Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-01-25

ANU suppose lHeIo Wus gus upout VIZ
had the doors open to ventilate the place"
The man gave sort of grmt, and we
went slowly splashing on, our lights flash
ing about in dull yellow way. Now we
are halted to uso our spades, at the mouth
Of some drain, where there seemed to be a
little collection of sediment; and again at
another place, where we could feel that
there was mud under our fcot but it was
soon sent sweeping down, for the smooth,
fine brick of which the tunnels were made,
kept back but little refuge,
five could have been kept on busily at
work, ] believe that nothing would have
happened: but as it was, wading along
through the foul water first one and then
another man got low and nervous, and the
first notice had of it was by seeing the
man in front of me suddenly go down, with
a hollow echoing splash.
"There, quick! hold him up, two of
you" said the foreman, and the next mo-
ment couple or the old stagers had the
limp, dripping form between them, and
were helping him to one of the dark
entrances which happened to be close by,
and there they gave him some brandy ;
and we stopped, and all had some as well,
while they got the man out and into the
fresh air and light, which just came family
cleaning down from aboye in tiny streak.
Then we set off again, one less in num-
Der, and for the Efc of me | couldn't help
wishing that had gone up as well, and
thinking about what that mans fate would
have been if he had been alone. felt a
cold shudder go through me, as | knew
that he would have been drowned, and
them thought of the rats, and shivered
again as | tlod upon something that felt
to me then like bone.
| knew better though directly, for that
which | had kicked against was hoe-han-
die which a man in front had let slip from
his hand, he himself slipping down directly
after, with hardy splash, into the water.
"lIere, get him upp cried the foreman
savagely, " and take him back to that
hole! What ours you men are You're
as bad as if there was real danger Sup
pose you were down in a fiery NINE"
The men muttcred little, and then,
while two helped the nervous man out, we
all went forward, the foreman chatting
away cheerily the while, so as to keep the
Others from thinking about what had taken
place. lie pointed out the yerflow-places
where, when the sewer got too full, part
of the water would run down to the river,
and then he showed us how clean and
smooth the brick face Of the sewer was.
TO this man he busily explained that the
faint, bad smell was not injurious; and to
that he related how many scores OF times
he had been along this same part Of the
sewers but in spite Of all his CHEEKY ways:
and the occasional stoppase for a smoke
and glass of brandy, the men were terri
bly, nervous, and waded on in slow, half
hearted way.
And it was dismal work. Now there
was scare about some ones light going
out, and though we had plenty more, the
men were in regular SILVER of suspense
till the lamp was trimmed and we were
going on again. Then there was an alarm
Of rats, because some one had seen half q
dozen 90 swimming down the black stream
after Scuiiiing out one of the side drains
and soon after one of those in front gave q
sort OF YELL dropped his lantern with a
splash, and swore that we were going
wrong, that we had lost our way, and that
we should never get out of the horrible
place alive.
He was a great six-foot, broad Shout
dcrcd fellow who said this, but it was hal
sobbed out, and his nerve was so gone that
the poor chap was as hysterical as a girl.
For a few moments | thought there
would be regular rush back, and if there
had life must have been lost, crowded al
we were in that narrow hole, with hare
work to keep our footing as the stream
rushed by us; for the sewers are round a
the bottom as well as arched at the top
many of them being shaped like an egg
with the thM part at the bottom.
The foreman was ready for them though
and he roared out at them
"Stop! How can we be going wrong i
we follow the stream? That must tax,
us right p
This checked the men, who saw tn
sense of what he said, and as soon as h
had got them once more journeying slowl.
OIL
"What big babies you fellows are !" h
exclaimed, "you're as readily scared as
flock Of sheep You forget that there ar
ways cut all along here, where man coul
call for help even if too weak to raise tn
gratings."
Nobody spoke, for the blackncss of tn
place seemed to Cypress everybody, an
we crawled on along the wet, Shiny, under
ground channel. The smell was bad, bu
not so bad as | had expected, and Their
was very little work for us to do, the rain
of the past week having pretty well fushe
the whole length Of the sewers but ever
now and then some one stopped and boga
to sniff, as if he could tell that there wa
foul air there -the foul gas that no on
can breathe and live !!
| should think we had been wading O
for about an hour, when one of the me
ahead said that there was very peculii
smell on in front, not like the regula
5 sewer smells, but strange suflocatin
, odor.
] The foreman was twenty yards behin'
pcering into side sewer, when this We
+ said, and he did not hear it,
S "There's been CANNON enough of tn;
? sort" said one of the new men, who ho
/ had little more Dutch courage out Of tt
: brandy bottle than was good for hin
q "Look here; if the light will burn it's a
d right"
: Poor fellow he had only half learne
n his lesson, and did not know that we wei
S travelling right under where the chemic
+ works piled their trade, sending all sor
+ Of poisonous refuse into the sewer to civ
n out explosive gases. As he spoke he III
. fastened his lantern and took out Il
e light, and at the same moment | heal
Il the foreman behind-"Take care there !
n gas For Gods sake, quick-every man
hoods down, for your livesw
A Twas nearest to him and initiated hlr
II lS T,,1. ,,,hl /,