New-York tribune., 1907-01-11
SAND HOGS" In PANIC.
EIGHT INJURED IN FIGHT
Struggle to Escape Imrushing Water
a Hundred Feet Underground.

Eight half mad "sandhogs" battled with each
other last night one hundred feet below the
earths surface in caisson on the work of build
ing the Hudson Tunnel Company's terminal at
fultoh and Church streets. Below them was a.
seething, murky pool. Above them was a tight
~ closed air lock-
Through this lock only one man could go at a
ufne This idea alone seemed to possess the
minds Of the struggling workmen. Each wanted
TO be the first to escape the thrush of subter-
Fanean waters Every of the eight was
injured In the terrific fight the ladder leading
up TO the airock opening
THE INJURED.
sions o scalp. ~
CARROLL. Lawrence of No SIS West 10Th street. con-
tusiOns OF bad abrasion on back 'e'
DoNpMr Mond Paul Of Nc 44S Court street. Rrookyni
head both injured tS!SS injured 'ee'
Of face arms and lover limbs sO'a street, a0''-
s Patrick. of NO. +os West 4sth street;
sions OF left hip ana chest
PHI1sIN Martin Of No. szs street;
on back and shoulders.
According to Robert L. Christie superintend-
ent in charge of work at the time the eight
men were working under the pressure of two
atrnospheres. thirtytwo pounds to the square
inch. They were in circular chamber about
ten feet high. In the top is an opening only
large enough to permit Of the passage of one
man at time. The chamber next above is a
safety air1ock.
One edge Of the caisson, according to the su-
perintendent rested on silt, very soft even for
silt The air pressure forced out the silt. AS it
blew away there sudden rush Of water
which had collected few feet away from the
edge Of the caisson.
At the first sight of the water the sand hogs.
too amazed to speak, dropped their shovels and
picks In another second they were shouting to
get out Of the chamber. Every man made a quick
move IN the direction of ladder, which leads to
the airlock above. The water swept in and grad
ually rose, an inch or two at every glance the
men gave the floor of the chamber, and in the
struggle to gain the ladder two of the men went
down 20 the bottom. In another instant they
We're q sweating. swearing, struggling gang.
They made a concerted rush for the foot Of the
ladder.
As the water rose around the legs OF the mac
dened men their frenzy increased One man got
to The opening above Two men seized him by
the legs, and down they went into the water.
TWO more fell on top Of them. and for moment
things looked bad for those under the heap. They
got hold of the submerged runss of the ladder
finally. and pulled their heads out for a breath
For fifteen minutes the men battled in their
narrow iron bound hole. Hands were scratched,
hair was pulled, eyes were bIacked and heads
cracked.
Meanwhile the sound of the fray had been
heard above. The air pressure was eased on
n hit and hasty instructions were shouted down
to the panicstricken sand hogs" The orders
seemed to calm the fighters. About this time
too. the flow Of water ceased. and the men real
;zed that the danger was past One by one they
clanbered up out of the place. They forgot
their cursing ard fighting. once safe in the
airlock. and began nursing their hurts
Finally the pressure was reduced enough for 1t
10 be safe to open the safety airlock' and the
men were hauled I'D to The top of the shaft in
buckets They were turned over to the GUS
todv If a surgeon attached to the temporary
hospital.
netcoyman was called When he learned
what had happened he called an ambulance from
thu Hudson Street Hospital Dr. Bryant re-
sponded and dressed the injuries OF the men
AS soon as the men out, half dozen
csisson experts were cent down They used
bundles Of straw and hay 10 plug up the blow
cut After the water was pumped out another
gang was sent down. and the work OF excaVa-
ton went on.
The water did not rise high enough 10 nave
harmed the men. and there probably would nave
teep no trouble had not the panic seized then-
II was said by engineers for the work that
the earth through which the caisson had peeh
sunk was all made land" 1t was thought 'hd'
t,,e v.ater had come from the Hudson River and
settled into a pocket In the silt Wheh the t"ii'
shifting wall of silt had been penetrated tHe
air pressure high as it was was not sufhcleht
TO hold back the flow