Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-02
WashingtOn's Sewer Mnseum.

A.QUEER COLLECTION OF ARTICI.E FROM .-sDER
GROUND.
The large area drained into the Tiber crept
sewer causes great quantity OF gravel and
sand to accumulate In the level section of that
conduit between Indiana avenue and the James
creek canal This section requires to be cIeared
out every year. and many hundreds OF cart loads
OF sand and gravel is removed therefrom which
is used for street paving. A force OF twelve
strong colored men. under the superintendence
OF MI. jacob q. Larner, has been Kept empIoved
since the first OF June in wheeling sand In this
immense cavern to the manholes. The inside
dimensions OF this sewer between the points
named is thirty feet wide and twenty feet be-
tween the nOor and apex OF arch. It is totally
dark, except at the manholes when opened and
me excavation has to be carried on with
lanterns. The opening used for hoisting
cut the sand is in the property yard
OF the District lying on a line of the Old
canal. between LIST and I'd and and c
OF the Belt line railroad. The debris taken out
Las TO be wheeled In barrows at this point and
dumped into large receiver which is let down
through the aperture, and which, when filed
is hoisted out by means of a stationary engine
In the yard, and is swung around and dumped
with derrick.
In tie oEace building within this yard Mt.
Larrer has museum OF things taken from this
debris, to which he has been adding from day
to day for two or three years. This is a perfect
"Old Curiosity Shop" In its way. or course
there are no glass cases nor gilded caskets for
q
are tackled up on rough board Partition, where
they can be looked at, no one caring to handle
them. Among the rusty and corroded things
TIE STAR reporter noted Sh0emaker'S pincerS,
screw bolts, gas fixtures, waist belt buckles.
SpooS, skate Irons, andironS, hoes, caStorS, DOH
baby heads. metallic and mineral toys for
children, smoking pipes, door knobs, Clasp
and part OF buchskln purse, metallic match
boX, mi strainer, jewsharp, gaming checks, a
silver thimble, Oil cans, combs, hair brushes, a
parior skate, paint brushes, gutta percha nip
pies fer babies nursing bottles, eyeglasses,
glass alleys, screw driver, child'S gutta percha
rattle. part OF mouth harmon1cOD, pocket and
table knives forks. tea and table spoons, horse
shoes brass wheels OF clocks, a toy steam
engine iron rings, stove castings sets OF rams
horns, skull bones of dogs and sheep, a looking
glass frame, a nut cracker, Oil cans a copper
Kettle, stove CRATES gimlet, German silver
watch, saw, cake plate, scarfpin, gun cartridges
and a chtds skull.
On shelf is arranged quantity of chunks OF
iron scraps, gravel and sand, all cemented
together in compact Masses formed, It is
supposed, In low places within the sew
els, where these things settle, owing TO
their weight, and during heavy freshetS are
forced out in large chunks and washed down 10
this level. These masses appear TO be composed
mostly OF iron nails and iron scraps, among
which, now and then, Is horseshoe, q gun lock,
keys, SCREWS an old large copper cent, hairpins,
bCtpskiIts scissors, slut pens corset ribs, mar
bles glasses buttons, &C, &c. These thousands
Of metallic articles appear to be embedded In
sand and pebble stones, all welded together.
Tie whole forms an interesting collection, and
is well worth examining.