The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-04-22

Il
idea of one" and the captain retired 10 his
stateroom, whence he presently emerged in
full diving costume, except the heavy cast
iron helmet, which several OF the company
raised from the deck and placed upon
him, thus making his outht complete.
The dress is really two dresses, one within
the other. each OF India-rubber. The
stockings, pants, aud shirt are all made
together as one garment. which the diver
enters at the neck feet first. The hands
are left bare, the wristbands OF the rubber
shirt-sleeves tightly COMPRISING the wrists.
There is 4 copper breast-plate bearing upon
its outer convex surface small screws,
which are adjusted through holes In the
neck OF the shirt, which, by means Of
nuts fastened upon the screws, il held
so firmly in place a. to render
the entire dress, from the neck
downwards, absolutely air and water
tight. Fitting with equal closeness to this
breast-plate is the helmet mentioned above.
1t completely encloses the head, and i, sup
phed with three glasses-one I'm front and
one at each side-tO enable the diver TO
look IN any direction. \ pair Of very
thick leather shoes, made to lace up the
front, and supplied with heavy leaden
,olcs. completes the dress.
INA DIVERS DRESS.
"YOu see," said the captain, when his
helmet had been removed, after everybody
had had ample time to criticlse his appear.
ance in it. sit takes about fifteen minutes
10 put these toys on, and when the diver l.
rugged i'm them all but the helmet there
are placed across his shoulders ropes, SllS-
-,
ing at his back, the other at bis breast. lie
then goes down n ladder into the water up
TO his armpits, and then the helmet is
placed on him, the glass i'm front is screwed
in place, and when everything is ready he
is made aware OF the fact by blow on the
top OF the helmet. He then goes down by
means OF rope previously lowered, hand
under hand, TO the bottom OF the
sea. Sometimes, in very strong cur
rents, it i necessary 10 make the
weights extraordinarily heavy in or
Ter 10 hold the diver down, not
withstanding the fact that the dress alone
weighs nearly 200 pounds, and yet do not
feel the weight Of il down among the fishes
any more than do that Of an ordinary suit
OF clothes out OF the water. II was invent
ed in switzerland by native OF that cOun-
| Try named Bauer, who spent a small COM
potency in having it patented and in trying
20 bring it into use, but he died disap-
pointed, hesrt-brOken pauper, leaving
others TO reap the benefit Of his invention"
PUMPING IL FRESH AIR.
Can YOU breathe as freely in your
diving-dres5 rs YOU can out Of it,"
"Ycs. indeed. When ten or twelve ia
thoms under water my breathing j. n
wholly devoid OF effort rs il i when ! am
walking about oil dry land. You know that
by means OF an air-pump, worked by two
men, the diver is supplied with air.
Through hose this air passes into the back
0f his helmet, and near It's place OF entrance
ms a spring valve for it, escape. This
valve can be controlled 10y the diver, but
be usually sets it before going into the
water and seldom disturbS it afterwards.
Tne pressure OF the air being greater than
| that OF the water, 4 surplus OF the former
readily escapes. When this valve is not
sufficient the diver can open in his breast
plate a similar spring valve. intended only
Tor such an emergency. He can also regu-
| late the amount OF air pumped TO him by
| signals upon the air-hOse to the men
engaged IN pumping. one pull upon
| lllt nt>t BifdUH Ulbit bii wv ihtlNs itcH
air: and two pulls and = shake, Il want to
come up The signals on the air-hose are
generally used by all divers, but each one
OF Us has his own private code OF signals
on the lifeline, which is always fastened
to the divers waist, and by means OF
which he is drawn up out OF the water.
These signals each diver writes down
very carefully and gives 10 the man
| Ia, cloro-o 90 tho lifa-tfpn Dv f,,aaps ~
these we can send up for tools, material.
etc. When a lengthy communication Is to
| be made we send up for slate and write
/ all W want to say. It is just as easy TO
read aid write under water us out OF it,.
One can see very plainly, all objects being
greatly III. enlfied."
| FOU z HOURS A DAYS WORK.
docs aver have any unpleasant SEN
saliOns while at work."
"None, sa' drumming in the ears, and
this will sol ietimes destroy the hearing il
the diver remains too long below. Four
homs-tv.o in the morning and two in the
afternoc a-cOnstitute a days work. and il
the Ever restricts himself TO this limit there
isl little or no danger OF his becoming deaf :
but il he goes much beyond il he Is pretty
sure to iniure his hearing. | once re-
NAMED under water for nine hours.
(and as q consequence completely lost
the Use OF my left ear for three
months, during which time | suf-
fered agony with ear-ache. Eventually.
however, my hearing became normal again.
Aside from this, the sensations are de-
| lightiul. and feel just Is well, happy. and
contented at the bottom Of the sea rs ever
| can under any circumstances. While en-
gagged in raising the sunken schooner
: Dauntless in Kingston, Jamaica. on the
18th Of August, 1880. became so dis
gusted at the stupidity Of the men
above in answering my signals that
took book which | found In the
captains cabin, and sitting down. read
| 1t for nearly an hour. | once knew
a diver, Tom Brintley by name, who.
though thoroughly competent man and a
good fellow, was little too fond Of stimuli
lants. On one occasion he went down
with pretty good cargo Of spirits aboard,
and the men above not knowing his condi-
ton became seriously alarmed when sew
eral hours passed by without their receiv-
ing any signals from him, or any response
To those they made 10 him. Another diver
was sent down TO look for him, and found
him lying on his back on the bottom OF the
ocean, sixty feet below the surface, fast
asleep.
"What Is the greatest depth ever de-
scended tor Well, about ninety feet, and
il takes me about three minutes to go down
that far
DIVERS DUTIES.
"Must not q diver be a practicle ship