The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-07-10
A Divers Peril.


Some time ago canal-boat laden with
steel rails was sunk off Tiyoli, Hudson
River. and the services Of a submarine
diver were required. During his opera
tons he was watched with the deepest In
terest by the villagers, and few days
since the telegraph operator expressed a
desire To don the submarine arm0r and go
7 below 10 explore the mysterious depths OF
/ the river, the water being fifty feet deep.
/ The owner of the arm0r, who Is an old
hand at the business, acceded 10 the opera
tors request, and arrangements were at
once made 10 'send him down." What
followed is best described by himself:
"Slowly sank out of sight. and during
the first twenty feet of my descent the
water around me was plainly visible, and
/ could also see inside OF the helmet; could
see all of foot of outside. Gradually
darkness came, and slowly increased in in
tensity until my eyes We're useless, and
could almost feel the gloom. Ii was then
that began to feel uncomfortable. The
pressure of the water as | kept going down
was tremendous. and my head felt bad,
and now and then there was a sharp pain
in my ears. Had also "A great desire TO
reach bottom. for ii seemed "a though
was poised in dull. heavy air. Suddenly
bottom was reached, when experienced
great sense OF relief. and commenced TO
grope about me. All was still except the
roaring of the pump above, every stroke
of which could distinctly hear. The air
was escaping from my helmet fast, and II
sounded like the boiling of "A large pot OF
water This noise was all at once inter-
rupted by sharp. swapping sound, and
felt for the lile-cord, fearing that something
had happened; but could not find it In
coming down carried with me some tack
I ling to fasten 10 "A stump In the bottom OF
the river. In nv descent the current
turned me round and round. and much of
the gearing, including much of the life
cord and tackling, became entangled, so
that when | felt. for the cord. which |
ought To have found Instantly. ii could not
be quickly separated so as to work easily.
All sound of any description then ceased,
and sense of drowsiness came over me. |
knew that the escape-valye had closed and
was breathing foul air. Finally securing
the life-cord. | signaled for more air, and
could hear the pump run at an increased
speed, but II was to no purpose, as. by
constant use. the pistons had become so
worn they could not give the requisite
pressure. | became alarmed, and it was
hard 10 breathe. and my strength COM
menced TO fail me. Icould do nothing TO
help myself. | seemed 10 increase in size,
until my head felt as thought must burst,
and the foul Gas | breathed seemed as II il
had been heated i'm furnace. | thought !
should die. The most horrible sensation
came over me. Finally | exhausted all the
air from the nit. then came "A tremendous
pressure upon my body on all sides. Ii
was terrible. My eyes felt as though they
would burst from their sockets. My legs
expanded and SO did my arms and body,
till it seemed as if tney 100 would burst,
and then came unconsciousness. When
reason returned soft light seemed TO steal
over me, and began To awake. and after a
time opened my eyes and found myself on
the surface OF the water. | could see the
I boat on which were my friends. but all OF
them had a weird look and their proper
/ tons were gigantic. the smallest boy
among them surprising in size the the ia
nous Cardiff giant. As quickly a. posi-.
bic | was hauled on board the vessel. and
/ the helmet was removed. The sensation
produced by the admission of the cold ali
was the same as that produced by the sud.
den drenching of "A sleeper with ice-water
However. | soon recovered my strength
and congratulated myself on my very mar
row-escape from DEATH
1t seemed that after he was let down. the
diver who owned the armor was some
what doubtful in regard 10 the power OF
the air-pump. and finding from the SENSE
of feeling that he was doing nothing on
the bed OF the river. signaled several times
but got no answer. Those OH the vessel
/ saw his countenance change TO aShy white
Then the alarm became general. and a
possible haste was made TO get the diver &c
the surface .--Neic York Sun.