New-York tribune., 1910-10-09
BOY ENGULFED IN BIC
PIPE As COMRADES CALL
Boy "Indian," Hiding from Pur-
suing Cowboys Ventures
Into kqueduCt.
WEAK CRY AS He is LOST
Terror stricken Youngsters Sum
mon Help Too Late to Save
Lad from Drowning in
Black Hole.

91CLN<A A@NAO.
In his efforts to hide from a gang of
COWBOYS who were following him late
YESTERDAY afternoon Joe" Plenty. an
Indian" in the game he was playing.
walked through the opening in a four
foot pipe in Highbridge Park, close be-
side Lovers Lane" on the top of that
part Of the Crouon Aqueduct which lies
east of the supply reservoir, in Amster-
dam avenue. between 172d and 1T4th
streets. From the time he entered the
pipe until late last night nothing had
been heard of Joe" and it was thought
that he was drowned in six feet of wa
ter in the aqueduct twenty-five feet from
the opening.
Joe" with Eddie ATornington and
three other lads, whose ages range from
seven to nine years, started in a game
OF Cowboys and Indians" yesterday af-
ternoon. As the Indians they got d
head start from the cowboys" and with
Joe" leading they ran to Highbridge
Park. which abounds with good hiding
PLACES But the ordinary "bunks" didn't
suit Joe" and he sought out some spot
where he could not be found. He caught
sight Of the pipe opening and thought
it would be capital idea for him and
Eddie to conceal themselves in the tube.
With Eddie an unwilling follow er, he
scrambled down an eight foot bank lead
ing to the hole Then Eddie baked and
Joe" went in alone. Minute after min
ute passed and Eddie got scared. He
yelled at the top of his lungs for his
he got was the echo of his own voice
returning from the cavernous depths Of
the pipe. 1t terrified him, and he started
to scream.
Heard One Weak Call.
The shouting attrac cted the cowboys" e"
and they ran Up. laughing at the easy
way they had caught their enemies.
But the terror in Eddies face sobered
them, and when they heard what
troubled him added their shouts to his
But nothing came from the region which
all of them feared TO explore They
We're about to leave the spot in despair
and call help. when they heard one weak
call from the pipe. They knew it wasn't
an echo, and they feIt that Joe, their
leader and the most daring of them all.
was lost. They ventured a little way
into the dark, but came out again, afraid
TO go further without a light
The four boys called a man and told
him Of their fears. He directed them to
run and notify Edward Mccartney. fore
man Of the reservoir. Mccartney called
Battalion Chief King. who ran to the
scene with two firemen of the crew Of
Engine Company IS. stationed at 153d
street and Amsterdam avenue. Patrol
men Zimmerman and horn were sent
from the West 1J2d street station They.
with Mccartney and some of his men.
went through the pipe until they reached
the point where it joins the aquaduct
after a two-feet drop. There was 10
signs of Joe. 1t is believed that he
fell off the bottom Of the pipe to the
water two feet below.
The pipe is known as "blow-off.' 80 and
is part Of a system installed to accom-
modate the overflow from the aqueduct
which carries water from the main Gro
ton depot to the distributing station at
135th street and Convent avenue. where
there is covered reservoir. Just be
fore the aqueduct empties its supply at
that point it is guarded by a large, heavy
screen. which keeps back all foreign
matter and fish. so that the main valves
may not be clogged UP. officials Of tho
Water Department said that there was
a slow current in the aqueduct, and that
Joe" if he fell into the water. would b.
carried down until he reached the screen
When word Of the supposed drowning
reached chief Engineer Richard A. Blake
at the Highbridge pumping station h.
lifted a cover over an opening in the
aqueduct near the station and descended
into the waterway. No trace Of the boy
Was found. Then he and number OF
his men set out to look int" every open
ing made in the aqueduct until the 155th
street plant was reached
Al the distributing station there Is an
cuanjnc. near the screen. The cover was
taken from this and Superintendent
lanes Donahue went down into it, He
did not find the boy, and assigned his
5rla7, TO watch the screen until the body
aDpears. if it does. Up to a late hour
last night il had not been found neces-
sarv 10 shut off the water in order to
look for the lad.
-Joe's'' mother and his eldest brother
joined the patrOlmen and firemen last
night. Mrs Plenty nearly collapsed
When she heard the news. but insisted
ON staving by in the nope that her son
was safe She told the police that the
voungster was so daring that he had her
worrying about him every minute lie was
ont He climbed every telegraph pole in
the neighbarhood Of his home. at No. sol
West 1Jgth street. ana only last week
t,;ad Ia climb from one floor in the house
fo the one above it on clothesline.
rho water in the aqueduct from 179th
.+raet 10 the 13Jth street reservoir was
r.Irnod off late last night II will be
,hirty-siX hours before the water VIII
i'-' Low, enoircb 10 permit men TO walk in
TIN, aqueduct.
RUSSELL IN DEEP, DEEP GLOOM