New-York tribune., 1907-10-06
HUMBLE HEROES.
Courageous Acts Of Self-Sacrifce
That Stir the Blood.

On April 80, 1906 Jacob Flyter was directing the
work of four Italian laborers at the end Of tun-
mel ffty-one feet below the surface OF the Mil
waukee River, at milwaukee, The Ave
working IN a compressed air chamber. beyond a
steel bulkhead. driving the tunnel through the
hard pan beneath the river bottom
The only light in the chamber shone dImly from
a few incandescent lamps swung from the drip
ping walls. The air was cold and ahead the
treacherous wall OF mud lowered before them held
in sullen restraint only by the force of the COM
pressed air around them slight drop In tho
pressure of the air would bring down upon them
a rush OF water. from which they might escape
by instant flight. but in which. moro Ikely-the
chances were 100 10 l-they would be overwhelmed
in Shiny death by suffocaton.
AS the men worked suddenly such death
seemed to threaten them A squirt OF water from
the mud ahead sputtered and swished around them.
rising quickly 10 their knees. Panic seized the
laborers, and they for their lives. Hurns
themselves at the door Of the chamber, they dashed
1t open and rushed for the shaft beyond that led
TO safety.
AL but the foreman F1yter. Before he realized
the situation bis men were gone and had slammed
the door behind them. The waters kept on rising
and the wall OF black mud began to belch forward
toward him.
OF the air that had been designed 20 pro-
tect him now held the door securely locked He
looked back and stood face 20 face with death.
From the face Of the wall Of hard pan spurted
fine Jets of that ran to hts feet and suirled
about his ankles. climbed TO his knees passed his
thighs and waist.
He beat { the door and strained 70 oDen q II
was useless. He was imprisoned. alone and fac
Ing one hideous certainty-that these waters
around him would continue 70 rise, inch by inch.
to his chest. his neck, his lips his nostrils lie
screamed in an agony Of terror at the horror OF IT,
When the iaborers came scrambng out OF the
shaft without their foreman the engineers in
charge guessed instantly what had happened. They
ran the elevator down the shaft and verified the
conditions they had imagined. They came back
hat he
No human power could force the door against the
water pressure back of It, II was only a question
Of hours until tho foreman should be drowned. The
tunnel was filling rapidly with water and even IL
rescuers should achieve the impossible they would
be overwhelmed with the rush OF water that would
toLoW the opening OF the door that held him.
Then Harris G.. Gddings. Lawrence A. HanIoa
and Peter Lancaster appeared. They were hremen
of duty and each had family They insisted
on being allowed 20 go down to try to save
Flytcr. The engineers explained the hOpelessness
OF the effort and the folly OF risking their lives
But they persisted. and. taking heavy BEAM went
down the SHAFT At the bottom they found the
water already knee deep Wading back through
the dripping tunnel. STOPPING TO avoid the live cleo
tric wires overhead that supplied their little light
they heard the screams of the imprisoned foreman
and the Intellectual beating OF his fists against The
door Reaching the buIkhead, they peered through
the bulrs-eye in the door and saw his face con-
torted with terror. They made signs that they
were trying to help him. and backed away with
their beam swung as battering Time and
again they rushed 1t against the bulkhead. Each
tine II struck without causing more than a Or
VI Ils steer plate MOmentartly the water
lnch by inch above their knees. In q pause for
breath they noticed that the cries within had
ceased Ihey looked through tho bulls-eye and
saw that the water had risen so that the fore
man hps were covered. He holding his head
bAck and breathing through his nostrils in a last
EFFORT TO preserve himself from drowning. The
men worked desperately. 4 stream OF water five
nofes thick roared past them. fifteen feet long
and tho waters around them 20 their breasts.
GRADUALLY the stream subsidized the water inside
the chamber sank TO the level Of the bulls s-eye
me men paused for n moment TO pass Flyter
mask of whiskey. Though his teeth chattered with
chilI caught from standing in the cold water. he
steadfasty refused TO touch it. The then re-
turned 70 their swinging beam. 1t futile work.
The only response the thud OF the blows and
the moaning OF tho man behind the steel plate.
The fever OF their work brought an inspiration
to ono OF the men. They would get a jackscrew
and, with II held against their beam. they could
exert a slow pressure of tons against the door
There might still be time to do It The rising
flood around them warned them to make haste.
But before they started back for the screw they
would try the door once more With a shout they
hurtled against It 1t quivered groaned and at