Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-06-11
From the illustrated News.
SiCard's New Diving Apparatus.


TmE ingenius apparatus for remaining
under water, which our illustrations repre-
scut, is the invention Of NJ. tic ST. Simon
SIcard, French gentleman OF considerable
fnechanica! talent The experiments with
this apparatus were made in France, during
the lust month, exciting considerable ntten-
ton, aud proving eminently satisfactory in
the results. The spot selected was upon the
river Seine, opposite the bridge OF GreneIle.
The experiments took place before com
mission appointed 10y The Minister of Marine,
presided over by NJ. Vce-Adnirnl Baudin.
The same experiments were repeated shortly
after, before company OF five hundred
persons, friends of the inventor, aud others.
A man, clothed from neck to feet, with
vestlnent impervous TO water aud air, places
his head in u cnsque, or helmet, of spherical
shupe, leaving no part of his face visible,
except through two oval glusses or windows,
placed at each side, aud lense opposite the
mouth, which is adjusted the moment of his
descent under the water. Thus closed up
by himself the diver is entirely cut off from
the air we breathe, which is not supplied, as
heretofore, in similar apparatus, 10y means
of tube, pipe, or any other fixture from
above.
The novelty and importance of the inven-
ton consists IN the fact thnt the driver car
ries, in small compass, upon his own body,
as represented in our illustration, the means
to supply himself with fresh uir, aud that he
can thus he let down, at any moment, by
common ropes, free from any of the para
phernalin in present use for forcing down to
him a supply of fresh nir through tubes from
.t.oyn flI., nj. III.
together hy band of metal round the neck
clasped OF the throat, forming connection
totally impervious to water and air. Two
flexible tubes, likewise impervious, come
out of the back pnrt of the casque, mud aro
fitted into metul box, which the diver car
res on his bnck, similar TO the knnpsack of
the sodier,the box containing atmospheric air,
which, passing through one of the tubes,
reaches the mouth Of the diver. The guam
tiiy Of air supplied is regulated at his will,
simply by turning copper screw placed
above his right shoulder, which opens or
closes one of the valves of the box. The
other tube serves to pass off the cnrbonic
gas, and to absorb it in reservoir contained
in the box.
ln this apparatus, NJ. de Grandchamp, a
friend o: the inventor is described to hive
appeared before the public, aud to have de-
scended in the Seine about fifteen feet in
depth, there remaining an hour and a half
without communication with the surface.
Upon reaching the bottom Of the river, he
commenced walking about, his course being
recognized both by glohules rising to the
surface, and by the cord which communica-
ted with him for the purpose of passing sig
mails. The descent wns made in an iron
.,t,,,i. lp,uarnI IN taclln IN n ciunol ,,i,,a
the chnir WINS hoisted upon the platform, MIR. |
Grandchamp still remaining beneath. Some
minutes afterwards, he appeared, bearing in
his hands large stone, plucked from the
bottom, which was handed to one of the
workmen nbove-ihen went down again,
repeaiing the ascent and descent five differ
ent times.
At the same time, NJ. Sicnrd lowered into
the water his marine lamp, for burning un-
der water, which, without recourse to atmos-
phericul air, continued to burn as long ms
the diver remained submerged. 1t wns with
drawn from the water frequently during the
period, to convince the spectators of its he.
ing still nlight The broad light of dny,
however, prevented any good judgment as |
TO its effect The previous night, an exper- |
iment was made IN II cistern, in the lnbratory |
of the inventor, with lamp, which remain
ed burning under the water more thnn an
hour und quarter, giving most intense |
light.
Il will be seen that this invention is es-
pecially applicable to sudden cases of Leak
age, or injury TO vessels at sea, since, while
under weigh, the sails can be easily thrown
ahnck, man lowered with light, and the
injury examined and repaired. OF course,
il is also applicable to all submarine enter
prises.