Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-03-13

been a sand hog for a day
Together with II regulars
eather-lunged men and iron-beartod
i have sloughed through the mud
under compressed air 60 feet below
the Hudson river where the greatest
AicuIar tunnel in the world is he
built by these human moles.
With pick, hand and shovel tbav
bauow ahead, ripping, tearing, clear
ing the way for the shield of engi-
neers to follow. Doggedly they 20 on
digging deeper, by inches.
When finally they see light
through the two-mile wall before
them, they will have linked New
York and New Jersey with 500
O0O,00 tube through which more
than $4,000, 200 vehicles will pass an
nually. It won't be read for three
years-a short time for so gigantic
an engineering enterprise; but long
time for these sand hogs.
For it's unhealthy working under
compressed air. State laws limit the
working day to two hours under GER
tain pressures. And then only after
! long rest.
Little wonder that they become
silent as they go into the lock leav-
ing sunlight behind-perhaps for
ever.
It's like the mouth of a hell, this
long, noisy, foggy, steaming, boiler
Ike lock. A thick haze mounts as
its small, heavy iron door swings n.
The air grows tight. It's hiss be-
comes a laundering roar.
Louder, louder, tighter tighter,
Ear drums feel like bursting. | can
scarcely breathe. But l have been
I told what to do.
I hold my nose and swallow hard
This raises the pressure in the Eu-
stachian tube leading to the middle
ear and equalizes the mounting air
! in the lock. It's mans own COM
pressed air device.
It's a great relief. But the pres
sure keeps on soaring. The thud,
thud, thud grows louder. But the
pain in my head is gone. I'm getting
used to it.
The vapor is disappearing. The air
becomes warm.
Gradually the hiss, hiss sizzles out,
The ali, in the lock has been raised
to the pressure of that in the tunnel.
The end door swings open We file
through silently.
No need of holding the nose now.
- the ringing in the head goes on.
Down a thin, long ladder we climb
! through an opening like a small
. sewer hole Down. down, down
Everything is thudding-men' ma
schines, air.9H .TE8J r
Yet it is all so deadly silent
Ring after ring of the Turner's
great lining has already been lald.
Down to the boring end go the sand
sbogs. They pass the other SHIFT
sgoing by. A nod, a passing glance
/ land that's all.
Each crawls to his place out be-
8yond the boring-steel shield
The lob is to clear the way SO that
8tbis massive machine, operated uh-
8der tremendous hydraulic pressure
lean cut ahead. But the human sano
h. must dig to clear the way
Throngb mud, sand, silt he bur. w.
lows COMPRESSED aid keeps most OF
The water out. But the men az 't ~
2Tottom Of the tube are wallowing IN
sseepage. They don't seem to ml2o'
H.. D. all part Of their getting ahead.
s6ifting sands, slipping boulders'
] or heavy blasts don't worry them,
h. coming out of the compressed all
a' For too hasty a decomposition
aaivey the "bends," terrible disease
Resulting from too much nit[os 5,, -
stbe blood which bubbles 0'O'll''
Huntil something bursts. fou
] Hours after work, they may ,i a+II'
areeling like drunken men A i to,.,,
Adfsk on the coat lapel tells the stof ii3
'''oa 90 on rl-e air employe, If i'll,
srush to hospital lock by 0roei
H. Ambulance Board. .sor
~ IN '' the long black ladder 6 tney
Ilimb when their shift is done B 5aon
sinto the air lock. The IRON G TSa
swings shut. The thud dies OUT ! ~
pressure is lowered. n1,,roo
The outside door opens i plume en
Through the mist I'm in the o pei
lain. NV head feels light, ! r ee
Il Bit and nv legs wabble as I 60 on,
With me go the regulars STUN ~
bling on from darkness Oe ;IontIv,
#the darkness above
almost sullenly. hon the
ghey don't know yet "N9N
-" may get them AID the
But it's all in their game anu t tao
band hogs are willing to take .,. IHv
schance even though the pay Ia -
exceeds SO a day. LID mil
When the tunnel is hnlSneU' n,any