The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-10
IMPRISONED IN A TUNNEL
Two Italians Caught in Ell. T. R
Excavations.
Lay Ia DauI:, Fou;.SIncu;ng Hole ESQ
over Fifty uours, Many Feet
Under the Ground.

New York City.-Professional divers
brought to 4 place of safety two Italian
watchmen who had been imprisoned
in 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 and spoken to.
They were, safe anQ-sound on a bulk
head. Zine feet above the water.
Foul air, the uncertainty of deliver
ance, lack Of food and fear mad told on
the. Italians. They We're covering in
the farthest'corner onstop of-the struc-
ture that had saved them from q sub
terranean grave a tile waters broke.
through a sewer and into the tunnel.
The glpam of four torches first att
tracted the imprisoned men,. 1t was
the EXPLANATIONS that they involun.i
tarily made that disclosed to the res-
cuers their hiding place. Whether 1T.
was fear that the strange figures in
the rubber suits were apDaritions that
betokened approaching death or that
the entombment had deranged them.
the imprisoned men crouched3 farther
into their shelter and resisted the att
tempts of the divers to get at them.
Little English was spoken OF under
stood by the Italians. and tile reseuers
had difficulty in making the imprisoned
men understand that they would take
them back to the surface. After a haH
hours %colloquy, the Italians agreed to
|: go if the divers would get them rubber
suits. The water, they>safd, was deep
and. dark.
1t would be better that they should
take chances of rescue where they,
were, they said, than to 81, through a.
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, ana
foul air..
Reaching the surface they. reported
TO E. W. Moir. the Vice-President OF
the Parsons Company, which is driving
the tunnel, that the men were aliye:
that they had talked with them, and
that the men world only riskita trip
through the tunnel if they were pro-
vided with rubber suits. These suits
were quickly supplied, and Sie four
divers, after q rest of. about an hour, Z
began once more the. journey into the
styx-lfke tunnel:
Again the cleaning of the pine knots
they carried caused the mprisonef
men to chatter and gesticulate, ardi
again toacrawf further into the corner: !
of the bulkhead. Instead of rushingi
toward their rescuers. esDecially after
the divers had exhibited the rubber:
suits, the men fought them on.
Battling and struggling with the lit
tie 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 q shaky bulknead. that was
gradually being undermined by the
murky water, the rescuerS and the inn
prisoIed 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
epcased in the rubber suits.
Then began the struggle to get 1.-THE
men through the water.
The Italians were HELPLESS. The div
ers. too.> had exhausted their strength
in the struggle 'toIsubdus the mep.t But
the ItaIians'were now inythe water, in
ert and scarcely able to stand.
The divers each took aaman, and by
slow stages. carried acknowledgement !
tunnel to the workmen's cabin at the
East avenue entrance. The cry went
up 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 q mighty cheer.
A physician had been sent for by
the company, and at onse descended
to the mouth Of the tunnel, He found
the men. in a remarkably good condi-
ton. considering their experience.
The long Imprisonment had told upon
them mentally. however. and they were
not able clearly to realize their posi-
tion.
The imprisoned men were Francisco
Tavelle. thirty-two years old, and AM
tonic Bragga. .thirty-tltree years old.
Both &are married and live insLong
Island City. So ~ y