The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
BOSTON'S RAT ALLEY
An Underground ThorouGhfare That Pushed
The Police at the Time or the fire.


Prom the Boston Erenfno Transcript.
During the big Boston fire. when Bromheld
and School streets. with the included territory.
were all roped OF and admission was possible
only by means OF cards issued to owners of prop
erty in the burning district. many people. even
tho police, were much mystiied at the crowds
of gamins. boys and men, who continually APP
peared inside tho lines. How did they get there,I
All the officers on duty were sternly qucs-
toned and all declared with one voice that their
sections Of the detences had boon strictly
guarded. At last one unfortunate urchin. duck
Ing under the arms OF one man. ran h~eadlong
into chose of another, and. thus brought TO bay,
he was induced by the promise OF instant free
dinRy thumb over his shoulder at a door marked
Private he jerked out under his breath, Rat
still safely, Within the lines.
RAT alley" but where was the alleyi To
S SniIT eSas ssnsnd pu, NH aS open d the door and care
ousiy slippery. a dark, stone passageway Is re-
yealed., running straight underground, at tho
Proceeding along the narrow four.loot way. i've
more steps are this time omewha abruptly
dde neeP the 1" ground a@S risf Is s HP tareaS The Body ssi!;
OF a mAn-the dull rumbiinS of an engine
reveals Its locality and accounts for the en-
mers can be heard. while, from a cosey littlo
Gubbyhole on the left. hall oiled MP with
Ing sskance upon the strangers trespassing in
his terrestrial paradise. A belt runs along over
head. and the whole place jars with the moving
machinery. High M on the ceiling q ladder 10
hung, for. naturally, every ."up-to.date" rat
must have q gymnasium training, and q ladder
On reaching the end Of the alleyway and
looking back toward Province court, q dull
CLEAN Of light strikes the eye-the engine 10
evidently angry at being disturbed. but a little
newsboy %scnttles safely through. for to him 1t is
a main-travelled rO d" and not an "undis-
covered country Coming out into daylight
again. the CHEEKY, sight OF nm electric car is
caught, a short distance away, from between
tall, buildings. But the place is blocked up
with heavy teams. Suspended high overhead,
only, too willing to drop on intruders' heads,
Is huge knife, a visual sign of the industry
piled within, while all over tho building run
enormous lettered signs, each trying to outdo
self.
Entrance to this snug rat domiciIe from Wash.
ington street is plain. II one only knows how TO
look for 1t: for. upon passing through a certain
court nearly opposite MIX street, the entrance
is in the far left-hend corner, and one can sec
straight through the subterranean passage: hut
the uninitiated stranger, going In from School
street and taking his first left-hand turn.
thence proceeding along tho left. might walk
back and forth for days. did he not Know tho
open sesame of a certain shabby door. Should
DIR. A. Conan Doyle desire an American situa-
ton for one Of his thrilling detective stories, his
the most determined villain through just such q
rat hole as this, but until that time Mr.. Rat and
his numerous relatives live rent free In these,
their chosen headquarters. from which each day
many foraRersa are sent out in search of supplies
for the families.