Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-11

Orr MoERIs ISLAND. Dec "a
During recent visit to Port Royal witness
ed with considerable interest ihe operations of
the divers employed 10 clean tl,e bottoms of the
monitors. and perform other operations under
the water Messrs Joseph II Smith and james
B Phelps have contr,ct with the government
for the performance of this work aud hive been
of great use here. The principal diver-appro
priately namei Wateis--iS so usrd TO this work
that he has become almost amphibons. remain
ing for five or siS hours At a time under water.
man of herculean strength and proportions.
when clad ia hls subm 4rine armor he becomes
monstrous in size and Appearance.
more singular sight than to see him roll
tumble in the water and disappear from sight or
popping up. blowing. as the air escapes rom his
helmet. like whae, ctu scarcely be imagined
Waters has his own ideas of joke, ond when be
has curious audience viii wave his scraper
about he .sbolls arSasd' in the water. NTH the
air OF veritsble river god One of his best
jokes-the better fer bring veritabie fact-0c
Cured last summer While he was emDloyed in
scraping the hull of one Of the monitors. negro
from Que of the up river plantations came along
side with boat load OF watermelonS. While
busy selling his melons the diver came up, aud
rested himself on the s.le Offhe b1 It.
The negro staiel ~ the exsr tIrdinary appear
thus suddenly coming ont s,t the water with
alarmed wonder, but when she diver seized one
OF the best melons II the boat. and disappeared
under the water. The sirging of fhe air from he
helmet mixing aith lie inufilesl laugher the
fright of tie negro reached climax Hastily
Selling his oars, withoat waiting 10 be paid for
bis melons, he psit osf ri hs best speed, aud has
not been seen in the vicidity ole Statiog Greek
since. de cannot I've tempted beyond the
bounds of the plantation, aud believes that the
Yankees have brought river devils aid them
/ in making
/ The diver. when clothed in his armor, is
weighted with l65 pounds Beside his armor.
he lsas two leaden pads. lifting To his breast and
inch and htif thick. An this weight is needed
to overcome the buoyaney given by the of
air forced into the armOr and dress. the latter of
india rubber, worn by the diver When below
the surface, he can instantly bring himself M by
closing momcntarily the aperture in the helmet
| for the escape of The air His buoyarcy is i'm
mediately increased. and ne pops up like a
cork and floats az will upon the surface The
work of scraping the bottoms Of the monitors is
very aruous
The diver sits upon spar dashed athwart the
bottom of the vessel, 50 arranged a. To ne novel
as the work pr0gre>ss~, AMI wtha scrapsr fixed
to long handle. works ON both sides of himself
as far he can reach. The mass Of oysters
that become Httacled 10 the iron bulIs OF one Of
the monitors. even during one summer here. is
| INTENSE Us actual measurement it was esti-
mated that $50 bushels of oysters, shells. and
seaweed we're taken from the bottom of the
Montank alone The Captains OF the monitors
have sometimes indulged in the novelty OF a
mess Of oysters raised on the huls Of their own
vessels.
Beside clssshing the monitors. the divers per-