New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-09
ROHANCE ~ TIE SEWERS.
ARTICLES OF VALUE THAT ARE FouND-Losr
MONEY RECOVERED.

ARTICLES OF VALUE THAT ARE FoUND-Losr
MONEY RECOVERED.
The sewers Of New-York have a little romance Of
thsr own In the curious articles that are found In
them Scarcely a receiving basin Is cleaned out or
one Of the big pipes thoroughly scraped OF It's coat
ing Of mud and heavy refuse but something more
valuable than rubbish to light Things have
been thrown IN by frightened thieves who wish 10
hide the evidence OF their crimes. and we're willing
to lose their booty for the sake OF whole SKIN or
else were dropped by accident In the CUTTERS, to
lie there unnotced and be washed into the sewers
at the first flushing or heavy rain.
Jewery watches. money. small pieces Of silver.
ware and umbrellas and canes are the ar.
tlcles most frequently discovered buried In the thick
mud of the sewers and basins One Of the foremen
~ the Department has at his house to-day a hand
some siver-topped cane picked out some months
ago. for which claimant has ever appeared. It
does not happen, rule that the owner OF prop
erty lost In this peculiar way can be found. ana
the laborers themselves generally keep what they
run across From a money point OF view, the pick
ings are OF really little value. Even gold watch
Is not much OF prize after all for as the days
60 on the mud oozes into its case and damages it,
works beyond repair, so that It can be sold only
for old gold.
Just what proportion OF the articles OF real value
that find their way into the sewers along with the
rubbish are recovered can tell. Many are
washed out into the rivers almost Immediately. e.
pecally II the receiving basins be full OF mud up to
the mouth of the sewers. Almost invariably these
receiving basins extend only about two anc han
feet below the sewers themselves, and at certain
times OF the year and In certain parts Of the city
they III. up rapidly. Again. It 10 seldom that tne
laborers. when in the midst Of cleaning out basin
section OF sewer. take the trouble to examine
carefully the mud that IL hoisted up to the surface
in pals Only glittering objects attract their eyes,
and even the finest jewelry might escape ther no
There are some strange stories bound up in the
sewers. nevertheless They nearly all deal Win
special searches made for lost property OF consder-
were hunted for having been stolen s from
a young boy. had taken him with him FOR short
line and finally found hin position 70 run erTan a1j
day he slipped back into the house and stole
" the purse returned that the loss was discovered
\ detective was az once set upon the Hog 'racn;
make confession lie acknowledged that ne aad
taken the money. and that that very night. knowing
nearest sewer The department was informed.
and men were at once sent up to empty or me me
oasn. One by one the eight gold pieces were round
An even more remarkable find was that Of two
which stolen under almost exactly the same
had tsn boy had ss
Nth pocketbook containing s2 in bills and silver;
H spent the money up 20 the 70 d S cent 1d5 'b bow
ever TO have them In his possession. he coolly
ht he was secure After he had confessed search
was made In precisely the same manner. and the
bonds came to light rather the worse for weak e
and in quite good enough shape for the owner 70
be able to prove his property.
ment OF losses like these. There case IN
the Department several months ago OF a working
girl who, returning home hurried.y little after
s o'clock one night stumbled on the curb. and in
doing so let her pocketbook fall. With fatal bad
luck II rolled toward the sewer AZ II II had been
aimed for It and disappeared In Its depths. The
sum Of $40 in II. exceedingly heavy lose FOR
the girl Brokenheartei she went home, having
given up all hopes Of ever seeing It again Sew
eral days went by and she trying 10 become
reconci.ei 10 her loss. when 4 suggested that
she send word down to the Sewer Bureau in the
city Hall The upshot Of II all was that the little
pocketbook was recovered and after a thorough
W. shing and drying in the sun was returned 70 the
young woman, intact and without cent missing