The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-11-23
Under the Sea.

Onoer sne Sea.
For the most part, the diver does
his work, if not in utter darkness,
at best with only as much light as
renders darkness visible His oc-
cupation is not pleasant one. At
the sea bottom he encounters Nh
awful solitude and silence. He is
liable, at any moment, to find him .
self in close proximity with. the
ghostly remains of the dead, and
there is no small risk to himself.
There seems to be no special dis
ease induced by the occupation of
diving when tho regular dress is
worn, but it is generally believed
that it has tendency to shorten
life. Some very hig gin authorities
hold different opinion.
| Mr.. Siebe, II distinguished physi
ologlst, mentions instances of halo
and hearty divers, we'll advanced in
years, who had been sickly and
weak i'll the lungs in their youth,
and believes that they derived posi-
tive advantage from diving.
His theory is that their breathing
OF compressed air, by producing u
slower action of tho lungs, caused
the absorption of greater
quantity of oxygen into the tissues.
-Four or five hours day is re-
garded ms n good amount of II
divers work. This, of course, in
cludes a considerable portion of
time spont out of tho water. In u
general way, about twenty minutes
is the time that a man, in tho waters
of the temperate zone, can remain
under the surface, oven with tho
aid of a diving dress.
He may exceed this when out ut IL
great depth, and when the water is
at high temperature, but this may
not be often repeated. The diver
who went to China, md who is thoro
still, has boon able, in The waters
there, to remain down below, at IL
depth of twenty-four fathoms, fo:
forty minutes. This, which is not
doubted, is most exceptional cusc,
and could not be achieved in tho
Atlantic ocean.
There doos not nppearto be much
danger in the work Of divers. But
a mans hold upon life would seem
to be precarious, while he is creep.
ing about the interior Of Il ship
ovorhanging cargo, and dragging
out boxes and packages, his breath
all the while depending ON long
trail Of tubing, IN unlucky twist, nn
accidental squeeze, or the sudden
rupture Of which would bo instant
death.
One chief source Of danger is in
the transition from varying degrees
of pressure. In the experiments for
testing the powers Of divers at thir-
ty fathoms, ono man remained below
for an hour and u quarter. He
ought to have been brought up very
gradually-say in twenty to thirty
minutes--but he was hauled up in
seven minutes, and, on coming into
the mir began to expand, and died
nine hours after, from congestion of
the lungs.
In his case, on reaching the dock
OF the vessel, tho tissues, muscles,
veins, etc, are said to have been
"charged with m atmospheric pres
sure of about sixty-ive pounds to u
squa!e inch, whereas his lungs were
a comparative vacuum"
There must often be a strain upon
q divers sensibilities every whit az
great as that upon his physical
frame. A man has need of u cool
head and strong nerves, who is to
work safely, for three quarters of IN
hour, hundred and forty-four feet
under water, and itimay be, perhaps,
down in that fearful solitude, with
bodies of the dead floating around
his helmet.
Tho diver has sometimes sad
duties to perform, as happened in
the case Of the steamship Dalhousie
which was sunk nenr Dundce, on
the eastern coast of Scotland, some
years ago. Tho divors had, in that
case, to go into tho cabins and re.
move tho bodies of the drowned.
Some were in the attitude of prayer,
Others appeared as if they were on
gagod in tho impotent struggle with
death, while tho most affecting
sights of all were those in which
children were found clinging appeal
ingly to their parents.
Divers, without any lengthy pre-
liminary training, easily oarn an
average income of five dollars d
day, which ia about double tho
amount Of wages paid to skilled
mechanics in England.
The famous Yosemite valley has d
rival. It is on Kings River, in
Fresno county, California, is forty
five miles long, cast and west, and