The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-06-21
Narrow Escape in a Croton AQucduct.

Once a year, or ottcncr usually in
November. an exploration is made ot the
interior OF the New York aQueluct from
end to end, by Mr., Benjamin ), Church,
the resident engineer. who for over
twenty wears has been I'M charge az this
part nt the work. The water rs shut oil
AZ the Croton dam, and the aQucduct ,s
cmpbcd by the waste wIcrS which | have
described. Many STRANGE and exciting
adventures hcfall the W,u detailed for
this service and though hut one life
has ever been lost, large parties have
been in lmmjnCut danger. The man
holes having been opened previously,
the hhorcrs under charge ot Mr.
Chup'h, dressed u rough suits, enter
The aque,juct at the dam, and travel
downward either afout or m am ingenious
car propelled Icy "a crank like the hand
cars uSe,l ON "a railway, The effect lr
wierd and aWe-,uspir'ng. some ~ tho
mon carry torches. whose smoke and
waverng blaze curl ami flash IN the
darkness and throw fantastic shadows
and reflections ON the moist walls The
voices revCrhrmto like Vrals ut thunder,
and seem % awake responsive vibrations
in the massive stone and brick work
itself In sNne conditions Of The atmos-
phtre, lahovrrs repairing the masonry
i've miles below SAN bc distinctly heard
by those 40 the entrance. and %, all times
the human voice ptchet n am ortnArN
KEY can he heard 40 % distance ~ tWo ur
three miles. IN long low rmuo.tS. \
broad halo oi light frames the men m,
and behind tins there is au lmpvuctmhlv
hacAaess. So dense that am luS NpcuvncSd
person takes every step with extreme
caution. There are few greater pro
motcrs of terror than the power of dark,
ness, and the simple, supvuuuuus luSA-
men descending the ladder 10 tAe cu-
trance leave sunshine. SKY and fields
above n uo cheerful movL The short
clay pipes are allowed % 80 ont and few
wo,iS are spoken. lt Is Il business o. Ice
dome with as Eaon @> possible. Thou
sands ui tons ol water are pressing
against the gates 40 the entrance, aud
should bar give way, OF an order lee
misunderstood. tine houi would rush
down upan the mfortui atCs and yngUi
them wsth irresistible fovc Once, M
TACT. an oriev was misunderstood. and
twenty men narrowly escaped wlth their
lives. Mr.. Church, with ,hls number II
laburers, entered the aluriuc, Co. make
some repairs, and instructed tGe Keeper
az the dam 10 let the water flow IN again
AZ eleven p. N The party were making
some repairs at u polut some distance
below the entrance al eleven a. N. when
Mr.. Church noticed gradual r>g IN the
water. Afraid If causing panic, he
dil not say anything to his men, but
urged them ou IN the hope thar the work
might ha completed that morning. The
water continued to rise, however, first
suhmtrgng their feet, and then creeping
up toward their knees with terrible
stealth and certainty. The situation was
that Of "a shipwreckel crew cast upon %
rock which Is being slowly covered 10y
an incoming tide. The engineer now
realized the fact that his order had been
misunderstood. and that the water hai
been turned On ~ the wrong time, and
would soon be within few inches Of the
rooi of the alueluct. BY tins time the
men were in a highly nervous condition,
and Mr. Church had 10 use his authority
in preventing them from making u con-
fused retreat Tor the nearest exit which
was some distance away. Meanwhile the
water had made its way above their knees
and was rushing through the aqucduct
with velocity of two miles and quarter
per hour. Id was no easy work walking
against such a current rs this, and the
progress made toward the man-hulc was
uuavoiiablv slow. The torches were
successiyely put out 10y the splash until
only one remained, and that threw "a
dim. yellow. uncertain flicker on the
dark surrounding. Fhere was one dan
. ger which Mr. Church jorssaw and WAS
particularly anxious - avert. II the
men were not kept under control. each
would make a disorderly struggle 20
reach the ladder az the man-hole. and o
delay would result that might prove
fatal As the water increased in depth
the greater, of course, became their ter
TOT, and when the gray light OF the open
ing came into view their bodies were
submerged to their waists, while the cur-
rent almos. lifted them OF their feet.
By reasoning with them and encouraging
them, however, Mr. Church ullayed their
fears and they gained the ladder, and
ascended it, one by one, in safety
F, ScriJRer's Magazine.