
tarily made that disclosed to the res
cuers their hiding place Whether it
was fear that the strange figures in
the rubber suits Were apparitions that
betokened approaching death or that
the entombment had deranged them.
the imprisoned men erouched farther
into their shelter and resisted the att
temDts Of the divers TO get ut them.
Little English was spoken Oh under
stood by the Italians. and the rescuers
had difficulty in making tile imprisoned
men understand that they would take
them back to the surface After a half
hours coIIoquy. the Italians agreed to
so il the divers would get them rubber
suits The water, they said, was deep
and dark
It would be better that they should
take chances OF rescue where they
We're they said, than to go through d
watery bore in the earth The divers
left them and struggled back through
the $50 feet of stagnant water. from
six to eight feet deep In places, and
foul air
Reaching the surface they reported
to n. w AToir, the Vice President OF
the Parsons Company, which is driving
the tunnel. that the men were alive;
that they had talked with them, ana
that the men would only risk q trip
through the tunnel IL they were pro-
vided with rubber suits. These suits
were Quickly supplied. and the four
divers, after a rest of about an hour,
began once more the journey into the
styx-like tunnel
Again the cleaning of the pine knots
they carried caused the imprisoned
men to chatter anils gesticulate, and
again to crawl further into the corner
OF the bulkhead, Instead OF rushing
toward their reseuers. especially after
the divers had exhibited the rubber
suits. the men fought them off.
Battling and struggling with the lit
lie strength they had left. the divers
and the Italians had one of the most
unique combats on record Over 100
feet underground. the air dank and
foul, on a shaky bulkhead that was
gradually being undermined by the
murky water, the reseuers and the inn
prisoned men struggled back and forth.
The pine torches lent an unearthly
glow to the scene, and the poor Ital-
ians. their strength spent were finally
encased in the rubber suits
Then began the struggle to get the
men through the water
The Italians were helpless. The div
ers. too, had exhausted their strength
in the struggle to subdue the men. But
the Italians were now in the water. in
- y "AAu SNttASCiJ eNOAC ~
The divers each took a man and hy
slow stages. carried them through, the
tunnel to the workmen's cabin at the
East avenue entrance The cry went
np to the top Of the shaft that the men
had been rescued and the 800 or
400 people who had gathered about
the shaft sent up mighty cheer
A physician had been sent for by
the company, and at onte DESCENDED
to the mouth of the tunnel He found
the men in remarkably good condi-
ton. considering theft experience
The long Imprisonment had told upon
them mentally. however. and they were
not able clearly to realize their posi-
ton
The imprisoned men were Francisco
Tavelle, thirtytwo years old. and An
tonic Bragga, thirty-three years old.
Both are married and live in Long
Island City