Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-01-07
Correspondence of the y Y. Tribune.
Cleaning the Bottoms Of the Monitors
Orr MonptS Ist .Sn Dac 0i


During recent visit to Port Royal witness
ed with considerable interest the operations OF
the divers employed TO clean tie bottoms of the
monitors and perform other operations under
the water Messrs Joseph II Smith md James
B Phelps have contract with the government
for the performance of this work and have ,een
IF great use here. The principal diver-appro
priately named Waters-is 80 used Ia this woik
that he has become almost amDhibious remain
ing for i've six hours al = time under water
A man ct herculean strength ad proportions.
Mhen clad ia his submarine rmor he become,
INDUSTRIOUS in size ana appearance
more singular sight than 10 see him roll or
tumble IA the water aud disappear from sight. or
popping up. blowiug, a the ar e.cIpe- from his
helmet Ike whale can scarcely ne imagined
Waters has his own ideas of Joke ond when he
has curious audience will wave his scrapet
about he ''hobs aroused" in the wafer with the
air OF seritable river god One of his best
iokcs-the tetier for being verjtabie fact-oc
Cured last summer While he WI, employ cd in
scraping the hull OF one Of the monitors q negro
from one OF the Up river plantations came along
side with boat 10 3 OF wAtefme..nS While
busy selling his melons the diver came up and
reste'. himself on the side of the b)tt
The negro stared at the ext5aprlin .ry apoear-
thus Suddenly coming out OF the watef with
alarmed wonder. bu, when the diver seizei one
OF the best melons in the boat ami disappeare !
under tue water the gGrsing of the air from the
helmet mixing with the mufiei aughter the
might ri the negro reached a climax Hastil,
SEEING his oar-. without waiting 10 be paii FOR
his melons he put of AT his best speed. and has
not been seen in the vicidty OF Station Creek
since lie cannot be tempted beyond the
bounds of the plantation, and believes that the
Yankees have brought river devils TO aid them
in making war
The diver. when clothed in his armor. is
weighted with lS5 pounds Beside his armor.
ne las two leaden pads fitting to hi- breast and
back The sOles Of his shoes are Of lead an
inch aud half thick All this weight : needle!
to overcome the buoyancy given by he mas OF
air forced into the arIaor aud dress the latter of
india rubber. worn by the diver When below
the surface. he can instantly bring himself uD by
closing m0mentsrily the aperture IN the helme.
tor the escape 81 the air His buovancv Il i'm
mediately increased and ne pops uD like
cork and floats AT will upon the surface The
work OF ~crtDing the bottoms of the monitors i
very ariuOus
The diver sits upon A spar dashed sthwart the
bottom of the vessel. arranged a. 10 o. moved
a. the work progresses and with scraper fixed
TO long handle. works on both side- Of h msef
AZ far "a he reach. The mass of Oystess
that become attached 20 the iron hulis OF one OF
the monitors. even during one summer here is
immense Bv actual measurement u esti
mated that 80 bushels of oysters. SHELF. and
seaweei were taken from the bottom of the
Montauk alone The Captains Of the monitor.
have sometimes INDUCED in the novelty of
mes of oysters raised on the hulls Of their own
vessels.
Beside cleaning the monitors, the divers pei
form other important services They have ran