The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-09-12

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80 ., sBsnesfih ,hy Tsol,ias sve.vsss Ii
u H. is q strange business, this diving.
The danger fascinates nsome, It bat the
peril lis never for q moment lost sight of.
i put aon the ,helmet for the FIRST time
more than ten years age. and vet + never
resume it without a-feeling that it may
OF course one has more ohfdenee after
while, but there is sonnet thing in being
shut up in an armor, weighed down with
o hundred pounds, and knowing that a
little 1enk in -FOUR life pipe is your death,
that no diver can ever get rid Of. And
I do not know thatiI should cure to ban
ish the feeling for the sight of the clear
blue ally, The genial snn, and the face of
fellow-man, after: long hours among the
fishes, makes you feel like :ene who has
sasdee gnssp dsssR so%e a5n% nar sne
row FesEapes is7hilet 4h hfHning snay strange
profession; every diver has, or has been
unusually lucky to escape them. =.
T think the. MOST dangerous place
ever got into was going down to exam
inc the propeller Comet, sunk off Tole-
do. In working about her bottom,
got my air pipe eoiled over large silver
from the stoyen hole, and could not
reach it. with my hands. Every time I
sprang up to remove the hose my tender
would give me the nslaek" of the line,
thus letting me fall back again. He did
mot understand his duties, and did not
know what my signals on the life line
meant. II was two hours and half be-
fore I was relieved, and there wasn't O
moment that I was not looking too see
the hose cut by the ragged wood. It's
-. foo
You go walking over the vessel, Chamber
ing up her sides, peering here and there,
and the feeling that you are alone makes
You nervous aud uneasy. ''..n
81 Sometimes O vessel sinks down so fair
~ that she stands up on the bottom as
trim and as neat as If she rode on the
surface Then you can go down into
the cabin, up the shrouds, walk all over
her, Just as neasily as @ sailor could if
she were still dashing away before the
breeze. Only it seems 80 quiet, 80 tomb
like there are mo waves down there
only swaying back and forth of the
waters, and see-sawing of the ship.
You hear nothing from Tabove.l The
great fishes will come swimming about,
rubbing their noses against your glass,
and staring with wondering look into
yoht eyes. The very stiffness sometimes
gives life d chilli. You hear just q moan
ing, wailing sound, like the last notes Of
an organ, and you cannot help but think
Of dead men floating over and around
you.' o,.@, -,.y, .''
I have been down especially to rescue
: the bodies of those drowned. About
four years ago the propeller Buckeye,
belonging to the Northern Transporta-
tion Company, went down in the river
st. Lawrence, in seventy-eight feet of
water, and it was known that,a mother
and child were asleep in their state-room
at the time of her sinking. The father
deal Of money to take ont the corpses,
and though I dreaded the work, at last
! consented. T had been all over the
wreck two or three times, and knew just
where the state-room was: The door was
fast locked, and waited good while
before bursting it open.
OF course, q dead person couldn' harm
you, but even in broad day, on shore,
and with people around you, don't you
know that the sight and presence of
dead person brings up solemn thoughts
aud nervous feelings? knew how they
would look, now they were floating
around in the room, and If the father
hadn't been looking 80 wretched above,
there was no money to tempt me in
there. But, at last, I got crowbar
from forwards, and, not letting myself
think, gave the light door a blow that
stove it in. Tho water came rushing
out. the vessel just then lurched over to-
ward 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 the child.
knew how they would look, but I
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 out no sign of terror.
1t was good while before fastened
the line to them, and gave the signal to
haul up, and felt 80 uneasy that was
not long in following. This is one of
the drawbacks to any feeling of curiosity
diver might otherwise have. I never
go down the hatchway or the cabin steps
without thinking of dead man floating
about there. When the Lac la Belle
N