The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1869-07-15
From the Cairo nn.l Democrat.
Three Years Under Water -.
The Submarine Life of a Pro-
fessiOmaI Diver.

fessiOmal Diver.
About twenty years ago, Hiram Hill,
then Well-knOWn in Cairo, accepted en-
plOyment on Messrs. Eads & Nelson's
wrecking or submarine bell boats. III
time he was installed as diver, and as such
we propose to speak of him. He remain
ed in the employment of Messrs. Eads &
Nelson period of eighteen years. He is
now on Messrs. Dugan & Co.'S. Underwrit-
er, where we saw him yesterday, and
learned something of the life of a diver
The use of bell in diving, is now discard
ed. The diver wears a 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 and tenders. Equipped in
this armOr, the diver puts on 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 explorations. He generally
descends to the bottom of the river by the
use of a ladder, but can, without incurring
the bottom.
The moment he disappears under water,
the air pump commences its work of sup
plying him with a constant stream Of
fresh air. If, at any time, the air creates
too great a pressure upon him, the pres
sure is relieved by a self-acting valve, fix
ed at the side of the head. 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 five hours at a
time. The great weight of lead fastened
upon his feet and body is necessary to
cOunteract the buOyancy of the air fur
nished him by the pump. While on the
boat, the armOr and weights form a load
for strong man. Under water they i'm
pose no realizable weight, and in no way
impede motion. Mr.. Hill informs us that
he has, while under water, often Chamber
ed up stanchiOns, jumped down hatchways
a 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
had frequently worked for hours at time,
patching up the bottoms Of snagged
steamers, saving boards, boring holes,
driving nails, &c, with perfect ease and
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 immaterial whether his
eyes are open or not. But with him the
character 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 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 land. He says that he
breathes full and satisfactorily; that there
is no sitting sensation, no odds how long
he remains under. Indeed, so accustomed
is he to the life and labor under water,
that he feels somewhat lost when his stay
on land is prOtracted. He is of the Opin-
ion that about three years of his life have
been spent under water, yet he has no
scales on his body, no signs of fms or
gilIs; not even web feet.