The Penn's Grove record., 1905-03-31
SHOT THROUGH RIVER BED
Remarkable Experience Of Four New
York City Tunnel Workers.
BLOWN OUT BY COMPRESSED AIR

Richard Creeden, of Jersey City, N. j.,
Tells of a Thrilling Episode in
Which He and Three Companions
Miraculously Escape With Their
Lives.
New York City.-Four men were
blown through the river bottom,
through the river itself, and then shot
into the air by an explosion in the
tunnel now being constructed under
the East River, for the Brooklyn extern
sion of the subway. All four were only
slightly hurt, and their rescue is re-
garded as little short of miraculous.
The men were Richard Creeden, Of
Jersey City; John Hayes, of this bor-
ough; John Brody, of Hoboken, and
John Egan, of Jersey City. They were
at work in the forward compartment of
the tunnel, about fifteen feet from the
pier line at the foot of Joralemon street.
There is maintained at all times a
pressure of 1000 pounds Of compressed
air in this tunnel to support the roof.
The men say that at this time the
pressure was increased to 10000. Sud-
denly CreedOn saw that there was a
small hole in the roof, and he grabbed
a couple of sand bangs and pushed
them against the hole to prevent flood
ing. AS he did so there was an ex-
plosion.
The roof gave way and Creedon was
hurled through the river and twenty
feet in the air. The other three men
followed him less violently. All were
pulled out. The other three men were
badly bruised and had to be taken
care of by an ambulance physician
from the Long Island College Hospital.
Hayes and Brody were taken home in
cabs, while the others were able to go
home by themselves. The escape of
the four victims with only bruises and
the incidental shock is regarded with
wonder by experienced tunnel men.
I'm my inspection of the tunnel" said
Creegan, after he had recovered some
what from the effects of his very re-
markable experience, II noticed that a
sharp draught of air was pressing up
ward, and later discovered that there
was a fissure in the top of the tunnel.
This was but a fraction of an inch in
width when l first saw it, and l noticed
that some of the earth IN the top of the
bore was being showed through the
small aperture by the force of the com
pressed air.
Running to a pile of bags filled with
sawdust and hay, which are kept
handy for just such emergencies, and
at the same time giving the men a
warning and directing one of them to
call for aid. 1 climbed up a ladder
and attempted to plaster the two saw
dust bags against the rapidly widening
aperture. But the air had begun to
rush through the aperture with such
force that L was pinned to the top of
the tunnel by its pressure. In another
instant / was shot upward as the earth
gave way.
ga big hole was scooped out right in
front of my face almost, and then l
was going up through seven or eight
feet of mud and rock.
81 was perfectly conscious all the
time. l remember clawing with my
hands in front of my face. trying to
keep the rocks away.
"Then l hit water, and l guess there
was twenty-five feet of it easy. 1 shot
up through that fast, and went up fully
twenty feet in the air.
"Wheh l fell back l began swimming
around and yelling, and after a few
minutes a boat came out and picked me
up.
81 had heavy clothes and boots on,
and a hat, and | had a dollar bill in
one pocket. l didn't even lose my hat,
and | had it on when 1 was picked up.
1--WE have to take our lives in u
hands in this sort of work." he said.
"We expect risks, but this was the
funniest thing that l ever heard Of"