The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-03-14
A LIFR or PERIL.
Thrilling Adventures of "a Veteran Diver
CsTpsoss ShaFhs, ana Ofher Submarine
Horrors Itub Mltb Death.

Thrilling Adventures of "a VrteFAa Diver
CsFPsos, sharks, and Oihsr ~HbmaFin
Hsrrsrs itah Whb Death.
The assistant superintendent nj thi
police headquarters in Toledo, Ohio, i
Old Jack Campbell now nearl,
siziy-hye years Of age. and who ha
been, and still proposes % be, sub
marine diver. To a reporter he has
related some Of his thrilling adventures
He gave a graphic description Of the mp
peaiance Of the first sunken steamboat
into which he ever went II was about
two miles from shore that the vessel hAl
gone down. be went into her for tht
! purpose Of recovering her cargo. The
bodies we're Of no consequence, ht
stated. 3" II is "A singular fact, " said Id
! in substance, "that the corpses oi
women ia IA sunken vessel always he
Z face upward, while men are invariably
( face downward. The cabin Of the vessel
presented a horrid appearance. The
bloated bodies all laid up next the cell
ing. Some we're elasped in each other =
arms. One mother had in her arms her
baby. A husband and wife were clasped
in each others embrace SO firmly that
they could not pull them apart
=" dove once in Mobile bay, where
put over three thousand chains under an
,ron-clad. The greatest annoyance that
We had there was sharks. They didn't
hardly dare tackle Us because with our
armor We looked more like scare-croWs
than anything else. They would come
sailing along and gradually swim mp
toward us with their great big mouths
wide open, but when within few feet
of Us they would stop and lay there
happin' their fins aud looking, il seemed
b. me like the very evil one himself.
Finally we devised way 10 scare them
off that never failed 10 frighten them so
that they would stay away an hour or
longer before they dare 10 come back.
The armor that We wear is air-tight, You
know. Oar Jacket sleeves we're fastened
around our wrists with an elastic, so
that the air could not escape. BY run.
ming ufy finger under the sleeve of my
jacket / could let the air out, aud as il
rushed into the water Il would make a
sort Of kissing noise and n volume Of
bubbles shoot up. So, whenever those
sharks wonld come prowliug around me
| would hold out my arm toward them
and, putting my finger under the elastic
Of my iacket-sleeye, l would let a lot OF
air out and send stream Of bubbles
into the sharks face, with "A kissing
noise like steam from a gauge-cock.
The way that those sharks would 60
seo0iing OF was funny TO behold.
II have had several narrow escapes
from drowning" said Jack, as he re-
lighted his ancient and much-tAnned
pipe, but about the closest call was
when | WAS worlIin' IN the waterworks
crib in Cleveland. You see, much de-
pends on having good signal-tender.
can tell when some one else besides the
regular signal man steps up and takes
hold Of the line. So can any good diver
for that matter. There was the diver
that worked for the Lake Shore Railroad
Company when they were building
the abutmeIits Of their new bridge here
across the Maumee. De, by the way,
Was paid $40 a day for 100 days He
Was working one day, shortly after he
had begun on the Job, and / went down
b see him The signal-tender asked
me IL would take hold Of the line. |
did so, and gave IL three or four little
shakes that good diver always under
stands. He Immediately answered back.
and LEI me understand that he knew /
was there. But wasfgoing 30 tell you
about that narrow escape. / had a
signal tender who didn't hardly under
stand his business. The mouth Of the
crib had become stopped up with dirt,
and / was clearing IL ont. Ihad crawled
through the entrance, n sort OF a door,
and was outside Of the crib. NY life
line and hose chafed against the top Of
the door. and all az once when / went 20
turn around. pulled my helme; Of.
There l was ont in the water, where IN a
short time knew | would drown. /
pulled twice on the lifeline for the
signal.tcnder to pull me up. but he
didn't do Il. felt that WIS filing mp
with water fast, and ] pulled again.
But still he did not understand. OF
course all my armor had filed with
water. and as there was no air IN u, !
was held down by tons weight. Sud
denly George, who | was telling You
about. ana who had just come down 20
see ne, stepped up and took hold Of the
lifeline. shook il and asked me what ]
wanted. had just strength enough
left 10 give two hard pulls. which meant
Pull ma up quick George, ] after
ward heard them tell, yelled 10 the
signal man and told him Help ma 81
pull in that lifeline. and pull for all
Won re- worth. for Jack is drowning
They hauled me mp out Of there mighty
quick, now / tell YOU, and il took lots OF
strength TO do il. becausc my armor was
full Of water. When they got me 10 the
surface I was clear gone. and IL was
more than an hour before came 20
enough 10 speak.
1.-THE deepest water that was in was
les feet When one is down so low IL is
hard work 10 get air. | have had the
air.pump manned by six men working
with oil their might, and still I've been
obliged 20 keep pulling on the lifeline
and calling for more air. :"