Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-07-09


Yet It was killins work. and the tunnel is
admitted to have cost a life for every mile
OF its length.
Victims OF "the bends"
Al present seven tunurls.-rcanv four
teen-are being driven under the Hudson
and North rivers. I'm New York. and the
loss Of life SO Tar has been appalling
short time ago the crew working In one
OF the headings was killed by the air
pressure, which hurled ct into tho river
such fatalities ono hears Of. but without
publicity every day several men arc re-
moved from the high-prcssurc air locks
suffering from "the bends" They used
to call It Caisson fever. but by any name
II remains one Of the most dreadful forms
OF facilitating disease that workman
may endure.
All OF those who are attacked by the
dread disease do not die from its effects.
Many think they recover fully They re-
turn 70 work in the chamber and become
accustomed to slight attacks. But IL they
remain long at the work the disease claims
them They either die very painful
death or are crippled for the rest Of their
lives, going about with twisted limbs one
who has experienced the shock likens 1t
to a jumping toothache or the worst
rheumatism you ever felt The gravest
feature OF the disease is that physicians
have not yet been able to provide a cure.
II usually attacks a man as he leaves the
lock, where the pressure is maintained at
from thirty to thrty-fve pounds per
square inch. The normal atmosphere pres
sure Is only fifteen pounds per square inch
so that I'll effects upon the human system
from two stmospheres are only 10 be ex-
81 l,a
pressed chamber into the normal atmo-
sphere. The sudden release of pressure
sometimes causes the men to fall uucon-
scous from the bends"
But Men Must work.
In the Pennsylvania railroad tunnels in
New York some of the worst accidents
have occurred, In the locks used on these
| tunnels the compressed air escapes
through the soft mud OF the river as the
heading is pushed forward. Every now
and then an airhole is found and blow
out" follows. This instantly reduces the
pressure of the air in the chamber, and
fresh supply of air has to be introduced
a. great speed to catch up with the es-
| cape. During this short time the pressure
may reach forty pounds or more and the
effects of the violent nuctuation tell ter
ribly upon the workmen. But the task
| must 60 AS some men are borne of
to a hospital others are ready to take
their places. Every expedient that science
has suggested is being adopted by the
| contractors, but victims continue To
| perish as sacrifice to progress.
Disasters AT Panama.
! Since the Americans have taken charge
VI the isthmus It is reported that yellow
| jack" and malaria are kept at a minimum
| and that the former has almost disap-
peared. TIE difference Of method is best
shown in the figures Of the government $
work. In August last year there were 1900
men employed digging the canal, and there
were only eight deaths, or two-thirds OF a
man per 1000. The death rate in the large
! cities Is greater than that.
| The deadly Culebra cut cost the French
| company many men when It was begun.
! The top soil particularly dangerous
| to life. Fortunately, the cut has reached
! low strata and this source of infection is
now removed. However, the work as
| whole at the isthmus has cost more lives
than some wars, and the few continue to
perish that civilization may continue Ia
advance, that the many may enjoy the
boon.-Philadephia Ledger.