The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-28
At the Atlantle,s Wreck.

A letter fran the wreck OF the Allan
tic says: Capt. Merritt, OF the New Yorl
Wrecking Company, has taken chargI
Of tho wreck Of the Atlantic, and Capt
Sheridan, the great Nova Scotia wreck
er, is acting under his instructions
The bodies OF persons in the cabin nrt
plainly seen, and m effort is TO be made
to get ut them by cutting through the
side Of theship. Astllevessel lies on her
side, it is extremely difficult to get into
the saloon. The manner Of diving here
is primitive. But for the spars Of the
broken Atlantic person knowing moth
ing Of the wreck might think that the
men in the group OF row boats were
hauling in fish. They take no unusual
interest in their work, md body or bale
Is steadily hauled up and borne away to
the storehouso or tho graveyard. There
is the diying-boat, in which is made
fast the air-pump, worked by two men.
This boat Is lashed to one Of the spars
Of the Atlantic. Parallel with 1t, at n
ditance OF about six feet, lies another
boat, inwhich are the men who haul up
the bodies. The diver puts on most Of
his dress in the schooner, which lies
about two hundred yards from the
wreck. Over his ordinary attire lie
pulls first a thick Jersey, then he Sc
cures his feet and legs in half q dozen
pair Of thick, long, woollen socks, md
over oil he draws nondescript flannel
garment. Thus fortified against the
cold, lie crawls into his waterproof
dress, and looks like a turtle with hu-
man head. From the schooner he is
rowed to the boats. There lie completes
his toilet. He puts on IN enormous
pair OF boots, with double soles, one Of
leather aud one Of inch lead. Two
heavy fiat lead weights are hung over
his shoulders, the helmet is screwed
on, the lifeline attached to the neck.
plato, the sheath.kniie belted, and the
curious-looking being is ready to ex.
plore the green waves below.
He lifts himself heavily from bis seat,
disappears OTer the side OF the boat,
aud Is slowly lowered twenty feet TO the
wreck. He walks on the upturned side
Of the Atlantic till he reaches point
from which he can enter the hatchway.
Into the hatchway the blank object dis
appears. Divers have q strange life.
Capt. Sheridan is the most experienced
diver OF this coast. The first time he
went down into wreck for bodies he
met sight that would have appalled,
less stout-hearted men. He entered
the cabin. In n corner stood almost
straight the form OF a woman in her
night dress. The hands were open
and the arms extended. AS Sheridan
opened the saloon door the still water
rippled, and the arms Of the dead wo.
man moved up and down. AS he moved
forward tho water became more agitated,
and the dead body, still upright, aoated
toward him. He moved aside and let II
pass, then passed q ropo around the
middle, guided ii through the cabin
door, gave the signal, and it was hoist
ed. One Of tho divers at work on the
Atlantic told me that rs he was passing
along in the steerage lie was struck
twice on the helmet. Looking up he
saw dead body. The agitation of the
water had caused the corpse to move.
Tile vessel is full Of broken timber, Of
twisted and ingged iron plates, and Of
bnles, and boxes, and beds, scattered
among which lie the bodies OF men and
women. The work is q dangerous one,
even for experienced divers, for the SO.
curing OF a body or bale raises q liquid
mass Of filth, which obscures the vision
and makes search difficult. The after.
hatch Is still nearly full Of female bodies,
that section OF the steerage being set
apart for single women.
The divers have never, except on Sun.
day last, enleayored 10 get ut tlebodies,
when they could Just MS easily send up
bale Of goods. Capt. Sheridan las
been working for forty per cent. of the
net value Of goods saved, and his men
must, OF course, look to his interests.
A body is worth nothing, whiloa bale Of
silk may be worth thousands Of dollars.
There is, therefore, no inducement for a
diver TO send up body. Personal eff
iects are exempt from salvage, 80 that q
body with half q dozen gold watches
and thousands OF dollars in bank notes
and gold is worth as little to the diver
as that Of the poorest stowaway.