Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-06-05
From Putnam's Magazine.
OCEAN DEPTES-A DIVERS TALE


! The life of one who explores the mysteries G
| the sea. Is not more perlous than fascinating
| The charm of terror hangs around it. and the in
termlaable succession of exciting events render
1t very dear to its professor. Not to the com
mon diver OF the East who can remain but 70
q traction OF time beneath the wave, and grop
| fearfully among rugged ocean mounds but t.
the adept in the civilized mode of diving WIN
IN ms protective armor may remain subnlerge,
TOR hours and wander with impunity, for mile
along those unknown regions far below the sea
o him the most thrilling occurrences of the up
per world seem frivolous i'll his memory, he re
/ taAS thoughts that may well chill the blood
/ am a diyer-a diver from choice-and | an
proud OF my profession. Where is such eour
age required as is needed here 1t is nothing t,
be soldier, diver. however--but forbear
| VIII tell my story, and leave others to judge
concerning it.
An appalling shipwrecll occurred not LONG
ago, upon the widest part of tho coast of New
founiand The tidings of this calamity reached
the ears OF thousands but, amid tho crowd o.
accidents which followed in quick succession
II y, was soon forgotten Not by us, however
W found the vessel had sunk upon spot where
! the waters depth was by no means great and
| that daring man might easily reach her
She was steamer called the Marmion and
had been seen going suddenly down without an
instant 5 warning by some fishermen near by
She had undoubtedly struck hidden rock, and
| NAG thus been in one moment destroyed.
spoke to my associates of the plan, and they
approved 1t. No time was lost in making tho
necessary preparations and short time bphcld
US, embarked in our small schooner for the sun.
ken ship. There were six of u.s. and we antici.
pated extraordinary success.
was the leader and generally ventured upon
an exploit III which there was uncommon dang
er Not that the others were towards on the
~ n hoxr LII
gifted with a GOODNESS and presence of mind OF
which the others were destitute AS two per-
sons We're needed, i'll order to explore the Mar
mon, had selected as my companion q young
fellow whose steadness and dauntless courage
had several times before been tested.
1t was calm and pleasant day, but the
southern and eastern horizon looked deceitful.
small suspicious Clouds were gathered there i'll
as the aspect, ana 'sneaking fellows, regular
hapg-dog fellows as my comrade remarked to
me. Nevertheless we are not to be PIT off by a
little cloudiness in the sky, but boldly prepared
to venture.
50 deep was the water, that no vestige of a
SHIPS mast remained above the surface to point
out the resting place of the Marmon. We were
compelled therefore, to select the scene of opera
tlons according to the best of our ability
Down went the sails OF our schooner, and
thinner and we put OH our diving armor. We
liked on oul helmets tightly, and screwed on
the hose. One by one each clumsy article was
adJusted.-The weights were hung, and we were
ready.
1t looks terrible blackish, Bcrton said Rim
mer to me.
all right
'Ah' He uttered a low exclamation which
sounded hollow from his cavernous helmet
All ready cried in loud voice, which they
however, could not easily distinguish. Then,
n 81 I
side.
Down we went l first, and Rmmer close be-
hind me. 1t did not take long time for us to
reach the bottom. We found ourselves on what
seemed to be broad plain, sloping downward
toward the south, and rising slightly, toward
the north. Looking forward then, q dim black
OBJECT arose, which our experienced eyes knew
to be lofty rock.
| motioned to Rimmer that we should proceed
there.
cannot tell the strangeness of the sensation
teit by one who first walks the bottom OF the
sea.
There are thousand objects. fitted to excite
astonishment even III the mind of him who has
dared the deed a hundred times. All around us
lay the plain covered by water; but here the
eye could not pierce far away, as i'll the upper
air, for the water III the distance grew opaque
and seemed to fade away into misty darkness.
There was no sound, except the incessant gur-
S1c WAS produced by the escape OF the air
from the breast valve, and the plash caused by
our passage through the water We walked ON
at good pace for this armor, which seems SO
clumsy up above, is excellent below, and offers
little Inconvenience TO the practiccd wearcr.
Fishes i'll crowds were around us-Fishes of
evory shape and size met our eyes, no matter
where we turned. They swan swiftly by us
they raced and chased one another in every d.
rectlon. Here a shoal of porpoises tunib,od
along IN clumsy gambols there grampus
might be seen rising slowly to the surface here
an immense number Of smaller fish flashed past
us, there some huge ones with pondcruus forms
tloated III the water lazily. Sometimes three or
four placed themselves directly before us, star
ing at us, and solemnly working their gills.-
There they would remain, TIL we came up to
them, and then, with start, they would dart
away.
All this tino we were walking onward along
the bottom of the sea, while above u.s. like a
black cloud in the sky, we could sec our boat
slowly moving onward upon the surface of the
water, and now, not more than hundred yards
before us, we could see the towering form Of
that ebony rock which had at first greeted Jour
eyes from affair." As yet we could not be certain
that this was the place where the Marmion had
stluck.-But soon a round, black object became
disccrnable, as we glanced at the rocky base.
Rimmer struck my arm, and pointed | sig
nlfed assent, and we moved onward more
quickly.
4 few moments elapsedi we had come nearer
to the rock. The black object looked like the
stern of a vessel whose hull lay there.
Suddenly, Rimmer struck me again, and point
ed upward Following the direction ofhs hand,
l looked up, and saw the upper surface of the
water all foamy and in motion. There was a
momentary thrill through my heart, but it pas
sed over. We were all in dangerous position.
storm coming on.
Inf sbonII bp 1SHo
near the object Of our search Already it lay
before us. We were close bcsideit Mol would
not | signalized to Rimmer to go forward, and
we still kept on our course.
Now the rock rose up before us, black rugged,
dismal. Its rough sides were worn by The &c.
ton of the water, and in some places were cover
ed by marine plants and nameless ocean vcgcta.
tion.-We passed onward. we clambered over a
spur which projected fsta the cliff.
The MarBion-thefe she lay upright with
everything still standing. She had gone right
down, and had settled in such position among
the rocks, thai she stood upright here just as
though she lay at her wharf We rushed eager
ly along and clambercd up her side There
was low moan in the water, which sounded
warningiy in our ears, and told of a swift ap-
preaching danger. What was to be done must
be done speedily. We hurried forward. Rim
mer rushed to ] the cabin went forward to
descend to the hold. l descended the ladder
and walked into the engineers room. All was
empty here, all was water. The waves of the
ocean had entered, and were sporting with the
1vorES If man I went into fine frpiuht room