The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-18
-FOUR RISK Lives
IN WOODWARD
SEWER
IN DANGER or DROWNING. THEY
BATTLE WITH SNOW JAM THAT
BLOCKS BIG TUNNEL FROM
MOUTH TO coNoRess-sT.

Taking desperate chances OF losing
their lives In the swiftly-howing black
waters OF the big sewer on the west
side OF Woodward-ave., four men
fought for hours. Thursday morning.
To break the snow jam In that blk
tunnel. While they were fighting their
way through the jam that threatened
to blockade the sewer, the hre-boat
Battle was bucking another SNOWMAN
that had formed at the foot Of Wood
ward-ave.
Having warning In advance OF thu
thaw, the department OF public works
has been striving to get rid OF as much
OF the snow as possible on Woodward
ave-, and to this haste the jam Was
due. All along the avenue gangs Ut
men were kept busy dumping the
snow into the man-holes OF the blk
west-side sewer. Scores OF wagons
were also busy hauling the snow from
other streets to the Woodward-ave.
dock and there dumping IL into the
river.
Owing to the fact that the river u
very low at present and that there II
not much current. the snow, instead
OF being carried rapidly away. piled
up and gradually closed the sewer ex-
cept for q small swift stream at tbs
bottom.
Last night the ferry boats tried TO
break the snow jam but II held Ast-
Commissioner Haarer was warned or
the situation. Thursday morning. Al
that time the man-holes as far north
az Congress-st. were filled to the top.
7 he thaw made the condition danger.
Gus. as the snow was likely to dam
up the melting water in the sewer ana
back Il up.
First the fire boat was sent for and
by repeated ramming she succeede1
In driving away the masses OF snow
30 that the mouth OF the sewer was
again free. Then Sewer Superinten-
dent Peter A. Dunn. with Peter Breen.
Gus" Smith and A. Yulick. were sent
down into the sewer to complete the
work.
Descending into the blackness OF the
tunnel. they began to under-cut the
snow jam at Congress-st. They had
brought plank along which they used
as q platform from which to peck ~
the mass OF snow with their shovelr.
AS often az the loosened masses fell.
all had to spring backward into the
water to avoid being buried under the
lsnow and drowned. Gradually the
snow was carried away by the current
along the bottom Of the big bore.
Water trickling In from the melting
snow above gradually increased ths
depth and swiftness OF the water until.
when the four were at work under the
Woodbridge-st. manhole, they had to
work In Icy water nearly waist deep.
This was the final point. the SNOWMAN
being then broken and the four re-
traced their way and came up to day
light again. chilled but unframed after
their struggle.
As many men and teams as could be
secured were put at work. Thursday
morning, on the snow-cleanipg, the
days payroll being about $4,000, and
the snow was hauled to all the docks
from Griswold-st. to Third-st. and
dumped 30 as not to cause another
jam.
City Treasurer Koch has agreed to
pay OF the snow-cleaning gangs Sat
urday night for all work done up to
Tuesday night. and an arrangement
may be made TO take care of the re-
mainder OF the weeks payroll prompt.
| ly, although the appropriation for
snow-cleaning Is exhausted.
I'VE have had great deal ~
trouble through merchants shoveling
the snow from their sidewalks into
the cutters" says Superintendent
Aldrich. Our gangs have tried To
iclear the cutters so that the water
from the melting snow could easily
run on The merchants have filed the
cutters again. however. A sudden
thaw would food the streets In many
places. in spite of our efforts. There
should be an ordinance forbidding I'LL
ing the cutters in this way"