The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-21 00:00:00

'~....~

N S_PAP_Eit.

An inquest was
Sohn Oppey, a di-
pier works Isaac
helmet diver .in .
Son, was the first:waiters examined., ' lEt.
" I knew the deceaaed,-whe wasalse a rnitaot) em-21
ployed upon the Admiralty-Plr %works. Aresterlay, -.4
about 1 o'clock, I went'clewn in the ordinary dialer - i...
dress, for the purpose of setting foundations fall._
pier. I was accompanied by 'the decteasacrobe. -
was provided with the same apparatus...' 'Weer.
that that was the first time he had descend,
Before going: down I established with him-a
teda
of signals he wos to make with his bands, whereby 'I
should know whether he required nacre or less
air; and I expres,ly enjoined him by nameana to
mechl.te with the air-valve,. as the con, equences
might be very serious if he did so. I also-told him -
hovi O signal with his life-line to those abet% in
the event of his wishing to be taken up. Onlet- .
ting:tollie bottom, I placed him against one:Ort4i
btouttri.
was
blocks, and pressing his hand and wavinito brit at
senoti
thieesame time, I conveyed to him the he was not
dthisetnanitefmt
ohriemth.afornasbioxnotrtewisohtnifleeinit te.si
employed myself the time mentioned in setfingone of the blocks, and then returned to the .4:1 aged.
ece
I found him in the place at which I had- put liiria,.
but holding in his hand a tool called a straight-edge,
with which he pointed to one of thelolocks,
tiattli- ''Y
was slightly out of level., _ I was pleased 'at-that,
as I thought it showed that:be was I' gektPg
on famously. I then repeated the signal- 'to -
.him not to stir, and again left him arid:employed
myself -at my work...ln-- about ten• minuted
I went to him again, and he had thennie-rad,bout ..
four feet towards the spot at which I had Wen_
employed. I examined the valve regulating the
quantity of air supplied to the diving apparatus,
which /as in the position I had placed it in pre, .
vious to going down, and put him back to the place
I had. first stationed him at,' and enjoined him by
signal not to move. I then a third time went from
him, and, on my return to him.in about two or
three minutes,' he was leaning with his arm' upon
the block and the straight-edge in his hand."—lle
shook the htter at me playfully, as if he Wits itrik
ing with-a sword. I then again left- him, and
in a few minutes, on looking towards him, Imissed
him. , I directly went to where he ought to have
been; but he had morel from that spot-ab Out eight - '
feet. , On getting to him, I took him by the arm,
upon which he turned towards me, and made the
agreed signal with his hands that he should like to
go up. I directly snat3hed his life-liae, giving the
signal to those above to lift hint up, and at the ;
same time I lifted my baud to snatch mine, when I
a sine' came down to me to come up myself. .I :1
give the return signal immediately, and I was-lifted
„:1,
.ie
to the surface. On getting there I looked about for
,;.
the deceased, expecting to find that he also had -
been raised, but I was informed that they could.
not lift him. I said, "Pull him," and, they did .4
so, but were still unable to raise him-up.. I then a
directed them to pass the line on to the staging, so - .
as to get The lift straight up and down.- That was
done, but still they could not get Win up; On
learning this I went down myse'f directly, but was
unable to find the deceased, and thinking that -he
might have been drawn to the surface ,as I had
gone down, I again had myself pulled up. Findingi
however, that they had still been unable to lift Firr,
I again descended by h's l'f,.:-.11.4.1e, and guided by
thAL I dile.uvcr6l him lying doWn, with his hands .
firmly clenching a rope. I then cut off his,weights,.
on which he Heed a-little, and I-augured frointht ~
that there was soma hope. After some difficulty I
unclenched his hands, and he was then lifted up,
upon my making the nece3sary signal to those
above. I followed him to the outface, and on the ,
glass in front of my helmet being taken out I asked
if he was dead or alive ?—the answer being I fear
ho is dead. I went directlY tO look at the collar of
deceased's apparatus, and found the regulator quite
open. The valve being- opened, water could get
into the helmet. Ido not think the valve could ~
have become open braccident, but must have been
designedly turned- by deceased.- On the occasion of'
my first going down into- ttie-water as a diver I
suffered extremely from pains in the head, and be—
ginners often suffer in the same way, -Going dote* -
immediately after ea'iug would,cause the symptems-
to be aggravated. The deceased-had 'Just come
"' '
from dinner when'he descended. In my opinion
decease I began to feel oppressed and uncomfortable,
and was induced to turn the valve, thinking
thereby to obtain relief." The jury returned a
verdict in accordance with this witness's opinion.—
Dover Chronizle.

-,:rrilribk
_•S7.c., =''4 '
. ( ." t,, ..ts'`• t.., ck
.'i,,...-•,-„„--
4 DIVINCI4-•:.(i -' 4 %.'1.4;,..* 4.:14
-14)
-----4---=-7 c-;-,., -, 1104.14:,
la .held at Dorirtlatlie if i ' c;
diver employed at thltAl ... , -
ae&ztair, a tagton- by tiadE,`iiita t
, the m eploy-of Messm , Lce and
,t rip witm . ___ _ _