The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-10
UNDERGROUND LIFE.
People Who Earn Their Living in the
Sewers Of New York.


searchers-And the Sewer Now and
Then Runs Upon q Tragic Mystery.
Copyright, 1891.
New York. June 81 had made every
nreparation, the same as the men in the
cleaning gang. My costume was that of
the man who is to work in the midst of
dirt. dampness, and slime.
The noteworthy feature of my outward
qarb. was the immense rubber boots, with
their heavy heels The boots came almost
No to the thighs, and were so clumsy that
to walk on the streets with them was
difficult, laborious and painful.
But they were necessary to pro-
tect one from the mud and
ooze of that weird lower world--the
sewers of New York. I was provided
a small oil lamp, which l was TO use in
plotting my way in the black hole A
sharp stick, which 1 carried in my hand
afforded both sure footing, as well as
consolation when l should become weary
with the long walk underground As for
the details of the rest of my outward
dress. they may be passed over with a
line was told to wear only the lightest
clothing, for the sewers, contrary to gen
eral belief, are by no means cold and
damp corridors.
Armed with a shovel and a num-
Der of buckets, attached to ropes, we
came into a street, off Broadway, where
a sewer was to be gouged or cleaned For
several hundred feet, on either side of
the point the fOremen of the gang had de-
cided to enter the underground passage,
men were sent to open che man-hOleS.
This was for the purpose of admitting
light and air to the black corridor below
Meanwhile, at each uncovered place, in
the street, a workman was stationed, to
warn of drivers of teams, so that in pass
ing they would not nip too closely the
iron ring, and risk horses life. in the
yawning abyss below.
No sewerer in New York will trust him
self to enter one of these vaults without
first testing for gas. This is a simple OPP
Grafton, consisting of holding lighted
lantern over the fnau-hole opening, and
watching the effect on the flame.
There is no gas below" said the fore
man, producing a ladder from the ada
cent cart, $50 get yourselves down lively !!
Here, Tom, DICK, Mike, make way
there!'
The sewerers followed at my heels, and
prevented. nay actually impcded my re
turn | heard their heavy boots grating
on the straining bars of the ladder, and
the next moment as we all stood gath
cred around that circular shaft, where
some thirteen feet in air, trimmed around
by an iron frame. which showed the
opening in the street, and through which
man peered q large bucket, dangling on
d rope, was cautiously lowered to us,
with the cry from above:
60 ahead below"
MY companions, used as they were to
such sights and scenes, began at once to
patrol the sewer, seeking their work
One by one, on either side of me, some to
the right, some to the left, they slowly
disappeared into the semi-darkness
Each man bore, In his hand, a small light
The sewer. barely four feet high, was so
confined that it did not permit us to stand
erect; and, as my companions moved
away, it was with backs Bonded like
sickles. The weird shadows, Unnaturally
enlarging everything, under the uncer-
tain CLEAN of the lights, twinkled upon
those. cramped figures, and gave them to
the eye in ghost like, spectral fashion.
1t was as quiet as the grave.
That is, with the exception of the run
ming of the water at the bottom of the
sewer. AS the workmen moved away
from me their feet, swishing in this dark
~
may compare to nothing | ever heard in
the bright world above.
Out of those shadows-pollution and
death
The sewer, long black line, seemingly
miles underground, now yawned before
me in dismal terror. There was the Of
fensiye, smell of dampness and of
foul odors--there was the subdued
murmur of the sullen stream of black
water
From afar, as the sewerers Bonded to
their tasks, there twinkled dull, dim
lights like red stars.
Those tasks. were simple, but, to me,
empowering. ~ rs
The sewerers were seeking out those
weak places in the long, underground cor
rider, where the dirt and slime from the
receiving basins, at the street corners,
had sifted down, choking up the sewer
1t was now their duty to use their shovels
and pals to remove the impediment. TO
do this was no easy duty, simple though
it might seem.
The water came well to their hips
their backs were unnaturally Bonded; the
place was so crarnped that they could not
move readily the pail floating on the
dirty stream at first, as soon as shovel
full of the slime was thrown i'll it, sank
from view, with an angry snarl, and set
WIZ ~ INC DObbOll VI VIC oCNCl bliSi ~
must be filed, after which the laborer
must toll with it to one of the man-holes
down through which, a hundred feet from
where ne stood, the clear sunlight sifted
in, dancing merrily on the turgid under
currents of the place.
CROPPED along, leaning heavily on my
staff.
In moving forward came at last to a
place where the sewer entered larger
and broader one, so that now / could walk
upright freely.
Ipaused moment TO take my bearings,
and then started Onward. was especially
interested in what I saw coming sweep
ing along on the currents, for the waters
were not so deep here, and it was more
easy to keep ones footing.
treasure hun ting in the sewers of New
York Is trade by itself.
In these dark passages, they tell me,
there are unnumbered millions of c0rks
There are sewerers who make many a
dollar collecting them. These men have
around their necks, under their shirts.
large bag, into which, as they work, they
Slip cork occasionally as one comes
along; they are later dried, prepared and
sold to perfumers, who reout them and
use them in their business.
Whilst l was recalling This fact, | saw
TWO bead-like eyes staring at me from a
hole in the brick
IL was a large sewer-fed, dirty rat.
IL vas not the common house rat but
big blue-grav rodent that had come IN