Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-04-03
DAILY DEMOCRAT.
The Subsn artne Life or n Rsrofes.
slOnal Diver.
From ,hs Cairo no Democrat.

tt9Nh tHs N"ito kti.f beaiVeAss
About twenty years ago Hiram Hill, then
well known in Cairo, accepted employment
on Me>srs Eads 4 Nelson's vrecking or
submarine bell boats. la time he was in
stalled az diver, and SIS such we propose 20
speak Of hin.
lie remained in the employment Of
Messrs. Elds & Nelson period of eighteen
wears. He is now on Messrs. Dugan Il
Co.'S Under writer, where we saw him yea
teFdsy, ard learned something OF the life Of
a DIVER.
rhe use Of bell, in diving, is now dis
cardsd Ihe diver wears water tight ~
NOR over his entire person, except the head,
which 10 covered by an inverted metallic
pot, in which the head can turn and msvs
At ease. Thick, transparent glass 10 bxsd
in front to serve IS Window; and 10 pre-
vent accident this glass 10 protected BY s,ssl
guards or Tenders. Equipped in this ar
NOR, the diver puts on PAIR Of lead solcd
shoes, weighing each twenty pounds, lssh-
e. TO his back and breast . piece OF lead
weighing forty pounds, attaches the tube,
through which hs receives air, to the back
| of his head pot, and than is ready for his
submarine explorations. He generally de-
sends to the bottom Of the river By the uss
of ladder, but can, without mourning any
risk. lump from the boat and sink to the
| bottom. The moment he disappears under
water the air pump commences Its work Of
| supplying bin With constant stream Oh
| fresh air. II, al any time the air creates
too grea, pressure upon him. the pressure
| is renewed by seli-scting valve, liked 1t
| the side Of the head. II the pump does not
israish sufficient air, tho diver indicatss
the fact by signs, and the supply IS IN
creased.
Sir. Hill informs us that he has remained
under water five hours at time. The
| great weight of lead fastened upon his feet
and body IS nee ,ssary to countecact the
tuovancy Of the air furnished him by the
pump. While on the boat, the arrnor and
weights form load for astrong man. Un-
der water they impose no reaizAbte weight,
| and in no way impede motion. Mr. HUI IN
| forms US that he has, while under water,
often clamhered up stanchions. jumped
down hatchways, distance OF twelve and
fifteen feet. with much greater ease and
less risk than he might have performed the
same feats out Of water. Taking with him
his tools, he has frequently worked, ioi
hours at a time. patching up the bottoms Of
nagged steamers, saving boards. boring
holes, driving nails, etc, with perfect ease
and accuracy When the water Is clear he
can recognize shapes ut distance oil two
ar three feet and at distance Of six inches
he can determine the different kinds OF tim
Der When the rivers are high and the
water is muddy, everything is lmpenetraoly
black, rendering 1t immaterial whether his
eyes are open or shut. But. With him, the
character of the water is ministerial. Ill
mas been at the business so long that by thu
mere sense Of touch he can instantly deter
mine what portion Of the wreck he Is ex
ploring; can cork up cracks, or patch VI
holes; can determine the character Of thu
sunken cargo; pass firm hatch to hatct
through the hold and do everything els'
under water that An expert blind mar
mi ght do on the land. lie says that h
brea,hcs fall and satisfactorily that ther'
is no sitting sensation, no odds how Ions
he remains under. Indeed, 50 accustomed
is he to life and labor under water, that h
feels somewhat lost when his stay on liant
IS protracted. He is Of tho opinion tbs
about three years OF his lite have beef
spent under water-yet he has no scales ol
his body, no signs of fins or gills-not evei
web Ieet. He is. to oil in,snss and pur
poses, human being. not even partakinI
of the nature of a mer-man-or any othe
fish