The interior journal., 1875-10-15
LOST IN THE SEWERS.

Wishing to note the things below the
surface Of the earth, we entered Hudson
avenue sewer, the other evening.
A cousin from the country, who had
previously been taken over the proposed
route, agreed to open the man-hole
corner Of DeKalb avenue. On entering
the sewer, which is the largest in the
city, found the slush, which was backed
in by the tide, up to my arm pits. Be
ing clothed in rubber suit, this did moi
affect me, any more than making walk
ing laborious. by the light Of small
bulls eye lantern, was enabled to set
about thirty feet ahead. The sewer is
large enough to drive a buggy through
being about eight feet deep, and seven
wide. The bottom Of the sewer is GOV
cred with greasy substance, which mad,
it difficult for me to keep my feet.
did take few involuntary dives into the
slushy stream, before got accustomed
to the walking. And which dives, were
IT not for bottle Of ammonia, would
have died from inhaling the noxious
gases, arising from dccayed vegetables,
and all imaginable kinds of muculen,
substances; even dead animals found
there way here. l had heard that the
sewer was infested with huge rats, but as
yet had seen none. Being enclosed on
all sides, the place was very warm; the
perspiration rolled off my body, as il !
were in Turkish bath.
was cogitating upon things of the
upper world, when eltsomething large
strike my knee. ! reached down and
raised it. Horror Of horrors; it was the
body Of man. Involuntarily allowed
it to fall from my grasp.
Curiosity getting the better of me
Iagain raised it. The body must have
been in the water some time, as putre-
faction had set in. The body was dressed
in gray frock coat, white vest, and
black cashmere pants; the shoes and
hat were gone. The man looked to have
been forty-five years of age, as near as
could make out by the light Of the Ian.
tern, his hair and luxuriant whiskers
were auburn colored. In the upper
p' VI us VS. was "'' e"'e'oi~ ooa'
~h;oh 90 - h,;n. ~ .o.,.."S en u "'
- In,,s ~ '"e ,s us"',a'.u eau
wise. Without you life was unendurable
II God forpiyes those who do sway wi,b
themselves, / shall meet YOU in heaven,
Loved one, when this reaches you, l shall be
food for the fishes.
Your Trend who loves you better than
me, s TusrAVE MERoux'
"n,e was uec'Pner'ne ,he "ri''hg
,ne pouy noaeu ao"n 'o"arus .ne fiVer'
eu ,Vi w. in'ehd,ng 70 put tne ietter
oa,N' ~ mat "nen .he oouy "ouid oe
r'Aeu W, y n''sh' es.api''n ms 'oen'i,y'
..u ue ma" nau oon',''''eu su'c'ue' ana 'ne
nue' "%'on reaches as 'ar % Myrte
"'su".' n'' waSneu IL IN mere ,
s'sn' wa, ho' aP, 10 phd
Sou."se " one .nc'oaeo oy or,ck walls
n rU''y '.e' oelo" 'ne surface oil the earih'
no ''ue sc,ns o"'' carrying WIN IL the
s,uS'' anu ni'n' maze the walking easy.
Dn 'e"oh,ns ,he corner oi Myr'ie avenue
M" ho'ue VI fa's' ! shouted, Dut
'".' "e'o as u"o'noe'"eu as IL 'isi'or
"n a" e'e'yuay occurrence' they were
INV 'ais,'' '''s nau ever seeh' dafk
p'o" u ',"o"s"''n whi'e pieas'sand very
'o"s ''"' i'"iiieu hickory suck IN
~! """', anu VIZ" ''is eharseu them
'"S"au o' running away they ran at me
p"e o's 'e''o" 'iieu 10 p'te my leg but
e .o''r "o' '"'Ae any IMPRESSION De-
'"aS VI my nea'y ruoper poots'
u'e" my Poeket pistol a small smith
",Aeon, anu nieu amongst Them. ira
o"o nu"u'ec W" charse o' p'astng
fo".e' was s,.u' II wouiu not make
s'ea'e' ,Da"u ", 'nan my p's.oi did IN the
se"e'. ne 'a.s Scahipered on ana was
" "u," ",sn'eheu rs 'hey' "hen !
eu' w'u "s 'nough'' 'ne corner OF lie
aan @ a,enue' " ,he hia"'ho'e was not
IT, Sou'' y oe ,'ia' my iilehd had
o''veu i.nn,eut n., " ios' MS way ! NY watch
as.l opa,s na','Pas' WE'VE 'uii hour and
1nnn,, I ',aos ..., "'I 'e'' ,he corner OF rly-
,''o'''l'. ou.n .'',e'. p.'. s'oou 'nere ior iew
~ A'". ~, vu. 'ne i'isn'ho,e sun renamed
- n''' ''"na',s 'he'e heard 'he
,va,'1,, n1 " '''oe' "y he"'' nu''efed' l
,rr" o'sn' t,, y was ~ no1 come 10 ,e' me out
"' 'J,.', 'ee'neu nearer Looking 10
;n ~, ,sa' a." s''e saw TWO men walk
s,,, e ~ ~. se"ei' one Vi 'ne" carrying
I. o,e ,""'in'
-. "eu .l' ."v sna'e OF my lantern ana