Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-07-08
A Man Living Four Months in the
Sewers of New York.

wharves were extremely heavy. and at one
time all along the East River side for the space
of a mile or more the rats were compelled tc
leave the piers in shoals of thousands, making
for the time rare activity among rat terriers
and wharf loafers, in their destruction. A
communication, just received from Western
source (the Postmaster at Chicago,) enclosing
letter from German now in that city, wri-
ting homeward, seems to make it authentic
that one OF the queerest incidents of New
7 ork life which has ever been recorded, at
about that time took place in our city.
Leopold Meyer, German citizen, then resi-
ding at 1T Avenue A, had come to this city
to seek bis fortune among his countrymen. He
was kind of king sChigenier, or rag picker,
from Paris where he had acquired small com
potency in that line, which, however, had been
dissipated by the speculations which the lower
class of the French have lately resorted to-
viz, the Bourse. The transactions of that
enormous machine had literally wiped out our
friend Leopold, and he had reluctantly quilted
the French capital to try his luck in our land
of re gold he termed it in his Franco-Ger-
man patois.
Among all his experience, Leopold had, at
one time, been a workman in the sewers of
Paris-that underground world of Paris rag
pickers- and became familiar with its life and
scenes. He knew about its perquisitcs and
profits too, and somewhat of its risks. Arrived
in this great city nothing doubling of its equally
extensive subterranean 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 to have the profits of the undertaking to
himself alone. The difficulty Of his enterprise
may be somewhat considered when we reflect
that the main sewers of Paris are broadly con-
structed tunnels, some ten feet wide and nine
feet high. They convey as much water through
them as does the~Croton Aqueduct, and resem-
ble it in soldity of construction They carry
not water alone, but ventilation and air to
many of the underground vaults and purlieus
of the Partisan city, which are unseen and I'M
known to its earliest residents.
For more than three months Leopold prowl-
ed around the piers in the upper part of the
city on the East River side, with the hope 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 through the street man
holes (apertures left for the purpose along the
centre of the streets, and covered over with
! iron covers, opening with key. Such modes
of ingrcss in his country were under the con-
troll of the Municipal Police and the entry by
them was beyond the power of poor rag pick
cry
Finally, Meyer got into sewer which emp
tied on Houston street, and the big tides which
followed kept him so close prisoner, and by
which he came so near losing his life, that get
ting out he at once started West, not only to
dispose of his gains by the enterprise, in put
ting little money into a Western Farm but
to see some relatives near Kaskaskia in Hi
nois, and then to return to Paris rag picking,
with a snug little sum ahead. The first expe-
rience 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 streets. He stopped
about that locality, as near as could be judged,
because of some debris of stove pipe which had
become lodged in the sewer and here the steam
was suddenly let on, and poor Meyer almost
as suddenly let off, He continued, however
to retreat along the extensive bottom of the
sewer to escape the boiling fury of the yapor
r floods which rushed along.
1t must not be supposed that Meyer came in
to the sewers unprovidcd with light or the
usual methods of working these street mines tc
; advantage He had both and ALL His trow-
sers and under clothing were Of India rubber
India rubber shoes on his feet; wire sack al
his shoulder an iron rag-picler in his hand
and small scoop in his side pocket, with
usual mining lamp, contrived to protect the
4 4 user from the impurity of the atmosphere
a these composed his outfit. His design was tt
: make straight wake for the Fifth avenue
There, he reasoned would be the cream O
:, hunting grounds for his trade ind probably
his reasons were good, for he argued that in n,
e part Of the city do as many silver spoons fork
d and trinkets disappear, through the careessnes
u of servants and the impurities of soap AM
waste water, as in this, the palatial part Of on
is city.
q But several difficulties beset the sewer ad
y venturer before he could gain the promises
a land He knew the direction of the streets
but not the course of the sewers. He adyanc
q ed westward to Broadway, only to find that it
,, main sewers turned off to the east. He wen
d along its easterly branch and there found
IS crook to the north He advanced northwar
d and there its walls went south. In short, h
; became bewildered and for the first time in hi
lie uOuDleu HIS capacity u uIluc
lie ground wherever he chose to penetrate. Thi
e was the fifth day of his entrance to the sewer
!, His little stock of provisions was giving ou
" The street corner air-holes of this part of Ii
10 city not as frequent as he had before me
y and the sewers were less purified because MOI
II distant from the river. In the clefts of masol
le ~ adjoining the street culverts he had prey
I'd ously passed number of nights with indiffe
a ent sleep, which had weakened him somewha
n, n, and now Meyer felt rather like backing OF
er from his disagreeabe task However, pus
ahead he must. He was yet in Broadwa
that he knew, and opposite the Metropolita
Hotel where the savory steams from the Messr
70 Lalaad's kitchens, poured forth, to him, deligh
u ful odors.
" He pushed down Broadway, had violel
of dispute with poor NANCY dog, which had g
a benighted down below and would not let hi
IS, pass, which dispute he ended rather summari
1h with his iron rag-picker, and then showed alon
W At the innction with Canal street, he encou
n tered qnitc monster terrapn crawling u
ward along Broadway 1t had escaped fro
IN some restaurant before dinner, got into a sire
on gutter from thence into the culvert of the so'
W, er, and most likely poor turtle never intendt
to go back for his dinner at ALL This W
quite God-send for poor Meyer. In Il
streets of Paris he had never iancicd that
those of New York eatable turtles could
found walking around in the sewers Th,
er- sewer openings are better protected there.
However he out with his knife, and speed
found an inlet into this hard-shell New Io
ch politician Some matches in his pocket {
pies of the Police Gazette and Herald, furnis
e III. IL
ihe ed hre' ano poor meyer SUN n' '''iie U''''
done turtle steaks to appease his hunger.
IT. ,,o,,. t,o,,l III, oo,,,a- -so,,euyhat ba1if