Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-09-16
Diving Bell Adventure.

Diving Bell Adventure.
While In the harbor of Valparaiso,
aboard the sloop-of-war Virago one of our
midshipmen touched me on the shoulder,
and said that Lieut.. Bardolph wanted to
SEQ me.
II have heard that you are something OF
a naturalist, Starbuck," said the officer,
smiling.
mo sir" Ireplied, mo naturalist, al.
though take interest in-"
20, we'll, never mind,' quoth tho Lieut..
''You have seen our diving bell p
I answered eyes
The lieutenant then said that no wanted
me- to 20 down under the sea, with our old
boatswain, Randolph, formerly a pearl di-
yer, to Look for curious fish, which on
the day previous had boon pierced and
killed with pike.
In form, tho fish resembled serpent;
was about thirty inches in length, and had
upon both sidos of its neck pair Of singu-
lar appendages, something like wings. Its
most strikingpeculiarity, however, was one
eye, Of q greonish color, situated on the top
Of its head. On being struck by the pike,
the creature had rolled over, apparently dy-
ing, and then had gone out of sight.
II think" continued the lieutenant that
have picked you out to 90 with Randolph,
believing that you are interested in natural
history"
Ibowed acquiescenco, and went away to
make preparations.
The diving bell was soon on the deck,
ready to be hoisted and swung over the side.
Tho instrument was little damaged,
but neither Randolph nor I anticipated
danger.
We were presently in our places, singing
out "All right r. When tho bell began to
descend.
Down, down, lower and lower. We
glanced round us on all sides, but saw
nothing of the strange fish. Curious look
ing specimens of the fnny tribe, however,
greeted US in many directions. We could
| see the sword-fsh dart past, with its long,
portruding bone-weapon, the globe fish, the
sun-fsh, the moon-fish, the balloon-fsh and
the spiteful looking shark swept through
the green waters, almost brushing our bell
with tails and fms.
we opened the stop cock, and let it out,
feeling o moment after. fresh supply sent
down to US through the India rubber
bell. 70 '
Randolph was about touching the signal
cord, to intimate our desire to be lowered,
still further, when We felt sudden jerk,
felt the bell going down rapidly, and to our
horror, realized that the rope by which
the instrument was suspended had parted
from tho hook to which it was attached.
Away went the pipe, at the same mo-
ment, and We only saved ourselves from in
slant destruction by stopping up tho aper-
ture, thus left in the top, with a thick
handkerchief. Otherwise. the water be-
meath must have filed the bell in q few
moments e.
i. We'heard' the water roaring and guygling
roundus as We descended, our descent,
however became each instant slower, until
finally the resistance of the confined air in
the bell kept us suspended about two feet
above the bottom Of the sea.
The air incur floating prison soon became
almost unbearable, not only from it's being
SO depsely compressed, but also from long
confinement.
Terror-stricken, weglanced at each other.
The eyes of Randolph, portruding from his
head, looked bloodshot, and tinged with
strange green color while his dt,sky skin
seemed to shrink like shriveled parchment.
The most startling change in his appear
anco was the sudden, apparently, super
animated look of his visage. A man of
fifty, he seemed at least thirty gears older.
Presently his teeth began to rattle in his
head, his form was bent almost double, he
threw his arms around him in agony, as if
clutching at something.
How horribly useless this pantomime
seemed to me! He wanted fresh air-to clutch
affair What a mockery!
''Starbuck," he presently gasped. "God
have mercy on US What shall we do p
What could we do could only stare at
him, stupid with despair.
The dir in the bell became more and
moro sitting The boatswain few to my
side and squeezed me in his mad agony.
endeavored to speak, but only hoarse
rattle in my throat, obeyed my will. My
brain begun to whirl. 1 gasped hard for
breath. A terrible oppression was upon my
lungs. The boatswain had now released
me- staggered against the side OF our
prison; my senses gradually seemed desert
ing mo. ,.,,.....,..
Gradually, to my confused sight, dark
red mist cloud seemed to float up all round
tho bell. My head now felt rs though it
would burst. Terribly oppressed, fell upon
| my knees, and would have fallen into the
| sea but for the boatswain, who now held
me.
Then all began to grow dark. With a
| superhuman effort holt raised myself and
| looked around me, feeling like ono cropping
in the dark. Bewildored, full of the most
agonizing pain, I became aware that some
thing was swaying up and down before my
sight, up and down, in that red mist cloud
mingling with tho water.
made another effort-a great effort to
comprehend what it was, this swaying
thing, and at last did SO, understood that
it was a hook at9ached to the end of q rope
lowered to us from the deck of the Virago,
so far above !, ,:,{;,.i i..,,.
.tstarbuck r gasped the boatswain., "Ill
dash open the lens-this was glass in the
top Of the bell, then you stand by to hook
| it on the inside. -, g..
| 1just managed to hear the words, and
though was still SO bewlldered that icould
one blow of his huge fist, dealt with the
remains Of his great strength, he shivered
the lens.
There was roaring sound; it was the up
ward rushing Of the water Into tho bell, as
the air escaped: a. ~ ~ i
| There was no time to lose. i thrust my
arm through the aperture and drew in the
hook, quickly attaching it to the top Of the
inside of the instrument. '':' go
The next moment the water; came bub-
bling over the heads of the boatswain and
myself, and that was the. last remembered
Of what TRANSFERRED in the bell.
| When recovered my senses found my
selfin the steerage with the ships doctor
bending over me. >@rAS
"a narrow escape" were his first words.
,t'Where is Randolph" exclaimed.
Here, answered q feeble voice, and
rising, beheld the boatswain in q bunk un.
der me.
HE had narrower escape than you had
said the doctor. ''The thumb of his right
hand was bit off by shark, which made q
spring for it, just as We pulled you two into
the cutter, after the diving bell was hauled
to the surface.
CHINESE SABBATH Schools. The Rev.
DR.. Ellinwood, Of Rochester, writes to the
Evangelist the result of his special inquir-
les concerning the Chinese in California.
He finds them to be universally quiet and
inoffensive, and all betake themselves to
useful employment. He thinks they will
soon begin to assimilate themselves to