Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-09-01
Mreckers on the Jersey Coast.

Wreckers on the Jersey Coast.
A correspondent of the Cincinnati Ga
zette, writing from Atlantic City, says:
From the water steps in front of Glenn's
new Inlet House, of Abscom inlet. took
a boat to visit enc of the New York Allan
tic Coast Company's wreckers, for this Is
one of their regular rendezvous. Arrived |
ON board the Edith of New York, / found
her capt.in, and learned from him that the |
company his vessel belonged to was the
largest wrecking company in the world.
forget howlnany vessels they own, but
they have one In every inlet along the
coast, from New York to New Orleans
His business, he told me, was to at all
times have his vessel in readiness to sail at
moments notice. His regular equip |
ment consists of from one to five steam
boilers ON board ANY quantity of cordwood
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 60 to certain
spot along the coast, they set sail. taking In
| tow their large surf boats. Arriving at the
spot, and finding vessel beached, or half
! filed with water, they launch their ports-
bic boilers into the surf-bsat. and try to
reach the stranded vessel. II they can't
succeed in reaching her with the boat they
fire line over the vessel. and throw over
board the boiler, which foatc, and in this
manner they get the boiler on board, get
up steam, and after stopping the leak,
pump the vessel out bigh and dry, float
her. and tow her into port in SAFETY They
sometimes put as rlany as five OF these
boilers on board of large ship; but in or
der to stop the leak the diver has sometimes
to 90 down to O great depth.
/ was introduced to the diver, who was
handsome young man. with blue eyes and
light golden locks. lie was just. then en-
gagged in splicing rope, and was sitting In
very democratic position on the main
deck. My curiosity about diving matters
after a while excited him 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
4 boots, stockings, pants, vest and coat, inst
, as if YOU cut the skin all around hshs
neck and then pulled his skin backward
! Just such vas this nice young mans clothes.
! But then the headl On, yes, here 1t
is. 1t is made of thick shee.
E COPPER, with thick glass balls eyes
] bullying out in front Well, he put the
0 head on, or rather the head and shoulders,
: for it was both, and if there was an odd
I looking fish in the world it was that young
man. The head was an awful sight too
o high and too big, and on the top of the
head was screwed hose such as we wash
. our streets with. This. he told me, was
o his air pipe. At the very thought of hav-
+ ing to breathe through such thing-and
h that under the water tool felt my supply
d of air getting short Oh! what q punish
n ment to put an enemy OF ours into that
Q suit
| ~ md
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 one OF his
shoes: they were made OF double-twiliec
Il canvas, and the soles were three inches
4 thick, of solid lead, and fastened to the
70 canvas uppers with bass screws. Bott
=, shoes weighed so pounds. BE also had &
canvas belt to put around his waist, and Il
=, was ornamented with panicr
icely trimmed and huted ont Will
81 $50 pounds of Iced. While he Il
n eng dressed in full. he is laid ful
:, length on his back, and then takeI
up IN mems arms and taken down a ladde
u over the side. A lifeline is securely
of fastened around his waist, and secured Il
St the lifeline is his signal-rope, about a
thick as your small finger. When all i
81 ready for him to 90 under, the air pump,
IL smail-looking machine, with three valves
II. and not looking much bigger than sew
inc-machlne, but with two long handles
u one at each side, is brought into requisitisn
be The air-pump is securely fastened or deck
a. and when the diver is ready TO descend hi
pipe IS screwed TO his helmet, and imme
y" diately two men commence turning tn
Of handles. A child could do tie job, but q
o. this is the most important part concerne'
with the divers duties there are Away
70 two men charged with the duty of turning
: the handles, as if the ali pump stops for
~ second of time it is certain death to tn
diver. With the weight of his suit an
~ the accompanying lead the diver feels jus
LIS comfortable He can maintain an uprigh
he position and can work at depth OF II
feet under the water Just as easy as ma
can walk on shore. There are fou
men required to attend the dive
u. while down, two to do notf
al ing but pump air, one to watch fc
e., signals. and one for the purpose of hauiin
Sc. him up by the line IN case Of any sudde
danger. he can be hauled up as easy q
n, Ne one would haul in an ordinary fish. VIVA
he ever he says under the water is heard yer
e. plainly on deck, and hammers, nails, rop'
nd canvas, &C., &C., are lowered down to hil
, ms with spare rope. Divers have bee
all known to do as neat jobs OF repairing on
ships side, under the water, as could
done above. They can see every obJe'
oof plainly, but somewhat magnihed, and the
work Tor hours under water at time an
be feel no inconvence whatever. The occup
5asft ton has its dangers, however, and thel
H, ,. are but few divers that have not had vel
t.o.-