Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-07-31
NARROW ESCAPE OF TWO
the Youths Companion.

tFrom the Youths Companioal
These are two things which / do
not care ever to do-diye down into
the sea in diving bell, and drive up
into the air in n balloon.
1t may be necessary for somebody
to do these dangerous things, though
about that, in most cases, l have my
doubts, and / can conceive of some
possible situations where L might be
laughed at as coward, for refusing
to make such venture. But L can
didly confess that, with nay present
srcuples neither wounded pride nor
heroic ambition would be strong
enough to cause me TO venture from
terra tirna very far, either in an up
ward or downward direction.
That splendid break-neck play
thing of science, the balloon, cannot,
however, quite rival in fearfuiness
the mysterious instrument called
the divingbell.
During the attempt, some years
ago, to raise the vessels sunk in the
Crimean war, off Sebastopol, two
divers were making a descent in a
large diving-bell. By some strange
accident the heavy vehicle became
detached from the chain tackling
that held it, and sank, with fe arful
rapidity, toward the bottom.
For the moment the terrified in
mates looked at each other without
speaking a word, Both realized, at
the same instant, the appalling
nature of their disaster. Even by
the dim light that penetrated though
the deep water andglimmered though
the lenses of their submarine prison,
the fear and CONSERVATION pictured
on their features, showed plain
enough never to be forgotten.
The jerk Of the separation from the
lowering chain, had broken their
breathing-pipe. In minute the
poor divers felt their few feet of air
growing thick and poisonous.
ave are lost?' enc of them gasp
ed.
II know It," returned the other,
in tone Of surly despair.
Vainly their hWmers rung upon
the sides of the bell the signal of dis
tress. Vainly they looked out ifpsr-
chance the cable was yet i'll sight.
Then with blood shot eyes and dizzy
brain they chung to each other, ex-
pecting soon to expire.
Creatures of the sea flounced and
wallowed around them as they
Sdlh dOW VI olid anu
close beside their Inflated ark, as il
insulting their misery.
The bell was sinking in a deeper
place than any that had been pre-
viously tried for as the exploring
company had but just changed their
point of operations, this was the
first descent.
Any possible hope, therefore, that
might have sustained the unfortunate
divers, of assistance reaching from
| the surface before it was too late,
was cut off by the consideration OF
the familiar soundings and the un-
known nature of the bottom below.
The edge of the huge diving-bell
might catch q projecting rock, OF
some part of the rigging of a sunken
vessel and be oyerset,in which case,
| of course, the water rushing In would
| drown them In an instant.
Besides, the terrible sense of suffo.
cation rapidly put it out of their pow.
er to do any thing to help themselves
even had their desperate condition
preserved the chance to them.
The last that either could remem-
Der, as his senses drifted slowly into
the fatal dsphyIid which precedes
death by poisoned breathing, was
the husky voice of his companion in
his ear, painting out, ''Dying-dying
good by"
All was CONSERVATION in the ship,
and air boat, as soon as the parting
of the cable and life-tube was obser-
we'd. Was there any hope, even the
least, ofrescuing the hapless divers
so suddenly and distressingly cut of
from the cheerful upper world.
The repeated signals of the poor
fellows were heard coming up dis
tinctly, with the peculiar sound
made always by an under-w ter
blow.
Graphing hooks were at once
thrown out by the plying crew, but
to no purpose.
The signals con tinued, though faint
er. Soon they ceased. Were the
men dead?
Providentially, diver in sub
marine armor was above water at
the moment, in one of the nearest
ships of the squadron, and just
ready to go down again.
He was hailed, and few strong
strokes of skillful oars brought him
to the spot with such dispatch, that
the signals hardly ceased from
below, before he stepped into the
air-boat where the lost mariners
broken life-tube lay.
Attaching additional weights to
his feet, the diver Immediately drop
ped himself over the side, and with
hook attached to a cable in his
hand, shot to the bottom like deep
sea plummet.
He fastened the hook, and gave
| the signal, when, as rapidly as mus
Gle and windlass and good will could
| do it, the bell and its human &C.
cupants were heaved to the surface,
and hauled aboard.
AT first it was thought that the
| two divers We're dead but the air
and the attentions of the cable sur
geon, soon awoke in them the little
remnant of life that remained, and
they breathed again.
1t was some time before they were
sufficiently conscious u realize their
escape from death; but afterthat their
recovery was rapid, and in day or
/ two, though still feeling weak from
the terrible pressure their systems
had suffered, they were walking
about deck with thankful hearts.
They however, were never able to
go down In a diving bell again-nor
did they ever wish to-