Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-06-03
A Divers Experiences.


Too often our services are sought in
sadness by those who have lost friends
who have been drowned either in
harbor or in lakes and rivers and whose
bodies they wish to recover for burial.
Such calls are usually responded to,
though it is service from which the
heart of the boldest diver may we'll
shrink.
"Is it not horrible TO go down into
deep, dark water and bring up bodies
Of drowned persons from out the slip
perry submerged cabins and holds of
sunken shipsP" is question often
asked.
10 this IL may be answered, that of
all the strange experiences of diver,
that is at once the most repulsive and
the most melancholy. The terrible
scenes of death, terror and despair pre-
sented by the cabins of vessels like the
steamer Atlantic, lost off Halifax, and
the Thalia, have been but too graphical
ly described to again shock the reader
by repetition. Even the most Injured
diver cannot fail to experience shock,
when, cropping his way in a lost ships
dark corridors, his hands, or his he'll
met, come in contact with a rigid,
bloated corpse. ..T r..t.'l
When first we were able to enter the
saloon of the ill.starred Minnie Borden,
| in 1869, five of the eight unfortunates
pent in there and drowned, were found
clutching the carved rafters of the sa-
loon.-holding fast in death. Another,
woman, was knoeling as If in prayer.
Still another, gentleman in the prime
| &c 60 L., ,,,;tI, .tnl IN bic
hand. He had shot himself.
Yet it is the opinion of many that
drowning is not painful death, and l
have seen the drowned persons lie Won
drously peaceful, with their dead face
as calm and as pleasant rs if the soul
was there and dreaming of loved ones.
During our tour to Panama Bay and
st. Marguerite Walters and visited the
wreck of Brazilian ship, the Ibicuhy
of Rio, where number of Aspinwall
divers were at work-on their own ac-
count, we supposed. Our visit was one
of curiosity, merely at the invitation OF
one of the divers, with whom we had a
passing acquaintance and we descended
from their schooner with the use of theil
pumps. The vessel, once fine barque
lay half-embedded in broken coral and
bright yellow sand, and so clear was the
water and so brilliant the tropic sun
shine overhead that l could easily have
seen to read the finest print at deptf
of eighty feet Never before or since
have l descended into so beautiful {
sea, where the water had such daz
zlingly clear and bright tints. AS WI
stood on the ruined deck one of oul
diver acquaintances approached ant
bcckoning me to follow, led the wa,
aft to the cabins, which were built upoi
the after deck. The door of the in
nermost stood ajar. The diver signet
for me to enter. l looked il
and shall never forget the spectacl,
The heavy mahogany chairs and sof'
still kept their places; and in the up
permost of the two berths, wrapped il
a gaily-colored blanket, lay q fair youne
lady as if asleep. Her long black hal
floated like seaweed, streaming out ol
the water. One little jeweled han,
hung over the side of the berth; and OIL
her beautiful oval face, with it's darl
brows, there was no sign that life wa
gone. Her eyes were closed, and tn
long lashes rested dreamily upon tn
lids. 1t seemed as il she must be onl
asleep; and the crimson curtain hang
ing half drawn away by rings on it
} silver rod, still cast its roseate glo,
into the berth. l could hardly believ
that her soul had long left its fair earth
ly abode, and that she had been lyin
there drowned two months, or more
That clear sea-water had embalmed he
and death was half robbed of his prey
Without exception, it was the most in
pressive image of death / have eve
witnessed. A vision of it haunted m
mind for many month. yet not III
pleasantly. Those divers were rud
fellows. Yet not one of them had tn
hardihood to approach and take th
sparkling rings from the fingers of tn
poor girl. In conversation, after W
had ascended, they said they took car
mot to disturb the lady," though the
5 seemed to have no scruples about plur
dering the ship. By hearsay, we subs'
quently learned that sometime after ht
brother-sOme said her lover-cam
! there and himself descended to til
: wreck. l can imagine, though perhaI
but family, the emotions which mu
have filed his heart when first he stoo
: within that sea-lit cabin. = Youths Con
: panion.