National Republican., 1883-08-20
UNDER THE SAD SEA WAVE.
A Veteran Diver Gives II Few interesting
Facts.

Facts.
~ suppose if / were to write book con-
tanning my past fifteen years experience as a
diver it would be quite an interesting vol
ume," said an old diver to Cleveland 1e-
pOrtsr, "but we soon become used to tho
business, and many little incidents, which
you possibly would consider almost hair
breadth escapes, are to us nothing more than
an every day occurrence. My work has been
mostly confined to the great lakes, and in
and about its rivers and harbors, so cannot
say much about diving in the salt water.
Salt water diving, however, is much more
perilous on account of tho submarine animals
against which one has to guard"
In what particulars have improvements
been madeW asked the reporter.
Mostly with regard to the safety valves
attached to the helmet which regulates the
internal pressure of the air within the bell,
with the external pressure of the water out
side. The apparatus which used, and which
is of my own invention, not only regulates
the pressure with the depth, but in case the
tubing, which conducts the air from the
pump to the helmet, should break, the valve
would instantly close and thus prevent the
water from flowing inside the bell and drown
ing the diver. To be sure his communica-
tion with tho atmosphere, in this event,
would be cut off, but there would be sufli-
cient air inside the bell to last for two or three
minutes, which time is generally sufficient
for aid to roach him, whereby he might be
saved"
al pre- the sensations of ones first
dive are rather peculiar, arc they not"
quoried the reporter.
Well, yes; but it was so long ago that
took my first dive that have forgotten it.
The sensation which you would be apt to
notice first is a peculiar ringing in tho ears.
This is caused by the pressure of the.air with
in the bell upon tho drum of the ear, and the
deeper one goes down tho greater the pres
sure. You can avoid this unplcasantness to u
great extent, however, by the simple act of
swallowing. The little tube which serves as
an air passage between tho mouth and tho
inner chamber of the ear is diated by the act
of swallowing, and thus opens a way for the
air to pass up into tho Inner car, thereby
making the pressure on both sides Of tho
drum the same. A divers suit is made of
rubber canvas, very strong and entirely i'm
pCryiOus to water. This suit cncases the
body up to tho neck, where the helmet is
fastened on The helmet Is made of copper,
with three windows of strong glass, one in
1rOnt and one either side, which enables the
man inside to see by simply turning his head.
At the back of the helmet are fastened two
pieces ofrubber tubing, which serve to carry
tho pure air from the pump into the helmet,
and the bad air to tho outside. The soles OF
the feet are of lead, aud heavy weights are
also fastened to the waist. The whole dress,
without the man in il, weighs about 200
pounds. No, we have no trouble about work
ing or walking around when we are once un-
der water. The dress then seems no heavier
than an ordinary business suit"
There Is n fascinating side to tho life of
n diver, no doubt but should think that the
work Of extrlcating dead bodies from wreck
could hardly be called pleasant"
80, we get used TO that and do not mind it
any more than an undertaken does his work
That kind of job always pay WE'LL / worked
q wreck Off the coast of Newfoundland once
and received as high as $50 for every body
taken out 1t is q false impression, though
that bodies are found in wrecks in pOstures
indicative of life, l have often read of cases
where the bodies of men were found sitting
at table playing the same game of cards as
they were when the ship went down a wo-
man sewing In one chair and q man reading
his newspaper iii another. But this is all
nonsense, In all cases where tho bodies
have remained long enough in the water to
be deeomposed they are floating against the
top OF the cabin, and If decomposition has
not taken place they will be found stretched
upon tho hoor or in some of the most agoniz-
ing positions possible"