The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-21
DANG r. IL a CRY SEWER.
Thrilling Adventures of Veteran
0fslciai of Dirmlnfshaln,
England.


Birmingham is on The eve of losing
one of the most remarkable public Off
GERS the city has ever had. His name
is Grub. and he has spent nearly SO
years in exploring the sewers.
There is, perhaps, no other man in
the world who could spend SO long a
period under circumstances so uh-
healthy and say that he has never had a
days illness. lie has rislled his life
over and over again, faced millions of
angry and hungry rats, and thrived on
an atmosphere which is certainly not
better than that Of Omdurman.
Talking to our birmingham CORE
spondent one day recently, the sewer
veteran explained that when he entered
upon his duties the city could boast
scarcely a well-constructed under
ground channel of even moderate di-
mansions, whereas today it was posi-
be to have subterranean stroll from
north to south and east to west, either
journey being over seven miles.
Most of the men engaged in the work
enjoyed fairly good health, but it was
a question of the survival of the fittest.
Some of the people who attempted to
follow the occupation were knocked
up in few hours, and not few Of them
were timid at the rats. AS a RUE the
rats moved about in hundreds, and
when driven into corner were not at
all pleasant to meet
'.There is only one way of dealing
with them effectively" he says. Sup
posing you are brought face to face
with few hundred of them and they
cannot. get away. You turn out your
lamps and plant your feet against one
side of the sewer, and support yourself
in horizontal position, with your
hands against the opposite side.
by this means you leave them 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 awfu. noise, and every one
does his best to swell it by shrieks and
cries.
"The rats, knowing they are at bay
and experimenting danger, make dash
past where you are situated. Those
that come within reach of the shovel
finish their stampede, but the rest race
on, squea.ing and frightened. Some
times we get nipped, but as rule this
plan almost frightens the life out oil
them.
Zone of the great dangers we have
to encounter down below is that of be.
ing overtaken by storm water, and only
the greatest care can prevent disaster
/ remember being with another work
man in the sewer running underneath
the Parade on the occasion of the
queens visit to Birmingham many
years ago.
I'VE had just got down, and as
passed manhole extended my arm
! and felt few drops of rain. unfor
tunate.y, the grating above was secure
and it became necessary to make fol
was stationed We had scarcely begun
to move forward when we heard an aw
full rumb,ing at the back which indicat
ed that terrific storm had broker
over the city, and that the water wa
coming after us in torrents.
I'VE hurried along as quickly as pos
sibie, but every second the water ros
higher and higher, and our task be
came harder and harder. 1t was UP tt
our waists when we first caught sigh
of the speck of Eight which showed u
where we had to get to in less than
minute if we were 10 save our lives.
ut was a thrilling race to escape
terrible death We eNerted ever.
muscle, and as the water reached GU
shoulders i thought our efforts wer
doomed to failure. 1 allowed my com
panion, younger ran than l was, t
climb up the opening first. With tn
aid of the men on top he was hauled GU
quickly, but ] had scarcely had time t
make start when the torrent cam
with such force that it shot me III
wards and was rescued.
"a few seconds later should have me
shocking fate. There was SO niue
water in the channel that it forced il
way up through the manholes an
flooded the entire district. '-Londo
Mail.