The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-11
OUR CITY SC0WS IN GALE.
a TRIP down THE Bar AMID FLOAT-
ING HILLOCKs OF DIRT.
Amazing story Told bv poiice omccr-
Hccnteub- Of Italians Thrown Into the
Sea Wealth Found In New York Rcfu~r.

L "
Hecntemb- Of Italians Thrown into ths
Sea Wealth Found In New York Refusr,
| An off1cer Of the Twont y second etreet
police station told Sun reporter that greai
numbers Of Italians employed upon the garbage
scows Of the Street Cleaning Department are
| washed overheard ana drowned In the ocean.
"They take one hundred Italians down every
| day" said ne. land they lose ten or dozen
| and sometimes twice many, before they come
| back. The scows are loaded down 60 the
| waters edee, and when it's the least bit windy
| outside, the waves wash clean over them and
| sweep on half Dozen men at a time. Already
so many Of the Door, friendess fellows have
been lost that It Ia difiicult for tho department
to get men to do its work. None but Italians
will go. and not one Italian who bus been once
| and seen the fate Of his comrades be hired
at any price to make n second venture"
The reporter hurried to the ONCE OF the Board
OF Health, and found Capt. Gunner, inspector Of
Street Cleaning. at his desk. He told the Cap
tain the horrible story be had heard. The Cap
tain laughed. I'VE have not lost even an Ital-
Ian, said he. "One mani don't know whet her
he WINS Italian or not-fell overheard, he ad
foremost. one night but another person grabbed
his leg before II went under and, although ne
was nearly drowned, we saved him.
70 prevent the light stun from floating around
sometimes three miles out, beyond Buoy TO-
and we choose the Outgoing tide; but, after All,
some hay and leaves and other liRnt Things
often ind their way back to the shores."
Did you say we never lost man, Captain Z"
SAID Z, clerk who sat at a desk near by.
- did say go the Captain replied.
well, you're mistsken." said the clerk.
When we used to dump on sands Point In
stood on a barge conversiEg with his son.
stepped backward into the water, and was never
over three hundred dollars IN gold"
AT the foot Of stanton street, opposite the
nlthy, ooorous dumping wnurf. Capt. kilalea,
the superintendent OF the barRcs, was found In
a cosy ONCE, looking out upon the Est river.
If knew the name Of the ofioer who told
him broke. The fact II, we never lost one sin
Gle man. We are working ten men To a barge,
and taking fourteen or sixteen bargee day
TO sea. We don't go far out, aud we only make
the tripe w fair weather. We are US careful as
II h possible 10 be-"
The reporter crossed South street TO the pier
at which tue tueboats lie and the tUws nre m AIDE
up every day. The department owns Two pro.
along the North and st rivers, twelve DUN D.
Ing piers; The reporter found tho tueboat
PARKS making up d tow OF acows. He received
permission To accompany the vessel
The Parks threw out lines to two scows at
tishty-sixth street, and to two Others NJ Forty
sx III street, East river and then taking a central
position she sailed astb naticslly down toward
the bay, hidaen between four floating mountains
or aarbaRe. Forty chattertng Italians. each with a
pitchfnrk aud shovel. conareeated ON the dirt
heaps. Graduaily they separated. and each one,
his fork in the cd orous oomposition In earch OF
vaiuables. Not long ago one Of them TO md
twentv-n i've twenty dollar gold pieces In stock
Ing, deep among the asher. Another once found
gold chain worth $40 Sill another discovered
10 paper parcel a costly set OF knives aud forks
thief Who, being Chased. md himself ~ the proof
against him. Purses. rings. silver spoons, cain,
non by careless domestics. are often raked from
the contents OF these scowe. Nothing val
liable va. bsSna t On The trip s .s.
iron or bottles.
just enough wind was astir In the upper bay
10 raise myriads of nipples which elittered like
diamonds In the sunshine. when the pufiiinx 10
tilia made It's way to the Narrows. The rippies
many OF the lazy Italians ceased their search az.
TER sooid entail we hh, and lay prone upon their
In the lower BAY asiight breeze that Increased
IN foroe every moment worked up rolling sea,
and caused the great heavy soows TO roll against
the propeller with q force that made the rickety
vessel creak from stem to stern. The wind IN
creased 10 . sais. the wsves became formid able.
and the suscosi shivsred and cressea. o' cloSds
Of spray flew from the blunt ends Of the fore
tusooats crew. The white housos IN hath lay
To the left, and CoDey Island giisteped on the
bow, when the Captain twirled the wheel until
We haven't lost a man yet" said he but
damned u We won't lose em all. and ourselves
besides. II We venture outside In such gale"
Almost as he spoke hawser fastening one.
and then another fastening a second soow, part
ed as II they were out twine, so vloleot were the
waves. The watchful crew. anticipating the ac-
cident, had loosely thrown new lines around the
pins OH each Of the scows and thew were held
IN place. The strong pms creaked and the tug
hled with the strain put upon her; but a
successfm turn was made. aud the notilla
reached the Bay hidge wharf without other mis-
baDs.
u ten yos," said the CAPTAIN, es he runs the
gong Tor fun speed" to New York. you are
going to hear Of a fTightful catastrophe come
day II we are sent 10 sea with these unwieldly
scows aud pl1yed-out old pr palleTs much
longer. Nothing tut luck has prevented IL once
or twice before but. marx my words, us got
to come"