The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-09-02
Kreekers an the JERSEY Ceast.

Hreckers on the Jersey Ceast.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga
zette. writing from Atlantic City, says:
From the water steps in front of Glenn S
new Inlet House, at Abscom inlet. l took
a boat to visit n of the New York Allan
tic Coast Company's vreckers, for this is
one of their regular rendezvous. Arrived
on board the Edith of New York, l found
her captain, and learned from him that the
company his vessel belonged to was the
largest wrecking company in the world. l
forget how many vessels they own, but
thew have one in every inlet along the
coast, from New York to New Orleans
His business, be told me, was TO at all
times have bis vessel IN readiness to sail at
a moments notice. His regular equip
ment consists of from one to five steam
boilers on board, any quantity of eordwood
to raise steam with,% and two divers
with their apparatus. In mostl all
cases their work consists in raising sunken
vessels. When they receive an order by
telegraph from New York to go to a certain
spot along the coast, they set sail, taking IN
tow their large surf boats. Arriving at the
spot, and finding a vessel beached, or half
filed with water, they launch their porta-
BILE boilers into the surf-beat, and try to
reach the stranded vessel. If they can't
succeed in reaching her with the boat, they
fire a line over the vessel, and throw over
board the boiler, which floats, and IN this
manner they get the boiler on board, get
up steam, and after stopping the leak.
pump the vessel out high and dry, float
her, and tow her into port in safetJ. They
| sometimes put as many IS five Of these
boilers on board of a large ship; bu in or
der to stop the leak the diver has sometimes
to 60 down TO a great depth.
was introduced to the diver, who was a
handsome young man, with blue eyes and
light golden locks. He was just then en-
gagedin splicing a rope, and was sitting in
a very democratic position on the main
deck. My curiosity about diving matters
after o while excited him a little and he
volunteered to put on his clothes, as he
called his diving apparatus. Well, they
were curious clothes-a suit all In one
boots, stockings, pants, vest and coat, Just
as if you cut the skin ali around O fsh's
neck and then pulled his skin backward
Just such was this nice young mans clothes.
But then the headl Oh, yes, here it
is. 1t is made of thick shees
copper, with thick glass bulls eyes
bullying out in front, Well, he put the
head on, or rather the head and shoulders,
Tor it was both, and if there was an odd
looking fish in the world it was that young
man. The head was an awful sight too
high and too big, and on the top of the
head was screwed q hose such as we wash
our streets with. This, he told me, was
his air pipe. AT the very thought of hay
ing to breathe through such a thing-and
that under the water tool felt my supply
of air getting short. OH what apunish-
ment to put an enemy OF ours into that
suitl
He was not dressed yet, however, and
by the way LET me here mention that he
walked into this thing head-foremost, with
his ordinary clothes on, the only exception
being his boots. Now he showed me the
rest of his dress. / took up n Of his
shoes; they were made of double-twilled
canvas. and the soles were three inches
thick, of solid lead, and fastened to the
canvas uppers with brass screws. Both
shoes weighed so pounds. He also had a
canvas belt to put around his waist, and it
nicely trimmed and lated out with
$50 pounds of lead. While he is
being dressed in fall, he is laid full
length on his back, and then taken
up IN mems arms and taken down a ladder
over the side. A lifeline is securely
fastened around his waist, and secured TO
the lifeline is his signal-rope, about as
thick as your small finger. When all is
ready for him to go under, the air pamp, a
s~mall-looking machine, with three valves,
and not looking much bigger than q sew
ing-machlne, but with two long handles,
one at each side, is brought into requisitien.
The air-pump is securely fastened on deck,
and when the diver is ready TO descend his
pipe IS screwed to his helmet, and lmme-
diately two men commence turning the
handles. a. child could do the job, but as
this is the most important part concerned
with the divers duties there are always
two men charged with the duty of turning
the handles, as if the air pump stops for a
| second of time it is certain death to the
diver. With the weight of his suit and
the accompanying lead the diver feels just
comfortable. He can maintain an upright
position and can work at q depth OF 12O
feet under the water just as easy as q man
can walk on shore. There are four
men required to attend the diver
while down, two to do moth
ing but pump air, n to watch for
signals. and one for the purpose Of hauling
him up by the line in case of any sudden
danger. He can be hauled up as easy as
one would haul in an ordinary fish. What
ever he says under the water is heard very
plainly on deck, and hammers, nails, rope,
canvas, &C., &C., are lowered down TO him
with a spare rope. Divers have been
known to do as neat jobs of repairing On g
ships side, under the water, as could be
done above. They can see every object
plainly, but somewhat m~agniied, and they
work Tor hours under water at a time and
feel no inconvence whatever. The oceupa
ton has its dangers, however, and there
are but few divers that have not had very
narrow escapes with their lives.