Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-12-27
A DANGEROUS OCCUPATION.
Sewer Explorer in Birmingham Who
Has Had Many Adventures.

Has Had Many Adventures.
From the London Mail. - n,
Birmingham is on the eve of losing one
of the most remarkable public officers the
city has ever had. His name is Grub, and
he has spent nearly fifty years in exploring
the sewers, good, bad and Indifferent most
of them Indifferent
On an average Grub has trudged through
six or seven miles of sewers each day, and
reckons that his total tramp is close upon
100000 miles.
There is, perhaps, no other man in the
world who could spend so long period un-
der circumstances SO unhealthy and say
that he has never had a days illness. He
has risked his life over and over again.
faced millions of angry and hungry rats,
and thrived on an atmosphere which is GER
tainly not better than that of Omdurman.
He is now reaching a ripe old age, and
has every appearance of leading an active
life for many years, but whether the air
which most people breathe will suit his con-
stitution is an interesting problem.
Talking to our Birmingham CORRESPONDENT
yesterday the sewer veteran explained that
when he entered upon his duties the city
could boast scarcely a well-constructed an
foreground channel of even moderate Gi-
nensionS whereas today it was possible to
nave subterranean stroll from north to
south and east to west, either journey being
over seven miles.
-hoSl VI the men engaged IN the work en-
1eyed fairly good health, but it was uues-
ton of the survival of the fittest Some of
the people who attempted to follow the oc-
crpation were knocked up in a few, hours.
and not few of them were timid at the
rats. AS a rule the rats moved about in
hundreds, and when driven into a corner
were not at all pleasant to meet.
Ihere Is only one way of dealing with
them effectively" he says. .'supposing YOU
are brought face to face with a few hun
dred Of them and they cannot get away.
You turn out your lamps and plant your
feet against one side of the sewer, and sup
port yourself in horizontal position. with
your hands against the opposite side.
by this means you leave them a clear
passage. While you are in this position one
Of the men beats the water in the channel
with the back of his spade. 1t makes an
awful noise, and every one does his best to
swell 1t by shrieks and cries.
1.-THE rats, knowing they are at bay, and
experimenting danger. make a dash past
where you are situated. Those that come
within reach Of the shovel finish their stam-
pede. but the rest race on. squealing and
frightened. Sometimes we get nipped but
as a rule this plan almost frightens the life
out of them.
Zone of the great dangers we have to en-
counter down below is that of being over
taken by storm water and only the greatest
care can prevent disaster / remember be-
ing with another workman in the sewer
running underneath the parade on the &C.
casion of the queens visit to Birmingham
many years ago.
1--WE had just got down, and as I passed a
manhole I extended my arm and felt few
drops of rain. Unfortunately the grating
above was secure, and it became necessary
to make for the next outlet where 1 knew
a man was stationed. We had scarcely he
gun to move forward when we heard an
awful rumbling at the back. which indicat-
ed that terrific storm had broken over the
city, and that the water was coming after
us in torrents.
1--WE HURT I'd along as quickly as possible.
but every second the water rose higher and
higher, and our task became harder and
harder. 1t was up to our waists when we
first caught sight of the s speck of light
which showed us where We had to get to in
less than a minute If we were to save our
lives.
at was a thrilling race to escape a ter
rihle death. We exerted every muscle, and
as the water reached our shoulders I
thought our efforts We're doomed to failure.
I allowed my companion, younger man
than was, to climb up the opening first.
With the aid Of the men ton top he was
hauled out quickly, but had scarcely had
time to make start when the torrent came
with such force that it shot me upward,
and was rescued. - q
IA few seconds later should have met
shocking fate. There was SO much water
in the channel that 1t forced its way up
through the manholesh and flooded the en-
tire district. ;"