Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-10
SAVED, DIVER ASKS
WATCHERS TO PRAY
New Orleans Captain Brought
Up After 26 Hours Under
Water.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW ORLEANS, La, September 10
(N.AN.A.).-"Everybody kneel down
These were the first words spoken by
Capt Nick Danese, 62-year-old marine
diver, when he was pulled yesterday
from beneath the water of the suburban
canal, where he had been trapped In
the foundation of q pumping station
for more than 26 hours. :,
After a day and night of heroic work
four divers and surface crew OF more
than 200 men at noon yesterday sue
ceeded in eXtricating Capt. Danese from
his precariouS position under the pump
ing station. Taken from the water, the
intrepid captain remained silent while
being rowed to shore. Refusing offers
Of assistance, Capt. Danese walked down
the canal bank for few PAGES and fell
to his knees.
s'His heart has failed" q woman in
the crowd screamed. The veteran diver,
however, raised his hand to dismiss
the crowds fears.
Thanks God for Rescue.
Everybody kneel down and pray"
he said, and when the request was
granted he began q prayer. Dear God,
I thank you for oil that helped save
me-" The prayer done, he walked 70
the pumping station and embraced his
three daughters and two sons, who were
resting after hours spent In attempts
to rescue him.
A physician suggested that he lie
down and obtain some sleep, but Capt.
Danese waved him aside.
This was my only friend down there
under the water" Capt. Danese smiled,
pulling a wad OF gum from his mouth.
I'D rather had this than all the air
you pumped me. I was setting on
doggone rope all the time, hemmed up
between two piles"
Turning to a son, Joseph Danese, he
continued: 1.-THE minute I felt your
touch on the line, Joe, I knew I was
saved. I could tell by your touch 1t
was you. I wasn't scared Of dying
The only thing was afraid Of was los
ing my helmet"
Taken to New Orleans hospital to
receive medical attention and to OBJ
tain a much-needed rest, Capt. Danese
spoke with internes about his expert
ence.
"That was an endurance test" he
said, land I believe that was good
for at least is days"
Rescue Follows Determined Fight.
Capt. Danese's rescue followed one
of the most determined life-saving
fights in marine history.
The diver, while inspecting the foun-
dalton of pumping station No. on the
Suburban Canal, about seven miles from
this city, was trapped between sheet
piling of the foundation when sec
ton of the subsurface structure gave
way at 1910 am. Monday.
The canal on the Lake Pontchartrain
side of the pumping station when the
diver descended to make the inspection
was three and one-half feet higher than
the level OF the canal on the land side
OF the station.
The water pressure forced Capt.
Danese into breach which opened
while he was making his way along
the sheet-piling foundation. Unable
to go through the break in the piling
and prevented by the tremendous pres
sure Of the water from returning to-
ward the lakeside of the canal, he was
held prisoner 20 feet below the surface.
Four divers descended to map q plan
OF rescue. Because Capt. Danese wore
only helmet without the customary
divers suit 1t was feared that the cur
rent through the breach under the
pumping station would push him on his
back and that his helmet would fall of.
Unless your helmet is attached to q
regular underwater suit" the diver ex-
planned, you have to keep erect at all
times. Bending or lying down would
result in the helmet coming or"
Attempted to Dam Canal Mouth.
An attempt was made to dam the |
canal mouth, at the lake, by sinking q |
90-foot barge and covering 1t with sand |
bags.
The dam would relieve the pressure.
However. the sandbags were washed |
aside as quickly as they were placed. |
suggestions that Capt. Danese could be |
pulled to the surface with heavy lines
were found impractical, the rescue !
divers explaining that this procedure |
would result in Capt. Danese losing his
helmet. Attempts to tug him up by
his air line would result only In sure |
death for the trapped diver.
Finally q decision was reached to re-
move the pilings which were hemming
the diver. Fritz John went beneath the |
surface and attached q line to the base
of one of the pilings. Thirty men along
the bank pulled the piling to the sur
face. The procedure was repeated sew |
eral times, with piles being pulled up
ut intervals of 80 minutes.
Meanwhile, Fritz John and Capt. |
Danese exchanged signals. The latter |
asked for a pencil and paper. John |
took board and pencil to his old
friend, who wrote the one word, "time2"
John, returning to the surface, in
Dictated that it was 8 o'clock by tugging |
eight times on the life line.
II was interested in the time" Capt.
Danese later explained, because I knew |
they would stand better chance Of
getting me up when the lake tide was
out. A low tide would mean less cur
rent through the leak where I was
caught"
After the piling Immediately around
Capt. Danese had been removed, Fritz
John went below with a hack saw and
cut away the last impeachment to the
trapped Divers return to the surface
Pull away" John ordered joyfully.
TWO of Capt. Danese's sons, who were
sitting in ska guarding the life line,
tugged for dear life, but Capt. Danese
failed to come up.
Fritz John descended again and de-
termined the cause of the trouble. He
returned to the surface and explained
line.
Sons Pull Father to Surface.
pull away" he ordered. The sons
drew the line taut, and hand over hand
they pulled away. A divers helmet APP
peared on the surface, and then Capt.
Daneses steady hands reached out and
grasped the end Of the Skiff.
A spontaneous shout shook the crowd.
Friends Rugged each other, and relatives
of the rescued diver broke into tears.
Hes aliveI He's aliye!" the crowd
chanted.
Refusing to be carried, Capt. Danese
stepped from the skiff to the bank. He
walked few PAGES and fell to his
knees. And then he spoke:
Everybody kneel down and pray"
Copyright, 1890, by North American News
paper AllianceD
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