The New York herald., 1870-11-17
UNDER THE RIVER.
Delving for a Foothold for the
East River Colossus.
Ono Hours Experience of Herald Reporter
Twsnty-eight Feet Below the Bed Of the East
Rivera Subterranean Explosion-The
Rock Blasters and Barrow Wheelers
of tho Inferno Of Engineering.

crests OF white foam on their spiral SUBMITS.
Crowds poured out OF the gates OF the Fulton ferry
house. homeward from the business toll OF the
darkening day, as tho ferryboat swung to with
starrer against the end OF the bridge.
TO the LEFT of the ferry house hundred yards dis
tant a q wide gate, through which an entrance Is
obtained to the yard In which are stored all the
forces OF Vulcan. Vast piles Of gravel, heaps Of
timber planking and mountains OF excavated rock
bar the way for the passengers.
The view OF the broad river Is darkened with der
ricks and pile drivers ana mammoth appliances OF
wood and iron and through the night the blaze Of
furnaces and the fiery glow from the fires which
feed numerous engines make the place o ut abode
for gnomes and demons from the lower world.
Hundreds OF men are buried below the surface OF
the earth, ieving and blasting and digging with
might and MAN, engaged IN sinking the caisson ior
tho bridge which IS one day TO band BROOK
lyn and New York together. Here, In the
boiler room, are six upright air pumps for
COMPRISING air, and opposite each pump, which
works with wnirr and vehement DASH is huge
boiler running to the roof, the shed being lit with
gas and red fires glowing oil around where dusky
faced men, In blue shirts covered with CRIME and oil
stains, n to and fro In the uncertain light In the
foreground are two moro largo sheds and the
engines working away, and here are other engineers
ana assistants and stokcrs running around with
bare arms and blue flannel shirts Over ana above
and the church spires Of the distant city now quiet
ana lying asleep in the gloom OF the autumn
evening.
am naturally nervous man; end although
have porccd the clouds IN balloon and descended
through a boiling surf In diving bell, still never
could be made TO believe that such episodes were
designed for any person whose nerves were not
made OF cast iron.
had an ardent wish TO descend tile shaft Of the
Tho hurt ~
risks TO undergo. as l had heard. Then there were
a number OF young gentlemen OF the highly humor.
GUS type, who happened TO be standing around the
mouth Of the shaft, who had evidently been indulg
Ing in Kissengen water and other stimuants one
OF these gentlemen, measuring about five feet six |
inches, and who was dressed elegantly in q brown |
sacque overcoat and wearing fran mustachc, and
whose checks were flushed with the glow of YOUTH |
yentured to observe in en- encouraging way
"I know wouldn't 20 down In that caisson for q |
hundred dollars. My salary is too large to risk my
life down there. Why saw q man come out OF that
shaft the other day with the blood gushing from his
mouth, eyes, ears and nostrils. It's very bad work
II you so down wouldn't give ham sandwich for
Who mad 10 be hauled No The oer day Win roms
around hs body"
YES" added another, "end saw man brought
out who had tainted, ana had to have Wnishey
poured into his ears and nostrils to bring him to-
Tie first two speakers did not seem to think that
even after coming rom The bowels OF the ealgi.
climbed ladder with the sympathetic utter
eDces OF these gentlemen Ia my ears, and Chamber
ing over rough wooden scanoldng about ton feet |
high observed an opening Of aoout fifteen feet |
something that looked like cast iron boiler Of per-
maps six feet IN diameter with iron 10, raised |
and pushed bacg, showing an opening large enough. |
and ONLY large enough, to permit ordinary sized
mans body TO pass through into The darl, ana yaw-
Ing cavity beneath me. There was an iron ladder |
down this passage, and smoky face looked no this
opening. and voice shouted hoarsey:--
.'If you want TO Come down, come down at once. 4
Tie Air Loch Is just going down.
Not knowing what an AIR Lock was but believing
be ns gsaa @ n0da s we eom eo Ns
each iron spoke, and hin.ing my feet about reck.
lessly for colgn OF vantage.
IL was circular apartment small, and so dark
that IL was impossible 70 gee anything at distance
Of three feet. There was sudden eang overhead,
being with the dirty face and tho solsd shirt and
were slut out from the light Of starry skies as
e Voice I, IL ia Highest sa Pitch came out 81 e mas
sye, thick darkness, and II sald:--
.skeepyour hand on your nose pinch II tight, and
blow into your ears; or II you don't your headl
split open I've seen men geIpg crazy IN here secos
ss It, &c dsy9 s 50 s's% 1 @ sP S ~ Fast
!. There was roar and clash, and the thousand
in tic cars OF the writer the blood sirgSd up INTO
my head, my limbs failed mo and lay carried up In
a heap. Then came an utter unconsciousness aud
shs sea}ous ss with s EASTERN Eas owers all alligator!
ali around me. And the atmosphere seemed flil of
melody. In the foreground q the VISION was a
and from the bosom or this sheet or water huge
marine monsters, wearing spectacles ana carrying
opera glasses, appeared and disported themselves.
suddenly there was a clangor as If the earth had
parted asunder and CONSCIOUSNESS returned, as a
''Yor, at the bottom, wake up II ye amt dead ye
hev been torkin' ike looney.n ~
''iave been in this place year'' said; ut
"A YEAR, Why you've only been two minutes
going down. Did you bleed 1t tie nosef' "No.n
.'Then you are lucky man. Some o. US gits the
Down another iron ladder, about ten feet long to
second platform. ana then lrough the vent Of the
iron tube or rough, misshapen, wooden ladder
ana my feet touched surface That felt like earth or
gravely clay This attne bottom OF the caisson
OF the East River Bridge twenty-five feet below the
bed the river, with eighteen feet Of water aooVe
the clay ana rocky bed in all about forty feet beow
tie upper surface Of the water Which rolled around
as With tremendous force. The bottom VI the pace
storm. There were bouldeEs OF rock heaped up
In clustering confusion, ditchcs ful! Of muddy
water, mounds Of freshly. pi,cd earth, and,
beams fastened with bolt screws or iron
anu clamped with tnewy bands of the same maze
rial. There were number or these chambers, like
the one in which we stood, opening into each other
10y narrow passages, and the bitches were covered
with planks, which served as bridges.
Down in this abyss of the earth below the waters
OF the East river, were swaiIas Of muscgar-lookng
beings, many OF whom were stripped half naked
having only scanty trowsers to cover their limbs,
while the upper portions Of their bodies were nude
and streams OF perspration were rolling down the
backs of each man al he crept TO and fro In the dim
light Of the hugo cavern. Sperm candles were
stuck In promiscuous Lches and gave forth dnsky
light Some OF the men, or rather gnones, all OF
whom had an unearthiy look, were engaged In pro-
pelIng barrows Of earth over the panks, and others
were engaged In driving drills into ponderou5
iedges OF Stone. All or these men wore large
India rubber boots, and number were strapped
I'm 10 their knees 10 the waery ditches digging and
devng and throwing up shoyels full OF earth on the
mounds about them.
The temperature was that OF Turkish bath, and
brought tile sweat OF the delivers out with offensive
exha7ation on the nude bodies. There was very
little conversation. Every man seemed TO be work
tng and the noise Of the ptckaxe and shovel and
the scraping sounds OF ths Wheels OF e oarrows
! mad bcen directed TO inquire for o Mr.. Young, VINO
IS fore an OF the shaft above The river bed NO one
yentured to notice the presence OF stranger, ana
I'M % a