The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-16
Under the Water.

Under the Water.
The Charleston News, in giving an
account of the work of wreciSers in
Charleston harbor, says that the iron
clad Housatonic lies in tiirty-six feet
of water, justso over the bar, sixteen
miless from the city. She rests on a
hard she'll bottom, and lies northwest
and southeast, upright on her keel.
The water out here is beautifully blue
and clear, and the divers prosecute
their work with much less difficulty
than the Weehawken. Her decks,
masts, and riggin 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 large portion of her
machinery lave been hoisted from her
by the machine, and also two of the
smallar guns composing ker armament.
The rest of them were taken. up by
the Government several years ago.
The Government has buoy planted
about three hundred yards east south
east of this wreck, which enables tho
wreckers to guess pretty closely as to
her Whereabouts. To render the mat
ter a certainty, however, Captain
Soames, when lie leaves her to come
up to the city, marks her position
with buoy fastened to the centre of
her hull. About twenty feet south of
the wreck of the doomed ship lies the
hull of her destroyer, the Confederate
torpedo boat. She has been visited by
the Captain, who reports her to be-
lying bottom upwards, and seemingly
in good preservation. There are. no
holes in her hull, and the wings of her
diminutive propeller, now uppermost,
seem to be in good running order.
She did her work effectuaiIy. In the
hull on the port quarter of the huge
ship is jagged hole large enough to
drive carriage and pair of horses
through. The heavy oal1en ribs and
thick planks are blown in with ire
mendous 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 id silence, side by
side, in the bottom Of the sea. eUnder
the waters the divers see curious things
and make curious acquaintances.-
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 are
never seen at the bottom; they keep
their distance; but the small fry at
the bottom are much more socially.
These swim around the diver in the
mostindifferent maifner, and wish a
curiosity truly feminine, insert their
noses in every orifice in his submarine
armor. 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 fish feed around on the
shells, and their curiosity renders them
easy victims to the insinuations of
hook and bait. At night the pios-
phorescent sparks in the clear blue wa
tiers out at the Housatonic light up tho
depths in wonderful manner, and
4 the diver enjoys the illumination,
i though he has not much time for ad
miring the beauties of nature. .Ho
stays down six hours, or less, as his
work renders it necessary. In rum
maging about the ship, the Captain
discovered several bottles of Rhine
wine and ale. He also brought
globular brass lamp and several metal
mountings from officers sword. The
Captain has also in his possession q
massive jaw bone. 1t is evidently tho
lower maxillary of aman; but itseize
and the strength of the teeth are won
derful.