The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-05-08
VOL. xII.---NO.. 49, 8, I.
Hiram Hiu the DiUes.-T Three
Years. Fife and Labor Ussdes"

Water. sGHaaaus gn63 ca
About twenty years ago, Hiram Hill
accepted employment on Messrs. Eads &
Nelson's submarine bellboats. In time
he was installed as a diver, and as such
we propose to speak Of him. He remain
ed 10 the employment Of Messrs. Eads 4
Nelson for period of eighteen years. He
is now employ ed on Messrs. Dugan &
Co.'S. Underwater, where we saw him
yesterday, and learned something ofthe
life of diver. laa . sa1ad2aps2- 2a.
The use Of bell in diving operations is
now discarded The diver wears water.
tight armor over his entire person, except
the head which is covered by an invert-
ed metallic pot, in which the head can
turn and move at ease. Thick, transpar-
ent glass is fixed in front to serve Ms wins
dows and to prevent accident, this glass
is protected by steel guards or Tenders
Equipped in this armor, the diver puts on
a pair of lead soled shoes, weighing each
twenty pounds, lashes to his back and
breast piece of lead weighing forty
pounds, attaches the tube through which
he receives air to the back of his head -pot,
and then is ready for his submarine ex-
plorations.- Mr.. Hill generally descends
to the bottom of the river by the use Of o
ladder, but can, without mourning any
risk, jump from the boat and sink to the
bottom. a.
The moment the diver disappears under
water the air pump commences its work
Of supplying him with a constant stream
of fresh air. If, at any time, the air
creates too great pressure upon him the
pressure is relieved by selfacting valve,
fixed at the side Of the bead If the
pump does not furnish sufficient air, the
diver indicates the fact by signs, and the
supply is increased. Mr.. Hill informs US
that he has remained under water for Eve
hours at q time. The great weight of lead
fastened upon his feet aud body ID neees-
sary to counterfeit the buoyaucy of the air
furnished him by the pump While on
the boat, the aarmor and weights form
load for a strong man. Under water
they impose no reaizeable weight, and in
no way impede motion. Mr.. Hill stated
that he has, while under water, often
clambered up stanchions, jumped down
hatchways, a distance Of twelve and if-
teen feet, with much greater ease and less
risk than he might have performed the
same feats out of water. Taking with
him his tools, the diver has frequently
worked for four hours at time, patch-
ing up the bottoms of snagged, steamers,
saving boards, boring holes, driving nails,
etc., with perfect ease and accuracy. When
the water is clear he can recognize shapes
at distance of two or three feet, and at q
distance of six inches he can Determine
the different kinds Of timber. When the
rivers are high and the water is muddy,
everything is impenetrably black. rr,lgr-
ing It immaterial whether his eyes ar oIe.I
or shut. But with Mr.. Hill the charac-
of the water is immaterial. He has been
at the business SO long that by the mere
sense of touch he can instantly determine
what portion of the wreck be is expIor-
ing can calk up cracks or patch up
holes he can determine the character Of
the suuken cargo pass from hatch to
hatch through the hold and do every
thing else under water that an expert
blind man might do on land He says
that he breathes fnll and satisfactorily
that there is no sitting sensation, no mat
ter how long he remains under. Indeed,
SO accustomed is Mr.. Hill to life and labor
under water, that no feols somewhat lost
when his stay on land is protracted. He
is of opinion that in the aggregate about
three years of his life have been spent un-
der water; yet he has no scales on his
body, no signs Of fms or gills, nor even
web feet. He is, to all intents and pur-
poses, q human being, not even partaking
of the nature ola norman, or any other
animal.-Cairo Guy Democrat. q a-ai2