Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-10-02
Lie Under w.ter-story of . D,ver.

1
for moment lost sight of. put on the helmet
for the first time more than ten years ago, and
yet never resume it without feeling that 1t
may be the last time shall ever 60 down. Of
course, one has more confidence after while,
but there is something In being shut up in an
,armor, weighed down with hundred pounds,
and knowing that little leak in your life pipe
is your death, that no diver can ever get rid of.
And do not know that II should to Danish
the feeling, for the sight of the clear blue sky,
the genial sun, and the face of fellow man, af-
ter long hours among the fishes, makes you feel
like one who has Suddenly been drawn away
| from the grasp of DEATH have had some mar
row escapes while pursuing my strange profess
sion; every diver has, or has been unusually
lucky to escape them
think the most dangerous place ever got
into was going down to examine the propeller
Comet, sunk off Toledo. In working about her
bottom, got my air-pipe coiled over large
silver from the stove-hole. and could not reach it
with my hands. Every time sprang to remove
the hose my tender would give me the q slack "
of the line, thus letting me fall back again. He
did not understand his duties and did not know
what the signals of the life line meant 1t was
two hours and a-half before was relieved, and
there wasn't moment that was not looking to
see the hose cut by the ragged wood. It's
strange feeling you have down there. You 60
walking over vessel, clamberiDg up her sides,
are alone makes you nervous and uneasy.
Sometimes vessel sinks down SO fairlyly that
she stands up on the bottom trim and as neat
as if she rode on the surface. Then you can 60
down into the cabin, up the shrouds, walk all
over her, just as easily as sailor could if she
were still dashing away before the breeze. Only
it seems quiet, so tomb-like; there are no
waves down there-only swaying back and
forth of the waters, and saving of the ship.
You hear nothing from above. The great fishes
will come swimming about, rubbing their noses
against your glass, and staring with wondering
look into your eyes. The very stiffness some
times gives life chill. You hear just moan
ing, wailing sound, like the last notes of an or
gan, and you cannot help but think of dead men
floating over and around you.
| have been down especially to rescue the
bodies of those drowned. About four years ago
the propeller Buckeye, belonging to the Northern
| Transportation Company, went down in the
river ST. Lawrence in seventy-eigbt feet water,
and it was known that a mother and child were
asleep in their stateroom at the time of her sink
| ing. The father begged of me and offered me a
good deal of money to take on. the corpses, and
though dreaded the work, I at last consented
| had been all over the wreck two or three times
and knew just where the stateroom was. The
door was fast locked, and waited good while
before bursting it OPEN
or course, dead person can't harm you, but
even in broad day, on shore, and with people
around you don you know that the sight and
presence of dead person brings up solemn
thoughts and nervous feelings2 | knew how
they would look, how they were floating around
in the room, and if the father hadn't been look
ing SO wretched above, there was no money to
tempt me in there. But at last got crowbar
from forwards, and, not letting myself think,
gave the light door blow that stove it in. The
water came rushing out, and the vessel just then
lurched over toward my side, and out they came,
the woman first, her eyes wide open and hair
trailing behind and in her left hand she held
the hand of her child. / knew how they would
look but | screamed out, and jumped back.
Her face was fearfully distorted, showing how
hard death had been made, and the eyes looked
through the green waters at me in way that
made my flesh creep. The child had died easily,
its little white face giving no signs OF terror
1t was good while before fastened the line
to them and gave the signal to haul up, and
felt uneasy that was not long in following.
This is one of the drawbacks to any feeling of
curiosity diver might otherwise have. never
go down the hatchway or the cabin steps with
out thinking of dead men floating about there.
When the Lac la Belle sunk at St. Clair flats, the
engineer was caught in the rushing waters, and
no trace was ever found of his 0ody. His wife
came to me, hearing that was to 60 down to the
wreck, and asked me to find the body if possible
remembered this when went down, and went
cropping through the engine-room in momentary
expectation of encountering the body. looked
so long without finding it that got nervous, and
had started for the ladder to 60 up, when felt
something strike my helmet and give way, and
chill went dancing over me as thought the dead
body was at hand. But, on reaching up, found
that had run against the fire-hose, the end of
which was hanging down, and what SO dreaded
was still hidden beyond my sight.
A diver does not like to 60 down more than
l20 feet, at that depth the pressure is painful
and there is danger of internal injury. ] can
stay down FIVE six hours at time at depth
of ll5 or i20 feet and do a great deal of hard
work. In the waters of Lake Huron, the diver
can see 80 or 40 feet away, but the other waters
will screen vessel not 10 feet from you.
Up here you seldom think of accidents or
death, but hundred feet of water washing over
your head would set you to thinking. little
stoppage of the air pump, a leak in your hose,
careless action on the part of your tender, and
the weight of mountain would press the life
out of You before you could make a move. And
you may I" foul your pipe or line yourself, and
in your haste, bring on what you dread. often
got my hose round stair or rail, and though
am not called cowardly, and generally release it
! without much trouble, the bare idea of what a
slender thing holds back the clutch OF death Off
my throat, makes cold sweat start from every
pore.-Detrot Advcrtiser and Tribune.
| AN IMMENSE Boa CoEsTRIcToR.-The barque
ZingerreUa, Capt. Shaw, has arrived at Boston
from Bissau, on the west coast of Africa. She
brought five boa constructors and four large dog