1.
LV MINE SHAFT AND CROWDS.
0.05

2.
LV DITTO.
0.08

3.
SV PIPE LINE LEADING TO SHAFT.
0.11

4.
TV CROWD AROUND SHAFT.
0.14

5.
TV.PAN...DITTO.
0.19

6.
TV (NIGHT OF THE 27TH) FOOD CONTAINER RAISED.
0.35

7.
SV MINERS AND OFFICIALS.
0.38

8.
SV FOOD LOWERED INTO PIPELINE.
0.53



Initials JM/S/AW/PC JM/S/AW/GH


EDITORS - PLEASE SEE PROD 8527/63 (26 OCTOBER) "RESCUE MEN DRILL TO TRAPPED MINERS"

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: WORK CONTINUES ROUND THE CLOCK AT LENGEDE, WEST GERMANY, IN EFFORTS TO SINK A RESCUE SHAFT TO THE THREE MINERS, ENTOMBED IN AN AIR LOCK, 300 FEET BELOW THE SURFACE, SINCE LAST THURSDAY. THEY WERE LOCATED ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

UNDER THE GLARE OF TELEVISION ARC LIGHTS, SULLIES WERE PASSED DOWN THE PILOT SHAFT, EVERY THREE MINUTES THROUGHOUT LAST NIGHT (SUNDAY). A FEW YARDS AWAY, WORK WENT AHEAD ON DRILLING THE 20-INCH WIDE RESCUE SHAFT, WHICH THE RESCUERS HOPE TO COMPLETE LATER TODAY. THE TRAPPED MEN ARE WELL AND IN CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE THROUGH A MICROPHONE. THEY HAVE RECEIVED MESSAGES FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND WORKMATES.

THE MEN ARE TRAPPED IN A DEAD END GALLERY WITH SEVERAL KILOMETRES OF WATER SEPARATING THEM FROM THE PITHEAD. ONLY AN INVISIBLE WALL OF AIR IS KEEPING THE WATER LEVEL FROM RISING AND DROWNING THEM. SPECIAL PRESSURE CAPS HAVE BEEN FITTED TO THE PILOT SHAFT AND DRILLING APPARATUS TO ENSURE THERE IS NO SUDDEN ESCAPE OF AIR.

PREPARATIONS ARE ALSO UNDERWAY FOR THE DIFFICULT TASK OF LOWERING THE ONE-MAN STEEL ESCAPE CAPSULE, WITHOUT REDUCING THE PRESSURE. OFFICIALS AT THE PITHEAD SAID THAT A VOLUNTEER WOULD BE SENT DOWN FOR A TRIAL RUN, BEFORE THE ATTEMPT TO BRING THE MEN UP IS MADE.