The New York herald., 1879-07-31
A DIVERS DEATH.

JAMES JENKINS sUfFocATED ny THE BURSTING
or THE AIR PIPE TO MS SUBMARINE SUIT.
party Of men started out from the Battery yes
terday morning 10 try and ix chains to raise an
anchor iost BY the ship Darbarossa at the time she
was in collision With the National line steamship
iiAiy, about month since. The anchor lay out in
the middle Of the shlp channel between Bedoe's aud
Governors isiands. ct . place where the depth Of
water IL about seventy -nve feet and arrangements
had been made with contractors to raise it. An
attempt ~as maale tho previous evening to hx
chains 10 tho anchor. hut tho tide at the time
MAS running too strong aud Il was impossible to do
H. Consequently a. ak o'clock this morning Joseph
" wctherali. John ieardon. y. Connolly, Edward
Netteoti met Hugh hoean and James W. Jenkins ut
the Battery and proceeied In boat to the
cf operations James W. jenkins. the deceased was
the diver engaged for the work. and was reputed
OF the best in his profession. His sudden and
melancholy end has thrown gloom over all his old
comrades. who were accustomed to call him fsmil-
iary Captain jerks. The party. arriving ut their
place of work. got ready. Began dressing Jenkins
and lowering him into the water where he had been
Only = minute or two when the pipe which Was at
was suuoczted before he could be rescued.
nUon DoaAS's STATEMENT.
Last evening began was found at the house OF the
widow OF Jenkins and ssid:--'.we all met Ut the
Battery a. sir A. NJ. according to agreement. to go
vlous evening jenkins had been down for two hours
trying TO do tho work. but the current too
strong a. the time and had to give up the at
tempt when We got out to the place where the
anchor lies l dressed Jenkins in his diving armor.
and he shortly sfterwArd descended the water.
There . short ladder over the stern
OF the vessel with few runas, which
would just lot him reach the water and
from there he would 90 down like = stone. owing to
the weights sewn to his dress and his heavy
boots. He had been down for two hours the pre-
yious evening. and noticed at tho time some de-
fa.s. n.sa.. ~. al. .s~
pumped to him. had called his attention to the
Tact. but he said there was danger and that the
arinor was good enough to finish the job in. took
hold of the life line aud saw him safely into tho
water. Connolly and Netticott working the pumps.
sUrEocArED.
Jenkins had been down about two minutes or
so." said Began; II fancy he had just reached the
ground. when the air pipe burst with report like
pump imp and he water. and and on on the deck OF Of
the vessel We all seized the life line and
began to haul Jenkins up; l suppose it took ps
soon ~ his head appeared took OF the face glass
and found blood squirting from his eyes, nose.
him. He alive st the time. but could not help
himself. His foot caught OF the steps Of the
dress, and then dragged him into the boat and made
for shore as quickly a. possible. Jenkins died in
about three minutes and was gone before we
OF his jacket. which were fastened tight at
the wrists. as I had lent Jenkins my knife
required it below. The tightnesss of the sleeves
would stop the circuation: and would have
cut them II I could. When we reached the
battery informed the police. and they told not
to move the body until permit arrived from the
Coroner. When II came IL was removed 10 the un-
dertaker. Stephen Merritt"
The body turned black ~ hrst but later at night
this was passing OIL. and he recovered his color.
Jenkins was u thoroughly experienced diver. and
Began said he had worked with him only
last week ut Northeast Hsrbor. Jersey, whore he
dived to stop leak In = sunken mud scow.
The widow. Mrs. Jenkins. was visited at her home,
No. 3l West sixteenth street, where . number of
sympathizing friends had assembled. She told tho
reporter that her husband had been engaged since
his early manhood 1t his but for the last
two years had very little work. much that his
diving armor got out of repair. He always used
his own apparatus complete. with pump and nx-
ings. jenkins . man OF about forty-hve years
OF age. and y Freemason. belonging to Lodge
No. 540 Hillgrove. OF Brooklyn. He leaves his wife
and one ohild totally unprovidcd for.