The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-10-15
TALK WITH A DIVER.
Some Singular Experiences in a
Dangerous Life.
Down Among the Sea Weeds-Dlm-
cuJties Recommendation Con-
versation Is carried on
Under Water.
London Telegraph

tAoANSOA AVAcS1dPu.i
"Can you SEQ under wa.er??" "Very
seldom. l remember years ago going
down to have a look at the wreck OF
the Forfarshire--the vessel Grace
Darling and her father pulled to not
from windward of the island, as the
story says, but from the lee side,
where the cable lay ready, and
where the water was smooth. I
dived just out of curiosity, and saw
the old hooker plain enough. Off
that same coast I've been down in
water so bright that I've stood among
weeds as tall as this room, q beauti-
full garden of them, and watched 'em
with delight, almost forgetting the
job l was down there for, and 1 saw
tall kinds Of fish swimming about
and appearing quite close through
the glass in my helmet, though if 1t
put cut my hand to them | found
them to them to be fathoms away.
"But as a rule you can't see no
more than if you were looking though
a London fog. And then take a ship.
Suppose you were to come into
this room at night without a light
you couldn't see So it is with a
ships hold and cabin under water.
It's pitch dark. A man can only
at must be dangerous work
moving abou among cargo under such
circumstances"
"Why, not when you're used to it.
A bit of u sea on above is often IT,
convent. by making the vessel on
the surface roll and tauten the tackle
for heaving up the cargo, and so run
ming up 3 mass of dead weight on q
sudden before you're ready, and then
letting it come down crash again.
A ground SWELL mean the swell
at bottom-is also troublesome, for
it'll swing a man to and fro to a dis
tant OF seven feet and lore. But
this is only on deck. It's quiet in
the hold"
Suppose such a swell should dash
q diver against anything's'
ut wouldn't hurt him sir. The
dress makes him 50 light. 1 have
fallen through many q yarn and hole
in a ships decks, fit to break a mans
neck and back, you might think for
the depth of it, ald have gone very
softly and have come up again very
quietly"
"Can you converse under water?'
Eyes, but very few know how it's
done. If you were to stand up face
with another man, each might burst |
himself with yelling without pre-
ducing the faintest sound. Now, how
do you think you a hear"
II al not imagine"
NDr lu;nD Io-r Won o-I x,o,,,
mate must lie down OH your breasts
head to head or side by side, close
and in that position you'll hear one
another as easily as you and l can
hear each other in this room.'
II suppose the sound is conveyed
by the deck or sand, or whatever you
lie upon?"
"Possibly' I only know it is true.
When 1 found this out 1 spoke to
another diver alb out it, and he would
not believe it. Well, one day he
happened to 60. down to a wreck to-
gether. 1 told him beforehand what
position to put himself in; and, after
we had been at work some time, We
came together and both laid down.
as agreed and l said: Jim are there
many more casks left in the fore
hold.' Heaps he answered right
of. "And so you can hear me?'
said I. 'Ay,' be answered, wonder
plain:' and with that he laughed
and so did I, and we both heard
each others laugh just IS we heard
each others words"
"How deep down were you at the
SIN about eleven fathOms.O