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Show Tight for life " in flooded sewer But for the Bravery of the Foreman Forty Laborers Would Have Per.shed Water Pours Into Tube In Which Men Are Working, and They Are Only Prevented From Drowning Like Rats In Trap by Cool-nets Cool-nets of One Man. New York. Forty laborers ran, swam and fought for their lives when the now sower In West, Forty-sixth street was flooded Tuesday night, and but for tho coolness of Foreman Den Conners all would havo perished. Tlio men were working In tho tube, which Ib eight feet In diameter, u block hi length nnd forty foot below tho surface. Suddenly a break occurred oc-curred In tho old Bower above them und tho escaping water poured Into tile open end of tho tube. The only exit was at tho opposite end, whero tho nlr shaft led to tho surface. A moment ufter a strcum flrBt trickled Into tho tube tho flood came, and when tho men turned to run tho water wns at their knees nnd rapidly rising. Then tho men, pnnlc-strlcken, ran for tho shaft, and In running fell ovor each other. When they went half way to tho shaft tho water was at their waists. Screaming and fighting, fight-ing, tho men wedged themselves into a helpless mass. Then Connors, who had led tho way to tho shaft, took a hand, and, swinging an ugly club, threatened to brain every man of them If they did not oboy him. Then ho ordored them to form four abreast nnd march. Somo marched, but more swam, bb by that tlmo tho water had reached the necks of tho taller, whllo: those of lesser height had been swept from, their feet. One by ono they gained tho shaft and climbed the ladder to the street. Conners was the last to leave tho sower, and whon Ijo did he roso from six feet of water. |