The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-15
A MAN IN THE MANHoLe.
Ills Zoe the Gases. aud the Han that Blows
Them Away

His Toe tho Gases, ana the An tha' hi"M'
Them Away
"Hav Cooncv. look n darol Do sewers
anrol Deys pumpin water into u 70 put
der fire out li"
"Ah, you blobes from Brooklyn don't know
nothin' OATS only do 'lectric wire hole.
4 citizen who heard this conversation be
tween two newsbOys looked n tho direction
of their glance, and saw yapor coming in
thick white volumes from a subway manholo
10 Broadway. opposite Wall street Elbow
ing his way through the small crowd OF
curious people around It, lac noticed a man
standing IN tha street in the midst Of the
gapor. turning the handle Of pump like ma
chino, a pipe from which lel into the hole.
What arc sou doingf be asked the man.
"rm toornin' the wheel answered the
freshman
"What arc you doing that for|
so kape the mon alive.
"What manN
"The mon 10 the hole Don't bother me
The citizen doubted whether any man was
IN tho hole 80 dense was the white vapor that
rolled OUT. II didn't seem possible that amy
man could igo there Bat there proved 10 be
one, for presently head aud shoulders fol
lowed by stalwart body. popped out Of the
steaming hole like a Black Crook devil
from the stage floor 1t was rather ghost
like figure, tor the hairs OF lis mustache ami
eyebrows were Of waXy whtene,s. Tie ap.
partition hands too, We're covered It'll white
waxy scales Ii emitted "A very human sigh
Of relief and began 20 pick the scales from
hands of flesh and rub the waxy hairs into
natural vivid rcd
"Paraiiine, said he 10 "a question. II was
pouring melted paraiiine over the cable con
nection That was paraiiine vapor you saw
coming out OF the hole, and this is parailine
on my hair and hands Rather a greasy tusi
ness this
How DO you make the connecticut asked
the citizen.
well, the ends Of two pieces Of cable came
together In that manhole Each cable con
tanned thirty or forty wires, which had 10 be
joined with corresponding wires 10 the other
cable and carefully nsulntel each from every
other wire ia the JOINT Then the mass is
wrapped tightly together with lampwick and
melted parahlne poured over it. That's what
! was doing just now After the coating
hardens I'll 60 down again. bind It again
with lampwick, and put q second coat OF par
afilne over IT, Then an overcoat OF lead pip
Ing goes over tho whole affair, IL is sealed
down, and the connection is complete"
But what's that machine that the Irish
man keeps turning tbereF
That's an air fan IL gathers tho air
from the street and sends it down the pipe
into the manhole The pipe ends just where
I sit"
That's 10 drive the parafline vapor out,
supposor
Not at all That fan Is worked all the
time any one Is in the manhole, whether he
is using the parailine or not In some OF
these manholes. not six feet below the surface
one could not live five minutes without this
supply Of fresh air This IS due 10 the col
lection there Of the poisonous gases which
literally I'LL the ground for many feet under
the city You always notice strong smell
Of Illuminating gas in a manhoe, or even
when pavement is taken up IL IS stronger
at some times than at Others, due probably
20 different pressurcs which the gas compa-
MES use. This Illuminating gas is bad enough,
but it IS chiefly the other kinds OF gases that
makes the fans or air pumps necessary.
Death lies IN the gas without smell You
don't know It's there till your head gets dizzy
and YOU fall senscless SO il Is always
necessary to fan out every manholo be
fore you venture into IL. whether or
not you detect any olor. eli keep the
fan moving all the whilo You're IN.
side These fans have been Ia use year
or more A man named Jones was
killed In manhoio year ago, and 50 many
tumbled over and had 70 be caried 10 the
hospital In ambulances that IL got 10 DO a
serious matter Even now that the fans are
used, somebody keels over while working on
tho cables every once in while, and has 10
bc fixed up 10y the doctors +. was only a
few days ago that got case myself, only
did not become unconscious"
How docs II feel@
"Oh. It's impossible to describe it. You get
drowsy Your fingers seom 10 drag Us you
move them. You feel a rather pleasant Ian
guor You know you're going 10 drop OFF In
a minute. but you have to exert yourself
enough 10 stand up AMI climb out Whom
got 10 that point did got out. though The
fresh air revived me. but had humping
old headache for the rest OF the day. New
V--i- S..--