1.
GV POTHOLERS' CAMP
0.06

2.
SV POTHOLERS LOWER STORES DOWN HOLE
0.11

3.
SV POTHOLERS' TENT
0.16

4.
CU POTHOLER CHECKS DESCENT
0.28

5.
TV DITTO
0.33

6.
CU MICHAEL SIFFRE YELLS INSTRUCTIONS
0.39

7.
CU JOSIE LAURES PREPARES TO DESCEND
0.42

8.
CU HANDS HOLD ROPE
0.45

9.
SV LAURES DOWN HOLE
1.01

10.
CU AS HE DISAPPEARS
1.09



Initials JRG/S/RM/OS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: MLLE JOSIANE LAURES, A 26-YEAR-OLD FRENCH MIDWIFE, IN A POTHOLE IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE ALPS NEAR NICE HOPES TO STAY DOWN THERE - 100 METRES (300 FEET) UNDERGROUND - FOR THREE MONTHS. HER AIM IS TO HELP SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INTO THE EFFECT OF ISOLATION OF HUMAN BEINGS.

LAST MONTH ANTOINE SENNI, 35, WENT DOWN A POTHOLE IN THE SAME AREA IN AN ATTEMPT TO SPEND FOUR MONTHS BELOW AS PART OF THE SAME EXPERIMENT. IF THE TWO REMAIN FOR AS LONG AS PLANNED THEY WILL ALSO SET UP NEW WORLD RECORDS FOR REMAINING ALONE IN A POTHOLE.

MLLE LAURES WENT DOWN HER HOLE YESTERDAY (MONDAY), SUPERVISED BY M. MICHEL SIFFRE, THE 25-YEAR-OLD PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH POTHOLERS INSTITUTE. HE SET A WORLD RECORD BY REMAINING ALONE UNDERGROUND FOR TWO MONTHS IN 1962.

EXPERIMENTS LIKE THESE HELP IN THE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF PROLONGED ISOLATION ON THE NATURAL RHYTHM ON THE BODY. TOLERATION OF LONELINESS AND AWAY CHANGES IN THE CONCEPTION OF THE PASSAGE OF TIME WILL BE NOTED TOO. THE FINDINGS WILL BE SENT TO THE AMERICAN AUTHORITIES FOR USE IN FUTURE SPACE EXPERIMENTS, M. SIFFRE SAID.

TO PASS THE TIME IN THE POTHOLE, MLLE LAURES INTENDS TO PAINT AND TO LISTEN TO MUSIC ON A TAPE RECORDER WHILE M. SENNI HAS TAKEN A LARGE BLOCK OF WOOD WHICH HE IS CARVING.