The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-02
THE PHANTOM FOREMAN
WHAT COLLEGE MAN sANDHoG SAW AND HEARD IN
THE HUDSON RIVER TUNNEL BORE

sons why this gigantic undertaking has
been successful. for against almost in
surmountablc obstacles these few men
have fought with indomitable pcrsevcr-
ancc and no such word as "can t has
ever entered their minds as the white
flag of defeat
Toward the end Of my second week
in the tunnel Mike came 10 me and said
that now as I was getting familiar with
the work he thought he would let me
stay down and watch the following Sun
day and he added that [ might have
one ''mVckcr" go along with me.
Every second Sunday the three shifts
change their hours and holiday is
given TO them all, except two men from
each gang, who arc selected TO watch
out their eight hours in the tube 10 see
that nothing goes wrong. / assentcd
readily enough, glad of the extra money
I would receive. and / selected "A great,
good -natured negro called Rastus TO 90
with me. Such superhuities as proper
names were never used down there,
where even the most common amenities
Of life above ground arc forgotten. He
called me Jack and / called him Rastus
and we were on the best Of terms from
tho very start,
Dismal Vigil.
Sunday night promptly at midnight
VIC went down To the lock to relieve the
other two watchers and took up our
station halfway between the lock and
the heading We made sort of seat
ont of some beams and an old muck
! car and throwing our coats over 1T pre-
pared to watch during the night We
agreed TO sleep and watch alternately
in two hour shifts, and ] lay down first
to sleep MY two hours, leaving Rastus
TO watch.
II seemed to me that had Just closed
my eyes when Rastns woke me with
touch on the arm. but when ] looked
at my watch ] saw il was Just o 'clocS
so 7 sat up and told Rastus he could
90 to sleep. But he did not seem to
have any inclination TO go to sleep, for
bis eyes were wide open and his face
was kind Of mottled gray as he whis
pored to me in an awed voice:
"T'sc a goner, Jack; l. Sc a goncr. !
done seen. him-he mad the sign, or
] knows Use gotter die right of lie
rolled his eyes up till only the whites
were visible and chanted over and over
again, "I'se goner, Use a goncr.
When he had composed himself little
] asked him what he had seen. and
after two or three gulps nc said;
81 seen him a setting right over
thar on them boards and he was thar
an hour, a grinning ut me all the time;
then l throwcd Il bolt AT him and il
went clean through him and then he
done cvaporated right before my eyes.
I assured him he must have been
dreaming and told him he would better
90 to sleep The mention of SLEEP
seemed to bring him back to his senses
| and he was soon peacefully snoring
away as | sat down beside him to watch
out my two hours.
The stiffness was the stiffness OF
dnufh. mt - sound could he hoard OK
! cept the soft whirring the air as it came
! out of the pipe at the heading. a:
evenly as the beating of ones heart
and as needful to US there as that or
| gan of life itself,
You strain your ears to catch the
lightest sound and when you have about
despaired of hearing. even a,pin fail
low booming noise is heard cchoine
through the bore and then everything