The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-04-06
LIFE OF AN OLD DIVER.
Under the Deep Waters and
Among the Wrecks.
From the Cairo Democrat.

About twenty years ago Hiram Hill, then
well known in Cairo, accepted employment
on Messrs. Eads 4 Nelson's wrecking or
submarine bell boats. In time he was in.
stalled as diver, and as such we proposed to
speak of him.
He remained in the employ of Messrs.
Eads & Nelson period of eighteen years.
He is now on Messrs. Dugan 4 Co.'S Under
writer, where we saw him yesterday, and
learned something of the life of diver.
The use of bell in diving is now discard
ed. The diver wears water tight armor
over his entire person, except the head,
which is covered by an inverted metallic
pot, in which the head can turn and move
at ease. Thick, transparent glass is fixed
in front to serve as windows; and, to pre-
vent accident, this glass is protected by steel
guards or tenders. Equipped in this armor,
the diver puts on pair of lead soied shoes,
weighing each twenty pounds, dashed 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 submar-
inc explorations. He generally descends
to the bottom of the river by the use of a
ladder, but can, without mourning any risk,
lump from the boat and sink to the bottom.
The moment he disappears under the water
the air pump commences its work of supply
ing him with a constant stream of fresh air.
If, at any time, the air creates too great a
pressure upon him, the pressure is relieved
by a selfacting valve, fixed at the head. Ii
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
4 g. L. /.
weight of lead fastened upon his feet and
body is necessary to counterfeit the buoy
aney of the air furnished him by the pump.
While on the boat the armor and weights
form a load for a strong man. Under water
they impose no realizable weight, and in no
way impede motion Mr.. Hill informs us
that he has, while under water, often clam
bered up stanchions, jumped down hatch
ways, a distance oftwelve and fifteen feet,
with much greater ease and less risk than he
might have performed the same teats out of
water. Taking with him his tools, he has
frequently worked, for hours at time,
patching up the bottom 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 a distance of two or three feet, and at a
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 rendering it immater-
ial whether his eyes are open or shut. But,
with him, the character OF the water is i'm
material. He has been at the business so
long that by the mere touch he can instant
ly determine what portion of the wreck he is
exploring; can cork up cracks, or patch up
holes; can determine the character of the
sunken cargo; pass from hatch to hatch
through the hold, and do everything else
under the water that an expert blind man
might do on the land. He says that he
breathes full and satisfactorily that there
is no sitting sensation, no odds how long he
may remain under. Indeed, so accustomed
is he 10 life and labor under water, that he
feels somewhat lost when his stay on land is
protracted. He is of opinion that about
three years of his life has been spent under
water-yet he has no scales on his body, no
sign of fins or gills-not even web feet. He
is, to all intents and purposes, a human be-
ing, not even psrtaking of the nature of a
mer-man--or any other fish