The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-09

Nr. FleuSS made his trst appearance at
the Royal Aquarium, Westminster, last
night. i'm the large tank built for the whale
and used bv the seals. His remarkable per
formance under water was better seen than
il has been elsewhere either during the few
months OF the exhibition OF his apparatus at
the Polytechnic or at Brighton. He can
STAY under water for five hours without an
air-tube or any other communication with
the surface, and this absence OF incum-
brance gives him much greater freedom
than other divers possess. lie can, for
instance, lie down and bend his
body in any position without fear OF
being lifted or floated M, and without sur
iering from the obstruction OF the long pipe
which usually connects the head OF a diver
with bost above. In short, be possesses
;he principal advantage which distinguishes
an animal from plant; he moves independ'
entity instead Of being rooted to one spot.
ForeShortened in the water, he presents a
curious appearance, with great google eyes
i'm his FURNISHED helmet. strong water
tirbt dress and water-bOOts. The Specta-
tors amuSe themselves by throwing pence
for him to pick up, or by writing mes
ssges 10 him on cardboard, which
ne reads and answers on card
| board. always under water. He sharp
ems his pencil under water, gives and
receives signals with cord. andiS TO expo
riment on the submarine use OF the tele-
phone. At Ryde be walked for quarter
/ NJ a mile under the sea; at Brighton he
went down in five falhOms by the chain
pier in rough weather. Ii be could eat
Under wafer. Mr.. FleuSS says he could
stay for a longer period than the five hours
which he gives rs the ordinary limit.
Ye,terdav afternoon he remained two
hours and seven minutes under water
i'm the Aquarium, and again went down
for half an hour in the evening"
In shor, lecture on his apparatus,
which Mr.. FleuSs gave in the even
inc. Immediately on returning to the
upper air, he stated that his method Is
no secret, that IL Is patented, ana thal
the specifications are accordingly pub
! ished. In every draught OF breath VIC
| draw we take in certain amount OF oXy'
cen with four times rs much nitrogen. a
little OF the oxygen becomes nXed IN The
form Of carbOnic acid, and the air thus de-
lterioraied becomes unfit TO breathe H.
however. the place Of the missing oxygen
is taken by fresh supply, the mixture be-
comes again III for breathing. According
Ito Mr.. FleuSs, he takes down compressed
oxygen to supply the place OF that which u
breathed. In other words, he has invent
ed a set Of antl.lungs, which perform
function precisely the reverse Of that o
the lungs proper. This was confessed
llv a rough, popular, hasty, and gene
rallied explanation. \ more scientific
account may be expected from the lee
ture on the subject which DR.. B. W
Richardson. f. X. :, who IS specially quail
ned for the investigation by his well-knOwr
experiments on ozone, Is 10 deliver at tn,
Society of Arts. It Will be remembered tha
il was to the same Society that ProiessO
Tvndail explained the freman'S respirator
which has since proved in practice so yau
able an instrument in strainiDg the bad an
at fires before It reaches the lungs, and -
enabling the fireman to breathe what air u
LETT among smoke and nOXiOus yapOrS. Mr.
Fleuss's method is still more chectual, be
cause be carries his own supply OF oXygeI
with him in a compressed form. ana ba
thus been enabled 10 breathe IN an a.
mosphere in which there is no appreclablC
quantity Of air at all. He states that he ha'
gone through tire-damp (carburetled ny
drOgen) and cboke-damp (car6Onic acid)
and could exist in the charged receiver OF {
gaS-1aclOry. In the great helmet and IN tbt
holOWs Of his armOr there is room for
certain quantity OF air, and this is kep
fresh and constantly renewed by strean
OF oxygen. the pressure Of which he regu
lates by a tap at will. TO refresh him>el
be increases the flow OF oxygen, and wber
be requires no stimulus diminishes 1t. Mr.
FleusS is a young and vigorous man. who
has served in the steamboats, Of the PENN
sula and Oriental Company. His apparatus
is certainly very ingenious and effective
and we'll worthy OF attention. .-L0nd0f
| Times