The evening times., 1896-07-25
DOCS live N THE sewers
Underground Homes of Stray
Ours Of the City.
HOW IT WAS FIRST LEARNED
Policeman Saw Canine Dive Into
an Opening and Thought It Was
"a Suicidal Effort-Quite Number
OF Brutes Find Shelter and Safety
in the Ill-sneiIing, Shiny Depths.

II has probably never been doubted that
there Is an undercrust in the dog world, just
like there is among human beings. There
may be astonishment, though, when it is
stated that scores of these cannes in Wash
ington give their social position literal
significance by spending their lives in the
sewers of the city.
The city abuunds with sewer dogs and
dogs OF the sewer. They are nursed and
Graded there, and when they meet death or
death ovcrtakes them they fail into a,si are
washed away by the shiny waters they
had been accustomed to smell all through
life.
Of.course, all dogs that now live In and
about sewers were not born there. Some of
them are dogs that have had days. After
reaching that climax that is said to lie in
the destiny of every dog, they have been
humblcd through the adversities of for
tune or otherwise until they are forced into
the lowest circle OF dogdom-the sewer.
police patrolmaH first discovered the
depths of depreciation to which some dogs
have fallen. 1t has always been known by
the police and by observant people in gen
| eral that there isa colony of vagabond dogs
in Washington just like there is In any
| other city. TWAS nota puzzle to tell where
| they got food to survive upon. One has
| only 10 look in ones back yard almost any
hour of the day-er night, and especially at
night, to see one or more of the CANNES on
| bread winning tour
THE DOG DISAPPEARED.
The policeman saw dog that looked
| none the worse for hunger, bound across
Pennsylvania avenue at Tenn street, ami
the next second dive under the curb stone
nto the catch basin at the other corner
The OFFICER was -astonished. 1t was evi-
! IDENTIFY a piece of we'll planned suicide, for
| no dog who cared anything for the world
would huve gone so straightly and blindly
To a watery. grave S this one did.
But one thing was left for the policeman
| TO do. It was unnecessary TO turn in q
| general alarm, SO he walked over and
| raised the iron lid of tile basin for the pur-
pose of helping the dog out. The astonish-
nIeut that had come over him when he saw
the dog make his apparently fatal dive
| was increased 4 hundred points.
There, ut one side OF the shiny pool, on a
ledge of rock high aud comparatively dry,
l
at choice remnant of porterhouse he had
taken into the place with him. The dog
| growled as If TO assert the old proposition
that ones domicie is his castle, and that
| even IA policeman had better keep out.
I There was no mistake that the dog lived
4 there. A caying away of the bricks and
| mortar at the side of the basin had left a
| ledge some two feetin depth. Tie cave-in
| had extended in such a manner that il
| gave the dog full opportunity to crawl
! around from the outside opening without
| ever coming in contact with the water that
| covers the depth OF the catch-basin for a
depth nf, three feet.
| A few scraps of paper, bit of shavings
and some wisps OF straw had washed up
on the ledge and were clumsily arranged
4 by the dog for a bed. There was a CHASTITY
| array OF bones at one end .of the ledge
and skull of rat had, curously enough,
| washed up until it hung from little pro-
lection at the side OF the basin and looked
like grim ornament purposely placed
! where IL was.
| The dog looked well fed. There is no
doubt bot that he was settled. When
lie moved in higher spheres his color was
| white. II had now changed by contact
with his dirty and unwiolesome surround
ings until it is doubted if all the soap in
the world would give the dog his pristine
immaculate appearance.
Following up the cue given by Il police
mans discovery, Times reporter has
found that the ex-white dog is not at all
exclusive in his queer underground home.
| Especially in the older section of the city
4 tho 1ntrs nf tho GO tc no fnun1
Many OF the catch basins made when the
city was much younger are provided
with shelves that run about the walls of
the basin from the inlet for the water. II
is not at all uncommon to see a dog climb
into one OF these holes and come out three
or four hours afterward.
On Thim street, near Pennsylvania ave
nue., the neighbors have grown accustomed
Ito see a large brown dog of shaggy ap-
pearaDce enter the catch basin every morn
ing in dry weather. 1t seems that he is
going to certain death, but just as soon as
theshades ofDight begin to fall, the watchers.
If they are present, see him come out and
start on a foraging tour.
| When a young man in the neighborhood
once raised the cover to the basin a few
minutes after the dog went in, he could
see nothing of the canine. He discovered
lfresh tracks on the ledge or shelf, however, ,
and found that they led around to place
where a small iDterceptng sewer emptied
into the BASIN The sewer was dry and the
tracks at the mouth of it showed that the
dog must have climbed into it. 1t is sup
posed, of course, that the dog is compelled
to quit his strange home when wet weather
comes. ..l Ss,5
An explorer of one of the large Rock
Greek sewers that empties into the stream
Immediately above the p street bridge,
; tells an even more remarkable story of the
abode a small colony OF dogs has made
in the sewer. This is one of the largest
refuse ducts of the city, and man ca Il easily
walk for long distance from Its mouth.
THE COLONY IN THE SEWER.
Over month ago the man entered tn
mouth of the sewer and proceeded inwar'
for distance OF 200 feet or more on a re
pairing expedition. He alleges that whel
near the end of his journey he was fright
ened well-nigh out Of his wits by splash
ing in the shallow water before him. A
! first it was faint sound, and then it drew
nearer and nearer. Something was movini
in the water. The thing was made sti
more gruesome by the fact that the ligh
was all behind him; and. there was nothin,
| lint a dirk hatp ahead