The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-07-07
: U6a1oUs THINGS ssKa SYDvsas:==T

r. U6R1oUs THINGS Seen S9D1vkas:--Th,
Charleston Ne,rs. in giving an account
Of the work OK ureckers in: Charleston
harbor,; says that the iron.olad Housato
nio lies in ;thirty-six feet OF water. jus
over the bar. sixteen miles from the city
She rests on hard shell bottom, sni
lies Northwest and Southeast, uprigh
on her keel. The water out here il
beautifully blue aud clear, and the diver
prosecute their work with less difficulty
than at the Weehawken. Her decks
masts and rigging have all been eater
by the worms, and little else is now left
OF her but tho. huge black hull. Hel
propeller, shaft. chains and anchor and
large portion Of her machinery have
been hoisted from her by the machine,
an1 also two OF the smaller guns com.
pusing her armament. The rest Of them
were taken up by the Government seye
raj years ngo. The Government has a
buoy planted about 800 yards East.
southeast of this wreck. which enables
the wreckcrs to guess pretty closely ms
to her whereabouts. TO render the mat.
ter certainty, however. Capt. Soames,
when he 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 tho 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 up.
wards, and seemingly in good preservu-
ton. There are no holes in her hull,
and the wings of her diminutive propel.
Ter, now uppermost, seem to be in good
running order. She did her work ef.
feotualIy. In tho hull on the port quar-.
ter Of tho huge ship is q hole large
enough to drive carriage and pair ol
horses through. The heavy oaken ribs
and thick planks are blown in with tire.
mendous power. and the Housatonic
must have gone down with but little
preparation. Her diminutive bnt dan
gerous foe me. with similar fate, anu
the two now rest in silence. side by side,
in the bottom OF the sea.
Under the waters the divers see cnri.
GUS things and make curious acqnain-
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.
LIuuluk b16lC uoL1uln. 1U6 5QArKS are
never seen at the bottom; they keep
their distances; but the small fry ut the
bottom are much more socinblc. These
swim around the diver in the most in
different manner, and, with curiosity
truly feminine. insert their noses in
every orifce in his submarine armor
Their particular amusement is to pry
into the glnas eyes, and ct times they are
as troublesome as the mosquitoes are tC
us laud-lubbers. All varieties and i'm.
mense quantities of these small fish
feed around on the shells, aud thei,
curiosity renders them easy victims tc
the insinuations of hook and bait. Al
night the phosphorescent sparks in the
clear blue water out ut the Housntonie
light up the depths in wonderful man
ner, and the diver enjoys the illumina-
ton. though he has not much time fol
admiring the beauties Of nature. He
stays down six hours or less, as his work
renders it necessary. In rnmmagine
about the ship, the captain discovered
several bottles Of Rhine vino md ale
He also brought globular brass lamr
and several metal monntings from
officers swords. The captain has also ir
his possession massive jaw bono. 4
is evidently tho lower maxillary of 6
man, but its size nnd the strength of the
teeth are wonderful.