Evening star., 1923-02-22
TELLS OF BLOWING
UP COL D. LANA
Prince Caetani Describes
Famous Exploit of Italians
Against Austrians.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. February 22.-Prince
Gelasio Cactani. Italian ambassador
and formerly Il mining engineer in
this country, recounted last night for
he first time details of his famous
war exploit-the blowing up of the
mountain Col di Lana, the eye of
the Austrian army, in 1916.
Addressing the American Institute
Of Mining and Metallurgical En-
gincers, Ambassador Caetani, who
was graduated from Columbia and
obtained his first job as a Stag car
pusher" in the workings of the Daily
West Mine. lark City, Utah, attribu-
ted the success of his undertaking to
the knowledge he had gained in
america.
He said two other engineers. Bon
fiolo and Grimaldi, had contributed
equally to the success of the mining
of Col di Lana, a cone-shaped noun
tain in the Dolomitic Alps. 5000 feet
in height.
col di Lana was the eye of the
enemy" he said. that spied every
road of access, that looked over our
defense and our rear. We were call
ed upon to blind that eye. An assault
was ordered. And in the attempt to
scale the bare and precipitious flank
of the mountain, 10000 of our bravest
men met DEATH"
Sent to Replace Officer.
Then Prince Caetani, and officers of
the engineers, was sent to the sector
To replace an officer who had fallen
in the assault.
"One day Col. Perelli asked me what
I thought could be done" said the
AMBASSADOR. Il told him we ought to
get underneath them and blow EN-
off And so the mine was started, the
18th of January.
I'VE worked three months. There
were two engineer officers, Bonfioli
eighty picked miners. We started sur
veying the position, d difficult task
through loop holes. Fortunately
had with me the Brunton compass
Invented by D. w. Brunton. former
president of the Engineers Institute)
and it enabled me to do my work.
FINALLY we started tunneling to-
ward the center of the peak. We
bored $50 feet, then drove a 42-degree
raise with the intention of getting
close to the surface under the enemy s
f1rst-line trench.
Upon the suggestion Of two of our
miners, we had an eighteen-foot sec
tional wood-auger forged. The rock
was soft and decomposed. From the
roof of the raise we drilled almost
vertically until we broke through to
the surface. BY that time the Aus
trian sentries were feeling our blast s
under their feet. They notified head
quarters that we were mining the
Austrian position. Headquarters an
swered not to get uselessly excited.
that the Italians were probably only
mining for shelter. They lost three
days phoninS up and down, and TO
this we owed our success.
Counter Mining Started.
Toward. the middle of March the
enemy started counter mining. We
had started again drifting horizon
tally and We're gaining depth. On
he 7th of April the enemy blasted
its first counter mine, but the shot
had been placed too high and was
somewhat off line. The shocks. how
ever, We're very heavy and part of the
ceiling of our tunnel caved, buryin z
Bontiolo and four soldiers. We got
them out alive and started again.
The enemy then sank three shafts
trying to locate us, but we had
gained further depth and passed un-
der their drifts at not more than
three feet distance. We could hear
them talking and dragging bags full
of dirt.
April Is we loaded five tons of 95
per cent gelatin in two chambers
about thirty feet apart and tamped
the galleries.
AT 10 pm, April Il, I went up for
the last time in the raise and con-
nected the electric wires. I was alone
and i'll the silence of the underground
world could hear some one picking
hard and hastily above my head.
That same night a prisoner told me