Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-09-08
GIRL is CARRIED
8 MILES IN SEWER
Awful Trip Of Little Child In
Darkness.
TERRoRs OF A FILTH TUNNEL.

For Over Two Hours She Stumbled
Along or Was Swept Unconscious by
the Current and Was Rescued Only
to Die.
Wellesley, N. Y, Sept. 7.-For two
hours and a half little Mary Morgan,
a 1S-year-old girl of South Natick, suf
fered a living death in the great sew
er which rims between Natick and this
place. For miles she stumbled along
or was borne unconscious by the cur
rent, and when she was finally res
eued she was still alive, but she died
short time afterward
The record of Mary Morgans expert
ence Is considered more wonderful
than fiction. Though for two and
half hours in the darkness and foul
atmosphere of the great metropolitan
sewer, and being carried about miles
underground, she was taken out alive,
and at one time 1t was almost
hoped that she would live.
The girl-13 years of age-was sent
out about l o'clock with her fathers
dinner He Is employed on the water
works at South Natick, only short
distance from his home, but he prefer
red to have his dinner brought to him.
Began in 5ravado.
On the way she met some compan-
ions and began playing with them.
One of her child playmates said she
wanted to explore the sewer.
Probably in a spirit Of bravado lit
tie Mary, on account Of her father be-
ing employed there, volunteered to
show them Ten minutes away from
where her father was working, there
is big manhole.
A wooden ladder is placed there,
used by workmen. Mary volunteered
to go down first She went down and
called for her companions to follow.
they hesitated,, owing to the dismal
appearance and the roar of the fast
rushing water below.
They waited there for her to come
up. Minute after minute they waited,
but she failed to appear Alarmed,
finally, they ran to her father and
told him that Mary had gone into
the sewer through the manhole."
For a second or SO the father was
almost paralyzed then the truth grad
ually burst on him.
He knew that the first outlet was at
Wellesley Hills, and Immediately tele
phoned there to watch for her, and
there, two and half hours after her
disappearance, she came floating along
on the bottom OF the murky waters
but still alive.
Just what she suffered, no one can
tell 1t must have been terrible, how
ever; dense darkness and an atmo
sphere of foul smells and poisonous
gases. 1t is thought she must have
blindly stumbled along for some time
She was, probably, finally overcome
by the gas and sank into the current
It is fully miles from South Ma
tick to the spot where she was found,
and seeing that she entered the sew.
o.
until 6 o'clock, it is thought she must
have wandered aimlessly around in
the dark and loathsome underground
passage for about two hours.
Child Fell Exhausted.
Tired and exhausted, she probably
stumbled and fell and was then swept
along on the current. The current
runs swiftly, and according to Super
intendent Oldham, Of the water works
she could have been a short distance
from Wellesley when she sank exhaust
ed.
Five hundred feet away, perhaps,
from safety, only to be swirled away
by the swift moving current
Mr.. Oldham had been notified that
the girl had been lost in the sewer
and would probably be found at the
end Searching parties were organiz-
ed at once and sent down the sewer,
one from Wellesley, also another from
South Natick.
The Natick party searched around
for nearly an hour, but found not the
slightest trace of the missing girl,
and during that period she was proba
bly, ciutching blindly at some Shiny
piece of rock. Here and there in
the metropolitan sewer there are por.
tions hewn from the solid rock, rough
and Jagged.
These sections broaden out and are
marked by assures and crevices. In
one Of these she probably stood halt
exhausted while the searohers waded
past with their lighted candles.
Was Rescued Too Late.
Both parties met half way and final
ly decided that the girl must have
gone the other way They separated
the South Natick party going back to
search the other end of the sewer.
The Wellesley party went toward
there and were just about to climb
the ladder when some one shouted:
Whats that coming DOWN."
Candles were swung around in a
second and half dozen men splashsd
into the water again, just In time TO
catch the child as she was floating
peacefully on the bosom of the water.
She was hurried to the poor farm,
and for two hours DR.. EchoeAeld and
another physician worked over her.
Their efforts were useless. Her terri.
BILE experience amid water and OBJ.
noxious odors for two hours and half
had been too much, and In spite OF
ali efforts ahe died.
Her fsthss had been netagsa tat