Daily Republican., 1879-03-04
Under the waves.


What Is the chief drawback of .
divers life :" was asked Of Coolan, a
professional diver. 6t E& Is
"Well, ! shall call 1t the uncertainty.
For instance, you 60 down into ninety
or one hundred feet Of water, with
nothing between you and the surface
except that little air pipe. II should
break or leak, or get cut, II is all up
with you. As long as that whizzing
noise at the back Of the helmet keeps
up, you are all right; but let it dwindle
or stop, and there Is only one thing to
do, to make tracks out Of there
"Havs you ever had 1t break with
your
~ have had the noise stopped as
quick as you'd shut of steam. didn't
stop there long you can bet. was
down in fifty feet OF water, and it took
the livsliest kind Of scrambling to get
up in time. The pipe had broken at
the top, but one Of the tenders put his
hand over the break, and they manag-
I'd to send me down little mere air as
| was coming up. The air inside ofthe
helmet grew hot and thick, and by the
time got to the top was gasping like
a fish cut of water"
Next to the air pipe, the diver looks
most carefully after the little pane OF
glass which covers his face. The iron
rods, two vertical and two horizontal,
which protect it, are made and fitted
with especial care, so as to afford the
greatest amount Of protection consist
ent with clear view. The breaking
of this glass is generally equivalent te
immediate death, the rush Of the water
within being apt to choke the victim
instantly. Peterson tells OF q case on
the Atlantic coast in which diver was
drowned by the breaking Of this glass
The man was exceedingly nervous and
apt to lose his head when he got into
difficulty. Especially he dreaded the
breaking Of the face glass, and for thii
reason had it made unusually stout.
One day while working in the hold
of ship loaded with railroad iron, h.
jammed his helmet against the thil
bottom edge OF rail. The glass wal
shattered. The green water rushed II
with tremendous force, and stranglet
him before he could make an effort Il
get out. Peterson, cropping his wa!
through the dark hold, stumbled npol
the tody of his unfortunate mate
doubled no around a stanchi0n.
In diving for the Submarine Com
/ pany of st. Louis in 1871, Peterson
himself met with an accident that wei
nigh proved fatal. He was employed
at Fort Leavenworth in the Missouri
River in over fifty feet Of water. Whil'
at the bottom OF the river the bel
which he was in was overturned, thu
bell boots which he wore being tori
completely OF him 10y the violence o
the shock. The current was running
at the rate of seven miles all hour. II
retained presence Of mind enough u
graspa lif. line which happened to b
in reach, whereupon the current Dor
him on the SUI face.
i Coolan was one Of the divers win
tished til. six hundred bodies ont
the White Star steamer Atlantic IL
1873. The corpses of the dead wer
found jammed against the furniture
crammsd through glass skylights, hid
den away behind stateroom doors, an
always in the most frightful contorte'
attitudes. To grope into cabin in tn
dark and come suddenly upon tn
bodies OF an entire family father
mother, children-intertwined III on
| last embrace, was not uncommon.
. The most hideous cases and most try
/ ing to The nerves were the single corps.
hid behind doors, which tuWbled I'M
the divers embrace On his openin
them.
Which i. the easiest sort of carp
, to move p
Railroad iron. 1t is the easiest al
, cleanest to handle. Assorted cargoe
) grain in bulk, and miscellaneous gooe
) are the worst"