The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-07-18
UNDER TEKE WATER.
Sunken Curious
Things Seen by Divers. 4

The Charleston News, in giving an
account of the work of wreckers in the
Charleston Harbor, says that the lion.
clad Honsatonic lies in thirty six feet of
water, just over the bar, sixteen miles
from the city. She rests on hard shell
bottom, and lies north h-west ana south
east, upright on her keel. Tho water
out here is beautifully blue and clear,
and the divers prosecute their work with
much less difficulty than atfthe Weehaw-
ken. Her decks, masts and rigging
have all been eaten away by the worms,
and little else is now left of her but the
huge black, hull. :, Her propeller, shaft,
chains, and anchor, and a larger portion
of her machinery, lave been hoisted
from her by the machine, and also two
of the smallest guns composing her
ornament. Therest of them were ia
ken up by the Government several years
ago. The Government has a buoy plan
ted about three h hundred yards east.
south east of this wreck, which enables
the wreckers to, guess pretty closely as
to. her, Whereabouts.,- To, ;, render the
matter "a certainty. however, Captain
Soames, when he leaves, her to come up
to the city, marks her position with u
buoy fastened to the eeutet1of her hull.
About twenty feet south .,t the. wreck
of the doomed ship lies the hull of her
destfoyet, the Confederate torpedo boat
She has been visited by the Captain,
who reports her to be lying bottom up.
ward, and seemingly in good preserva-
ton. There are no holes in her hull,
and, the cwings of her diminntive pro-
peller, now uppermost, seem to; he in
good running order She did her work
etfectually. In.athea hull, on the port
quarter" ofsthe huge ship, is a jagged
hole large enougholto drive a carriage
ami pair through. The heavy oaken
ribs and thick planks are blown in with
tremendous power, and the Housatonic
must have gone down with but little
preparation. Her diminutive but dan.
gerous foe met with similar fate, and
the two now rest in silence, side by side,
III Gne DOtlOm Oh tne sea .... ,
Under the waters the divers see curl
Gus things, and make. curious acquain-
tances. Near the surface of the water
on his way down, the diver sees sharks
of enormous dimensions, which seem
afraid OF the curious monster thus in-
truding their domain. The sharks afe
never seen at the bottom; they keep
their distance; but the small fry at the
bottom are much more sociable These
swim around the diver in the most in
different manner, and, with curiosity
truly feminine, insert their noses in ev-
cry 5rifice in his submarine armor. ,"@'e'
Their particular amusement is to pry
into the glass eyes, and at times they
are as troublesome as the mosquitoes
are to US landlubbers. All varieties and
immense quantities of these small fisf
feel around on the shells, and their Gu
riosity renders them easy victims to the
insinuations of hook and bait. Al
night the phcsphorescent sparks in the
clear blue water out at the Housatonit
light up the depths in wonderful man
ner, and the diver enjoys the illumina
ton, though he has not much time fol
adlniring the beauties of nature. Hc
stays down six hours, or less, as his
work renders it necessary. In rumma
ging about the ship, the Captain discov
cred several bottles Of Rhine wine and
ale. He also brought globular bras;
lamp and several metal mountings from
officers sword The Captain has also
in his possession massive jaw bone
1t is evidently the lower maxillary Of
man but its size and the strength Of th'
teeth are wonderful.