The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-17
TIE RIVERS BOTTOM.
WHAT A DIVER SAW UNDER THE
WAVES or THE HUDSON.

Man.
In New York city, near the Brooklyn
bridge, and visible from the promenade OF
that great viaduct, Is loft which has
long been a favorite headquarters Of the
professional divers who do business along
this part Of the Atlantic coast. The place
is we'll furnished, coy and supplied with
all the latest ideas in submarine work
Every day it is visited by the divers, who
come for new orders for work, to obtain
assistance upon some hard task, or to pro
cure supplies for their peculiar calling
One afternoon while party OF friends
chiefly newspaper men and divers. were
chatting over the news of the day, one or
the more popular subaqueous toilers
entered who had been absent some time
from the city He joined in the CONVEX
satiou, and ate. nearly every member OF
the party had related some experience,
said: Il do not recall any exciting episode
IN my career at the present moment, but
only the humdrum OF my daily career.
suppose. however, that it may interest
outsiders and so give the story Of days
work Last fall one OF the ocean steamers,
in approaching her pier, lost a valuable
anchor and chain cable through the care
lessness or drunkenness of some seamen
on board. The captain Of the boat was m
old friend and he sent for me 10 recover the
property. 1t was not much Of Job but
business was slack and was glad 10 get
II. We got everything ready and went to
work day or two afterward, about IL
O'Clock IN the morning. We anchored our
la nd ire OIL f,ntf
armor ard down ! went You have
an idea that the water is clear
like the air, but you are away Off. II is
dirty. very dirty Ordinarily YOU can see
about ten feet from you in any direction
SIDEWAYS Over your head 10 Is a glare.
Underneath il IS as dark as cave with
an electrical lamp, the best invention yet
made as far a. our trade is concerned,
Won can see twice as far, out 1t is just
Ike standing by camp fire in the woods
at night time II makes the surrounding
darkness all The darker. reached the
bottom Of the Hudson and began walking
around The door OF a great river is not
Ike Broadway, nor even the beach at
Coney Island. Ii is q great mass OF oOze
or slime, into which you sink sometimes
to your knees, sometimes 20 your waist
and sometimes over your head. You Go
as much work by feeling as by seeing
This dag | struck lot Of commonplace
things, but under water they interested
even me. One was mass Of telegraph
and telephone wiros from New York to
jersey City Some were whole and some
were broken, probably by the anchors Of
small vessels that hove to over night
just above
\ few OF the broGeu wires still stuck
out Just az II they had been pulled so by
main force All OF the wires showed the
effect Of their suomergence Some were
half rotten, others were beginning 10
decay or rust Every one had something
attached to IT, Little snails, oyster shells.
seaweed, eel, grass, rags and other water
logged matter from the land were few
Of the things attached 10 the wires. Fur
tber on | came across the oil pipe through
which the Standard OIL company pumps
petroleum direct from the oil wells OF
Pennsylvania TO the great re1neriss IN
Brooklyn and Williamsburg The pipo
was stronger and more accurately made
than the ordinary gas and water pipes We
see II the city Yet I thought that If
der 1t and pulled quite hard then it would
break short and cover the harbor with
crude petroleum. There IS great deal
OF wood lying around the bed Of the river
Contrary to public opinion, wood ts not
lighter than water. Full Of air 1t ie, OF
course but when water soaked or logged
it nearly always sinks. It's weight is so
close to water, though, that It doesn't
work It's way down into the fine dirt and
mud Of the bottom For this reason it Is !
very apt 70 deceive amateurs and noyiceS
There Is another thing that divers see
under the Hudson, and that is that the
river Is being filled up through the folly
or ignorance Of human beings The grear
sewers never stop throwing their vile cor
tents into the slips Every steamer, from
tug 10 ocean greyhound, drops its ashes |
overheard. Every vessel does the same
with Its sweepings and refuse Then the |
scows, which ought 70 carry the ashes and |
garbage Of this city far away, save time !
aud trouble by dumping them in dark
nights into the Hudson.
There are not very many fishes In the |
North river There may be, but we divers |
don't see much Of them Probably they |
see as first aud give Us wide berth. |
Those | meet most are cells and little |
sinners, or minnows. II, however, we /,
carry one OF those new fashioned mean |
descent lamps it acts like Il jack lantern
IN eel spearing, and brings shoals Of FISH |
around They are horribly unintellgent, |
and after studying fellow five minutes !
and swimming off they viii Immediately |
return and begin cycling him again, as II |
they had never seen him before, We
never mind them, as they are harmless, |
and couldn't be caught by Us even II we |
desired 70 get good mess OF them when
at work
The most unpleasant thing 4 diver |
can meet IS the dead body OF q human |
being II is popular deluslon that all |
drowned men come 20 the surface after |
several days. Probably they would il |
they were left alone and were not attacked |
BY wharf rats, eels and fishes. ButiD the |
Hudson they are always attacked In this |
way within an hour or two after they are |
submerged Once attacked that ends 1t.
The breaking Of the skin diGuses some.
thing 1t may he scent around, and then |
everything travels for that body 10 get q |
square meal. Long before decomposition |
IL is so cut and riddled that what gases |
are formed have no chance 10 accumulate
and inlate the walls Of the abdomen. We |