The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-27

Terrible Experience of a Diver in the
Chicago Water- Works Tunnel.

d
Chicago Water Works Tunnel
Chicago Herald
"Scully is being sucked into the tunnel.
For Gods sake stop all pumps and send US
help"
This was die message telephoned City En-
giueer Clarke from the twO-mile crib shortly
after II O'clock.
Give him all the air you can pump.
Don't let up a minute. VIII give relief
instantly. Work as you never worked be
fore"
This was the reply MI Clarke hurled
back over the wire.
Il was a remarkable struggle that was
going on at the crib. Sixteen men of Drawn
and muscle were tugging at a line, the
other end Of which was made fast about
the waist of John T. ScuIy, the intrepid
diver employed in the engineering depart
neat. Polling with all the strength they
could bring 10 their aid the men on the
platform were unable to raise their
C0mrade one inch toward the surface.
They all knew what was The matter.
ScUly lad gone down % break away the
ice that blocked one Of the great port holes.
lie had succeeded, and the mighty rush of
water had carried him along with rySjstlcss
force toward the great tunnels through
which Lake Michigan was being sucked
into the city mains at the rate of 260. 1000 900
gallons Der day. Tie swapping of the sig
nal line. instantly followed by a tremen-
d0us pull on tie life line, had given the
warning, and several feet Of the line ran
ont before the frightened men could make
t t8ut.
For an hour this struggle continued.
when tbe power that was holding ScuIly
weakened and the unfortunate diver was
pulled 10 the surface. Willing hands soon
carried him inside the CT5U-h0usc, and the
headgear was hastily removed. To the
great Y Of tie Tescuers II was found that
SCully was alive.
There are 10 bones broken, John" said
Dr. Montgomery, land you must have the
nerve Of the devil himself Your pulse is
almost normal
Scuuy grinued and decl sred he was all
right My back Is a 81 lame he added,
"aul no wonder I've been in that port
hole an hour or more and these sixteen men
have been pulling on the line about my
waist every blessed moment. I'll be all
ri-lt in an hour or So, though. Il takes
more t.an little thing Ike this 10 knock
ME out
NEARLY all the time was below" con-
tDued Sculy, "that Is after the Ice gave
way, | was Standing on my head. The
force eXeTtrd by the sixteen men was eX-
actly equal to that Of tie rushing cuTre1t
laIk about 'tass-O.-Nar. There never
was one Ike this All this time / kept my
senses. Once or twice I thought they
had abandoned tile air-pumps and then
my head seemed rs though it would burst.
But soon would come along the precious
fluid ami my lungs would fl and / would
say 10 ystll, God bless those fellows.
Tie tine dragged on and there | lay, my
feel toward heaven and my head pointing
to the bottom Of the lake. I struggled with
my feel to push myself out Of that awful
current, but l couldn't II l could only
have had the use Of my hands,
" We'll, after what seemed to ME at least a
week, that line a.. the time cutting into my
waist felt that the power Of the current
was decreasing, and a few minutes later
there was q momentary let up on the life
line | waited a few minutes 10 gather all
my strength, and then, with one great eff IT.
! succeeded Ia pushing myself clear Of the
current Then the boys began pulling
harder than ever aud pretty soon l was on
ton again -