Three men were blown through twenty-seven feet of river mud, twenty-five feet of water and 

 twenty feet into the air on top of a geyser of mud and foam while engaged in excavating the 

 bed of the East River, New York city, for the building of a new subway. They were 

 working in what is known as a shield, which is pushed forward foot by foot as the workmen 

 progress. Compressed air prevents the water from rushing into the shield. The great pres- 

 sure of the air forced the three men one after the other through a hole in the river bed. One 

 of the men, the first to be ejected into the river, survived 



642 



