Evening star., 1949-04-09
BY the Associoted Press


BY the Assoeioisd Press
SAN MARINO. Calf, April O.
Rescue crews today reached the
depth at which they hope to rescue
3la-year-old Kathy Fiscus. who is
trapped inside a 14-inch casing
of an abandoned well 100 feet
deep.
Men. armed with torches, de-
scended to cut through the casing
at a depth of IS feet.
They are in q 25-foot-wide hole
dug during the night by giant
crane shovels under the glare Of
so floodlights.
A smaller hole was dug deeper.
but plans to use it to reach the
casing were abandoned.
Crews in the bigger hole used
crowbars to pry away rocks and
dirt to reach the outside of the
casing.
No Sound From Child.
But there was no sound from
within the pipe, where at least 81
feet down the child has been
wedged since S o'clock yesterday
afternoon.
At one time engineers were
using a well digging rig tc
sink a wider. 30-inch pipeline to
the girls level and enable a rescuer
to cut through to the youngster
and bring her up the larger pipe
Complicating the problem. dig
gers said, was the possibility the
old pipe might have a bend or
two. and also might contain some
water, although the well has not
been used in recent years.
Don Metz, construction en-
gineer in charge of the excavation
and an old friend Of Kathy's
family. said he was certain he
saw the little girl last evening
with the aid of searchlights. Later
he looked but couldn't see her. Ap-
parently she had slipped below
a bend in the pipe.
May have Slipped Lower.
4; A rubber ball was lowered on
a wire and stopped at a depth
of 81 feet, indicating the child was
at that level. Later another ball
was lowered and descended 100
feet before stopping, indicating
she had slipped to that depth.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed, u
MIR. Metz said. She's my sweet
heart. I've known her ever since
she was born"
There has been no cry or word
from little Kathy since about an
hour after she tumbled down the
shaft while running after her
sister. Barbara. 8. and cousin, Gus
Lyon. S.
I'VE can only hope KattTy is
sleeping" said Police Chief Glen
McClung. speaking what was on
the mind of every worker and
watcher. including Kathy's dis
traught parents, Mr., and Mrs.
David H. Fiscus. Hundreds stayed
on through the night to watch
the rescue efforts.
Faint Screams Heard.
Kathy was playing in a vacant
lot near her home when 1t hap
pened. The children were foot
racing from one end Of the lot to
the other. Kathy couldn't keep up.
When the two older children
looked back. they couldn't see
Kathy. They started searching and
Gus almost stepped In the hole
when he heard screams of terror
rising family from below.
The children ran and got Mrs.
Fiscus. She came and shouted
down to her daughter: Can you
hear me. Kathy?"
A faint Yes" came between
screams.
First officers at the scene low
cred a rope down the pipe and
said they felt some pressure at
the other end. They heard more
screams. then only quiet.
Advice shouted down to the
child received no reply.
A call was issued for a midget
or circus thin man to be lowered
down the casing. Many tiny and
thin men responded. but the plan
was discarded. Rescuers feared
cutting of the child's oxygen sup
ply. Then, too. there was the
danger of a second person being
trapped in the narrow tube.
Contractors rushed all avail
able equipment to the scene when
it was decided to dig.
From all over the Nation came
phone calls offering suggestions.
Perhaps most shaken Of all was
Kathy's father. MIR. Fiscus Is San
Marino district superintendent of
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