Year: 1859

mann So"cio VI dIiS are OToduiy CoH'


structed tunnels, some ten feet wide and


nine feet high. They convey as much


water through them as does our Croton


Aqueduct. and resembles it in solidity oi


construction. They carry not water


alone, but ventilation and air to many Of


the underground vaults and purlieus ol


the city, which were unseen and unknown


to its early residents.


For more than three months Leopold
crawled around the piers in the upper
part of the city on the East River side,


with the hopes of seeing sewer opening
out into the river. He had not sufficient
experience in city life and Croton Board
arrangements, to know that entrance
could be had through the street "man.
holes," (apertures left for the purpose
along the centre of the streets, and COW
cred over with iron covers. opening with
a key. Such modes of ingress in this
country were under the control of the
municipal Police, and the entry by them
was beyond the power Of the poor rag
picker.


Finally, Meyer got into sewer which
emptied on Houston street, and the big
tides which followed kept him SO close a
prisoner, and by which he came so near
losing his life, that. getting out he at
once started West, not only to dispose OF
his gains by the enterprise in putting
little money into Western farm, but to
see some relatives near Kaskaskia, in Illi-
nois, and then to return to Paris rag
picking, with snug little sum ahead.
The first experience of Meyer in New
York Sewer Life was to get nearly scald-
ed to death by an exhaust of steam from
the factory of Hoe d Co., corner of
Broome and Sheriff street. He stopped
about that locality, as near as could be
judged, because of some debris of stove
pipe which bad become lodged in the
sewer, and here the steam was " let on"
and poor Meyer almost as suddenly let
off," He continued, however, to retreat
along the extensive bottom Of the sewer,
to escape the boiling fury of the vapor.


1t must not be supposed that Meyer
came into the sewer unprovided with
light, or the usual method of working
these street mines to advantage. He had
both and all. His trowsers and under
clothing were of India rubber; India
rubber shoes on his feet a wire sack on
his shoulder; an iron rag picker in his
hand, and small scoop in his side-pock
ct, with usual mining lamp, contrived
to protect the user from the impurity of
the atmosphere-these composed his
outfit. His design was to make a straight
wake for Fifth Avenue. There, he rea-
soned, would be the cream of hunting
grounds for his trade and probably his
reasons were good, for he argued that in
no part in the city do as many silver
spoons. forks and trinkets disappear.
through the carelessness of servants and
the impurities of soap and waste water,
as in this, the palalial part of our city


But several difficulties beset the sewer
adventurer before he could gain the pro-
missed land. He knew the direction of
the streets, but not the course Of the
sewers. He advanced westward to Broad
way. only to find that its main sewers
there turned off to the east. He went
along its easterly branch, and there found
crook 10 the north. He advanced
northward, and there its walls went
south. In short, he became bewildered.
and for the first time in his life doubted
his capacity to navigate under ground
wherever ne chose to penetrate. This
was the fifth day of his entrance to the
sewers. His little stock of provisions
was giving out. The street corner air
holes of this part of the city were not so
frequent as he had before met, and the
sewers were less purified because more
distant from the rivers. In the clefts of
masonry adjoining the street culverts. he
had previously passed number Of nights
with indifferent sleep. which had awak-
ened him somewhat. and now Meyer felt
rather like backing out from his disagree
able task. However. push ahead he
must. He was yet in Broadway, that he
knew, and opposite the Metropolitan Ho-
tel, where the sayory steams from the
Messrs. Leland's kitchens. poured forth,
to him, delightful odors.


He pushed down Broadway. had a vi
olent dispute with a poor NANCY dog.
which had got benighted down below and
would not let him pass, which dispute he
ended rather SUI rily with his iron
rag picker. andV1en showed along. AT