The Washington herald., 1917-07-26
SWEPT into SEWER
BOY SURVIVES tide
Rescued. He Tells Story of Hour
and Half of Horrors.

Swept into a storm sewer near the
filtration plant during the high wsters
yesterday. Joseph Moran, aged Il, 443
Luray place northwest. lived through
an hour and a halfs battering before
he was rescued by Thomas Green,
80 Fairmount street. almost a quater
Of q mile below where he had fallen
into the swollen stream.
Policemen from the Tenth precinct
station became almost hysterIcal when
tho boy was rescued. Mrs Moran,
wife OF william ]. Moran, clothing
saleman, and mother OF the boy, did
not know OF the accident until he
was brought back safely to his home.
In company with Robert Bowman,
OF 3S0S Park Place. the boy had been
wading in the waters of a gutter that
carries on the storm overflow OF
series Of park lakes. What happened
after Is best told by the boy himself,
as he sat up in bed where he had
been ordered by a doctor.
Boy Tells Story.
"Yuh see," he said, me an Bob
bic Bowman, that lives over on 33OS
Park Place. was wadin' aroun't In
the water Just right before 1t goes
into the tunnel-the sewer. Bobbie,
he could wade up against the water,
1t was comm down mighty strong,
and then / tried It, He said /
couldn't do It, but would Of, only
my foot slipped on an ole rock. and
first thing know, there / was right
in the middle Of the water. An 1
was goin' mighty fast, cause Bob
bic tried to ketch me bout the time
was goin' in the tunnel. By that
time I was near the openin' inta
the sewer. But he couldn't hold me,
and In l went, inta the tunnel.
1T was awfly dark In there an
part Of the time 1 went under the
filthy water. But kept my mouth
closed, an jus bobbed up like a
fishin' cork.
AN there was goin' fast as any
thing, an the water just kept comm
up an up an up. But I could put
my hands out along the wall, and
JUS as l was thinkin' that I'd never
get out no more, my han struck a
nail"
Tries to Pray.
"Mebbe I didn't hor on some! An
it was Just a little nail. but I got
two fingers on it. Then felt aroun'
with my other han an there was
another nail, bout three times as
long. An the water was so strong
that 1t jus swung me right aroun'
in a circle till my feet was goin' down
stream an my head was tryin' to go
up. I was in a sort of gully but /
couldn't lift myself out
I began prayin' to get out. I got
thinkin' mebbe I'd never get out of
that awful place. l most cried. only
I didn't. ! thought no one would ever
come.
But after a while the water began
goin' down some. 1t got down to my
belt, an then down as far as my
knees. Then could stan up and
walk. started to walk out of the
manhOle. But it was all dark an l
man. Tom Green, that works at the
filtration plant, lifted on the cover
and looked down.
Il could hear the people sayin' he
amt down there But 1 yelled to
Tom; yelled. please. please, hang
down a rope! Please" JUS like that
an he did.
An when I got pulled up. the cops
started to pound me an rub me, an
then I saw Bobbie. Then they took
me over to the Garfield Hospital,
an the doctor over there laid me
on the operatin' table. an l didn't
know what they was goin' to do to
me. but they only took on my clo'es.
they was soakin' wet. and wrapped me
in blankets till some dry clo'es come
an then they took me home"