The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-12

UNDER The sTREErs
| The Last Voyage Through the New York
sewers-aais, Mad nnd skeis,on., but
| NO Jewels = Plenty of Drt, buI NO
H Treasures -
[From the New York Starl
The last adventurer is certain James
| Hayes, who resolved to attempt this voyage
n the unknown subtarrauean regions more
from curiosity than the hope of gain. tie had
heard much of the wonderful richness which
had been found in the city's entras, but he
attached but little credence to it.
Furnished with an Inda-rubber suit, Ian
Tern, nalches, and supply OF bread, he ven
| tured down, led bv certain Individual who
had spent his life where Ha es proposed to
| spend IA day.
| The descent was made at the head of Bar
clay rect, beneath which luns one OF the
main seAers Of the city. 1t is az this place
about six feet in diameter, and at the time OF
| the descent was almost empty. iae atmos-
| phere, ho Sever, was st1hinS, anu Tue air not
| and hardly bieath9ole.
| The two me ,, having their lamps lighted,
| proceeded ip the direction OF the North River,
aud as tbey walked carefully long, the water
grew deeper, until, when they reached the
I-eenwich street sewer, they found them
selves about knee deep thick, muIky slash,
y
step tha, disturbed its tranquility. The noise,
like a distant rumbng of thunder. OF The n at
ic above, could be distinctly heard, and SEEM
| ed a remlnis cence of another world. -
| The Greenwich street sewer was much
| smaller than the one HAYES had lust been
| travelling, not being more than four feet in
| diameter, " as almost dry, and with the aid
| the lantern, the smallest objects were discern
| ible at the bottom. At ddch moment dark
objects would fit past them and dIsapp- ar
like shadows in the obscurity beyond. Tuese
were
- . RATS,
and at times they appeared in regular bands,
and showed not the slightest lear OF man on
the contrary, they seemed quite defiant, until
giving them kick, they would disappear with
squeal. Yet in all this they never showed
the slightest disposition to attack, as it has
often been stated they sometimes do. The
light of the lanterns seemed 10 frigbten them
away when nothing else would. and their
shadows on the fetid, glislening waves as they
fled away, gave them the appearance of be.
longing 10 some strange species OF an uDearth-
ly size. AS far as it was possible for tue ex
ploIers to guess, however, some of the rats
were as large as good sized cats. But when the
slightest d. pos tion vas shown to catch them,
they, like Dougiellow's Arabs, spread their
| egs and fled away. Not a yard OF ground was
| gone over wthoat some OF these filthy ami
swarm not in tens or hundreds but in mill
ions. H+ lf
t..l t...r THE TREASURES
which have been spoken of as existing in the
sewers were not to be found on this occasion
Wht ther they had been taken by former ex-
plorers, or whether they simply existed in
the Vaccinations OF those who get UP such
long-drawD accounts about them we cannot
say, tut cer.ain it IS that, with the exception
of numerous pairs of old oots, rags in great
abundance, and an occasional five cent piece
or So, almost no hing material could be found.
In the muck and filth tLat ent umbered the
sewer in some parts not the smallest little ar
tcle of value could be found.
AT LIBERTY STREET.
there was a sudden rush OF walters VIII ch took
the two men completely by surprise, aud al
ojt threw them over. In moment 'hs ianni
were extingushed. and -e"e explorers lounu
themselves in complete darkness.
nere was sad PLIGHT; without any means
of guidance, only able to guess at where they
were, soaked to the ski With the siinking
fluid and up to their waists in water. To add
to Their iii, comfort. the water deepened each
moment, and gradually went higher and high
| er. til IL almost reached their shoulders.
| They stood for few moments Uncertain what
| to do, and not knowing but that any way they
might 60. the water might become deeper. The
| imposslbility of reiighting the lanterns made
| things materially worse The matches which
| Hayes carried in his pocket were soaked with
| wafer and the wicks of the lanterns likewise.
| The two men considered together earnestly,
and at length decided each TO go in a differ
ent detection, and endeayor to lind some allie
| Walton to their torture. Leaving their Ian
terms, which had become useless, and which
only impeded their movements, they careful ly
| waded through The slushy water in opposite
| directions. Hayes found it difficult work. the
| inequalities OF the bottom precipItafiug him at
| times up TO his chin in the water. and at
| Others leaving him free to the wais.. In a
moment their cam" rush which completely
| carried him off his legs, and he had given
himself up lor lost, when the water subsiding,
| left him again free to pursue his onward
| course At length he found niche in the
| wall which afforded him protection, being
above the sewer proper. Hayes got into it
and disposed himself to take things easy,
when, stretching his hand out, be eneoup-
| tered hard substance which stood out from
| the wall. His curiosity prompted him tc pass
his hand over it, an what was his horror
| when he recognized BY the feeling that the
| hard substance was the bones of a
| HUMAN SKELETON.
| 1t is hard 10 imagine more horrible posi-
| ton than Hayes was IN at that moment.
| With his strength exhausted by the efforts be
had gone through, and his mind already ter
| rlhed by his precar Gus adventure, be found
himself obliged to share his resting place
with the bones of dead man, who had prUb-
| ably come to bis death in a manner which it
was equally probable be might follow.
Ha, es was a strong man. In the tive parts
| of The world he had been through many dan
| gers, but he states thai never had he iet the
| feeling OF abject fear which came over him at
| this moment e
1t was long time before he could decide to
/ agail put his hand on the skeleton, and when
| he did so he recognized that in some paris
| the flesh was still hanging to the bones, aud
the rats, which had been heightened away at
| his first appearance, came back IN swarms,
and were gnawing away at the bones, and
| the remnants of human flesh that ciung to
| them.
A RAY OF LIGHT.
In the search Hayes male round his rest
ing place his hand encountered a round sub
stance, and on examination it proved to be
candle, gnawed away IN many places, but still
whole enough to give light, ifit were only
possible to Ind match that had resisted the
action OF the water, He care uly opened his
| box and one BY one endeavored to make the
| matches light. But it was beyond possibil-
| ity, and not until the last match in the box
was exhausted did he give up the last rem
nant of hope. Suddenly
| WELCOME SOUND.
broke the appalling stiffness OF tbe silence
| that ciung around the solitary man ike
| deathly vestment. 1t was the voice Ct his
| companion calling him.
In moment he was again wading through
| the filth and slush, glad tC get away ffum the
| fatal spot where he had taken bis rest next
skeleton. The water had decreased, and it
was comparatively easy work to go back on
his steps After walking and wlding for
quarter of an hour or so, he leioined his COM
paniou, who had discovered means of exit
to the open air.
With what joy Hayes caught the first step
OF the ladder that led aim to lie and liehtl
They had gone down at Barclay street.
and came out at the foot Of Wall street, close
by the east river. And thus terminated a
siSnally disagreeable exploration OF the sew
ers.
Gossip and GleaninES.