New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-18
THE DEADLY "G1SLIGHT TUNNEL"
ANOTHER MAN KILLED BY COMPRESSED AIH-
sUFFERINGs OF THE wORKMEN

ANOTHER MAN KILLED BY COMPRESSED AIR
sUFFEHINGs OF THE wORKMEN
Another victim to the Gaslight Tunnel which Is
being bored under the East River from seventy hr''-
ST. to Ravcnswood. l.. l., died yesterday morning "'
the Presbyterian Hospital. lie was Taomas MOTIFS
thirty five years old. married man, living on 'Hle
mont-ave. Jersey City. His death was due 10 'he
effects OF compressed air.
Last Julv the work OF boring a tunnel from East
seventy first ST. TO connect with gas supply station
Mt RavcnswoOd was begun BY the East River Gas
light Company which had secured Charter from the
Legislature. The contractors, Mclaughlin hehiy
CO.. sunk shaft the Newicrk side 10 aep'i
Of 80 feet. and began boring. No diihcuity was
experienced until about Christmas time Wheh hai'-
way between the shore and BlackweIls isia'u Il
soft mortar.llke loan was met. and It was necessary
10 use compressed chambers for the men to WORK
I'm Little was done until two weeks ago. when tle
part for working under the new method was conf
plctcd.
.rer tho men have been lowered into the shaft
,hcv walk through the tunnel to the air-lock Inc
outer door IS opened and the men crawl INTO the
boiler The door Is then closed and air Is puInp,n
into the lock- Tho air Is supplied at pressure OF
forty pounds the square inch and the man VINO mas
heort or lung trouble suffers from Its effects. when
the lock filled with air to the pressure In tue head
~ the tunnel where the mud miners are nj work.
the inner door of the lock Is opened ana the men
step into the tunnel and work for Two nourS'
They then rest and another shift OF ten men goes
down.
Tr,bune reporter watched the actions Of some
~ the mud miners who had been hoisted ou' ol the
.hoft Yesterday one man tainted another began 70
hecd from the ears and mouth, while several
others rubbed their bodies as II they were In TOR
mcnt The suffering IS due TO the terrible choc'9
II the compressed air being forced INTO th"'r SYSTEM
Their are forty men engaged in this mud minihe' anu
they are dicidcd into four SlsnS. inc men WHO use
tho pick and shovel paid S25o for day "orh
OF four hours while the headers" Or men WHO
build the tunnel receive SO for the same ume' 'he
masons receive SO for four hours labor
The full death roll cannot be had, but 1t Is known
that NJ least three lives have been sacrificed In the
last week Last Friday week was perhaps tue most iao
day since the compressedair plant has been IN opera
lion At 4 A. m. March 10 Arthnr Gum, OF NO.
80 Lexingtonave., Brooklyn, fell scnSeless ana was
taken to the Presbyterian Hospital lew ho"rS
later Matthew Hunt. bricklayer. was taken away
unconscious 4 short time afcrward william Quail.
q brcllayer Of Brookyn, wos brought up almost dead
but he recovered In a few hours and was taken nome
soon after Quail's removal an unknown man was
brought 10 the mouth Of the pit dead lie WIS IL
bricklayer. The previous week had record oi one
death that Of Edward Ferris, OF No. o,5l3 Eighth
ave- and three removed AT the point OF death.
They were Patrick Mahoning Patrick Donlan and
rr,., Dounon All three are at the Presbyt terian
Uospital and are not yet out OF danger The last
victim was Morris.
II WAS said Yesterday at the East Sixty -sevcnhst
police station that Captain strauss would ask 'he
U.oIh Board 10 make an investigation, and II life
was ncedlessly sacrificed to compel the gas company
to operations.
Dr. BENJAMIN Van d. Hedges resident physician
OF the Presbyterian Hospital. said There are ui'-
f.r.nt theories about the effects OF compressed air.
some say that the trouble Is due to the formation Oh
thuk that Il IS due small hemorrhages or vascular
'na'ni,e I'm tho sninal cord. sometimes the pain at
,,cLs tho mon Immediately upon coming ont OF the
caisson. Al other times half an hour or more nllsr'
ward terrible pains being felt al through ',e ooos
The spinal cord always seems 10 be affected.