Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-05-23
Under the Sea.


IL first began diving in 1868" said
Captain Anthony Williams to Philadel-
phia reporter, recently.
"Can you breathe as freely in your div
ing-dress rs you can out of it"
"Yes, indeed. When ten or twelve
lathoms under water my breathing is az
wholly devoid of effort as it is when |
am walking about on dry land. You
know that, by means of an air-pump
worked by two men, the diver is supplied
with air. Through hose his air passes
into the back of his helmet, and near its
place of entrance is spring valve for its
escape This valve can be controlled by
the diver, but he usually sets it before
going down into the water, and seldom
disturbs it afterward. The pressure of
the air being greater than that of the
water, n surplus of the former readily es-
capes. When this valve is not sufficient,
the diver can open in his breastplate q
similar spring valve, intended only for
such an emergency. He can also regu-
late the amount of air pumped to him by
signals upon the air hose to the men en-
gagged in pumping. These signals each
diver writes down very carefully and
gives to the man in charge of the life
! line BY means of these we can send up
| for tools, materials, etc. When lengthy
communication is to be made, we send
up for slate and write all we want to
say 1t is just as easy to read and write
under water as out OF it, One can sec
very plainly, all objects being greatly
magniiied."
"Dpes diver have any unpleasant
sensations while at workw
"None, save drumming in the ears,
and this will sometimes destroy the hear
ing if the diver remains too long below.
Four hours-two in the morning and two
in the fternoon-constitut days work,
and if the diver restricts himself to this
limit, there is little or no danger of his
becoming deaf; but if he goes much be-
yond it, he's pretty sure to injure his
hearing. / once remained under water
for nine hours, and, as a consequence,
completely lost the use of my left ear
for three months, during which time /
suffered agony with earache. Eventu-
ally, however, my hearing became nor
nal again. Aside from this, the sensa-
tions are delightful, and l feel just as
well, happy and contented at the bot
tom of the sea rs | ever can under any
circumstances. While engaged in raising
the sunken schooner Dauntless, in Kings
ton, jamaica on the 18th of August,
1880, | became SO disgusted at the
stupidity of the men above in answering
my signals that | took book which
found in the Captains cabin, and, sit
ting down, read it for nearly an hour
once knew diver, Tom Brintley by
name, who, though thoroughly compe-
tent man and good fellow, was little
too fond of stimulants. On one occasion
he went down with pretty good cargo
Of spirits aboard, and the men above, not
knowing his condition, became seriously
alarmed when several hours passed by
without their receiving any signals from
! him, OF any response to those they made
to him. Another diver was sent down tc
look for him. and found him lying on his
feet below the surface, fast asleep.
"What is the greatest depth ! ever de
} scended to? Well, about ninety feet
and ittakes me about three minutes to e
down that far"
"Nlust not diver be practical ship
builder also2'
"Oh yes; the diver who could dc
! nothing but dive would be of very lttl,
use. lie must be both ship carpenter
7 and boiler maker as we'll, that he may
repair sunken ships. The holes must b,
, patched and the water pumped out before
ship can be raised.'
sharks? / have often seen larg,
schools of them. They would advanc,
to within few feet of me, and would
then stop and look at me in apparcn
wonder, as though trying to make ou
7 what manner Of strange creature the,
| were gazing at. They are most cow
0 ardly fish, however, and the slighes
menace on my part would frightcn then
| away As | was repairing the schoone
Shepard in Kingston ono day, | felt some
] thing tamporing with my left hand mid
die finger. Looking, ! found bab,
$ shark, evidently much too young to lcav
D its maternal parent, trying TO nibblc IL.
F; "The pay of diver? That varics
$ Divers generally work by the job an,
when they do that they sometimes max
: it pay well. A diver will go down, lool
q Mt n vessel, and then state what he vii
: charge to raise her. | raised the schoone
| Dauntless in two days, and received $40
r for my time and trouble"
V - -
"A New Haven lawyer has the rcpu
a tation of being an adept at holding
/ piece of pie in his sleeve and eating il o
N the street for luncheon without beinv di.