Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1859-06-16
Startling Incident.

Startling Incident.
Il Nan Lining Four Months IN the Sewers
of NeW York. Underground Life and
Occurrences.
1t will be reccllected that during the
early part Of the past Winter, the tides at
our wharves were extremely heavy and at
one time all along East River side for the
space of mile or more, the rats were
compelled to leave the piers in shoals of
thousands, making for the time rare activi-
ty among rat terriers and wharf loafers, in
their destruction. A communication just
received from Western source, (the Post
Master at Chicago) enclosing a letter from
a German, now ia that city. writing home
ward, seems to make it authentic that one
of the qucerest incidents of New YORK life
which has ever been recorded, at about
that time took place in this city.
Leopold Meyer. German citizen, then
residing at III Avenue A, had come to
this city TO seek his fortune among his
countrymen. He was kind of king
'Chitfenier.' or rag picker, from Paris,
where he had acquired small competen-
cy in that line, which, however, had been
dlssipated by the specuations which the
lower class of :he French have lately re-
sorted to--viz, the Bourse. The transsc
ally wiped out our friend Leopold. and he
had reluctantly Quilted the French capital
to try his luck in 'onr land of ze gold, as
he termed in his Franco German patois
Among all his experience, Leopold had,
at one time, been workman in the sewers
of Paris, that underground world of Paris
rag pickeis. and became familiar with its
life and scenes. He knew about It's per-
quisiies and profits too, and somewhat of
its risks. Arrived in this great city moth
ing doubling of its equally extensive sub
terranean avenues with those of Paris, he
became extremely anxious to get into and
about among the sewers of New York
He desired to keep his adventure secret,
also, in order 10 have all the profits of the
undertaking to himself alone. The diff
culry of his enterprise may be somewhat
considered wher we reflect that the main
sewers of Paris are broadly constructed
tunnels, some tan feet wide and nine feet
high. They convey as much water thro'
them as does our Croton Aqueduct, and
resemble it in solidity of construction;
they carry not water alone, but ventilation
and air to many of the underground vaults
and purieus of the Partisan city, which
are unseen and unknown to its earliest res
idents.
For more than three months Leopold
prowled around the piers in the upper part
of the city on the East River side, with the
hopes of seeing sewer opening out into
the river He had not sufficient experience
in city life and Croton Board arrangements
to know that entrance could be had thro'
the streets 'man-holes' (apertures )left for
the purpose along the center Of the streets
and covered with iron covers, opening
with key. Such modes ofingress in this
country were under the control of the Mu-
nicipal Police, and the entry by them was
beyond the power Of poor rag-picker.
Finally, Meyer got into sewer which
emptied on Houston street, and the big
tides which followed kept him so close a
prisoner. and by which came so near los
ing his life, that, getting out, he at once
started West, not only to dispose of his
gains by the enterprise, IN putting a little
money in Western Farm; but to see some
relatives near Kaskaskia, in Illinois, and
then to return to Paris rag.picking. with a
snug little sum ahead.
The first experience Of Meyer in New
York Sewer Life was to get nearly scalded
to death by an exhaust of steam from the
factory of Hoe & Co., corner of Broome
and Sheriff street. He stopped about that
locality. as could be judged, because of
some debris of stove pipe which had be-
come lodged in the sewer, and here the
steam was suddenly let on and poor Mey-
er almost as suddenly let off, He con :
tinued, however, to retreat along the ex-
tensive bottom oe the sewer. to escape the
boiling fury of the vapor floods which
rushed along.
1t must not be supposed that Meyer
came intothe sewers unprovided with light
or the usual methods Of working these
street mines to advantage. He had both
and all. HIS trowsers and under-clothing
were of India rubber: India rubber shoes
on his feet; wire sack at his shoulder; an
iron rag picker in his hand. and small
scoop in his side-pocket, with usual min
ing lamp. contrired to protect the user
from the impurisy Of the atmosphere
these composed his outfit. His design
was to make straight wake for the Fifth
avenue. There. he reasoned, would be
the cream of hunting grounds for his
trade; and probably his reasons were good
for he argued that in no part of the city
do as many silver spoons, forks and trinb
cts disappear, through the carelessness of