Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-05-17
A DIVERS LIFE.
Methods and Apparatus Used In
Work Under the Sea.
q Divers Suit OF Armor-Takiug Things
Easy At the Sea Bottom-Traia.
Ing . Man for Subms.
rine Work.

Ing Man for subms.
rine Work.
It was on beautiful December day.
in a latitude where summer reigns
perpetually. while sitting on the deck
of the good ship Alpen. and voyaging
through the Caribbean Sea, bound
from Kingston. Jamaica to New
York. that l recently had an interest
ing and instructive chat with Captain
Anthony Williams. the famous En-
glish diver. on the subject of his
hazardous profession.
II first began diving in 1861" he
said. in answer to my question. Il
was wrecker then. and was raising
a sunken ship off the coast of Corn
wall. l had working for me a diver
who seemed very lazy, careless sort
of fellow. Twas paying him by the
day. and once. after being under
water for long time. lie came up and
reported very little progress in his
work. was angry. and expressed
myself strongly. He retorted with:
Try it yourself if you can do any bet
ter
"'All right said I, let me have
your diving-dress and l will try it my
self He thought 1 was only joking.
but wasn't. He doffed the dress. 1
put it on and down l went. / dis
charged him when 1 came up and
have been doing my own diving ever
since.
subsequently. however. l placed
myself under the instruction of diver
named Scott When he thought me
proficient he said to me one day:
Tony. I think you have learned about
all / can teach you. Now I am going
to put you to the test Taking from
canvas bag five dollars in small
silver coins he threw them into the
sea- Now go down and bring those
up "As every school-boy knows. a
dime or a half dime under water looks
rs large as a trade dollar out Of water.
SO did not consider the task very
difficult one. Down went and up
came presently with every coin.
whereupon Scott pronounced my div
ing education complete. Poor fellow.
he was drowned about five years ago
while bathing in the River Magdalen.
in British Columbia.
Ibid you ever see a diving dress?
No? Then l will put mine on and
give you an idea of one" and the cap
tain retired to 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 outfit complete.
The dress is really two dresses, one
within the other. each of India rubber.
The stockings. pants and shirt are all
made together as one garment which
the diver enters at the neck, feet first.
The hands are left bare, the wrist
bands of the rubber shirt-sleeves tight
ly COMPRISING the wrists. There is a
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, is
held SO firmly in place as to render the
entire dress, from the neck downward,
absolutely air and water-tight Fit
ting with equal closeness to this breast
plate is the helmet mentioned above.
1t completely incloses the head. and is
supplied with three glasses-one in
front and one at each side-to enable the
diver to look in any direction. A pair of
very thick leather shoes. made to lace
up the 'front.' and supplied with heavy
leaden soles. completes the outfit
You see" said the captain. when
his helmet had been removed, after
every body had had ample time to
criticise his appearance in it. sit takes
about fifteen minutes to put these toys
on. and when the diver is rugged in
them all but the helmet there are
placed across his shoulders ropes sus-
tanning two leaden wei ghts, one hang
ing at his back. the other at his breast.
He then goes down a ladder into the wa
ter up to his armpitA and then the he'll
met is placed on him. the glass in front
Is screwed in place, and when every
thing is ready he is made aware of the
Tact BY blow on the top of the he'll
met He then goes down by means of
a rope previously lowered, hand under
hand. to the bottom of the sea. Some
times in very strong currents. it is
necessary to make the weights extra
ordinarily heavy in order to hold the
diver down, Notwithstanding the fact
that the dress alone weighs nearly two
hundred and Fifty pounds and ret I
do not fel the weight Of it down