Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-05-17
A DIVERS LIFE.
Methods and Apparatus Used In
Work Under the Sea.
a Divers Suit OF Armor-Taking Things
Easy at the Sea BOttom-Train-
ing Man for Subma-
rine Work.

It was on beautiful December day.
In 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 | 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 1863" he
said, in answer to my question. IL
was wrecker then, and was raising
sunken ship off the coast of Corn
wall had working for me diver
who seemed very lazy, careless sort
OF fellow. was paying him by the
day, and once, after being under
water for long time, he 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
Ger
"'All right said l, let me have
your diving-dress and l will try it my
self He thought was only joking
but wasn't. He doffed the dress, l
put it on and down | went ! dis
charged him when l 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, think you have learned about
all can teach you. Now l am going
Cto put you to the test Taking from
canvas bag five dollars in small
silver coins he threw them into the
sea. Now 60 down and bring those
up "As every school-boy knows, a
dime or a half dime under water looks
as large as trade dollar out of water,
so did not consider the task very
difficult one. Down | went, and up l
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.
"Did you ever see diving dress'
Mop 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 q
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, i,
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 i,
supplied with three glasses-one in
front and one at each side-to enable tn,
diver to look in any direction. Apair O
very thick leather shoes, made to lac,
up the front, and supplied with heav,
leaden soles, completes the outfit
"You see" said the captain. wher
his helmet had been removed, afte
every body had had ample time t,
criticise his appearance in it. sit take
about fifteen minutes to put these tog
ON. and when the diver is rugged il
them all but the helmet there ar
placed across his shoulders ropes sus
tanning two leaden weights, one hang
inc at his back, the other at his breast
He then goes down a ladder into the wa
ter up to his armpits, and then the hel
met is placed on him, the glass in from
is screwed in place, and when every
thing is ready he is made aware of tn,
fact by blow on the top of the hel
met He then goes down by means o
rope previously lowered. hand unde
hand. to the bottom of the sea. Some
times in very strong currents, it
necessary to make the weights extra
ordinarily heavy in order to hold tn
diver down. notwithstanding the fac
that the dress alone weighs nearly tw
hundred and fifty pounds. and yet
do not feel the weight of it dow
among the fishes any more than / d
that of sn ordinary suit of clothes on
~ the water. It was invented i
switzerland by native of that coun
Try named Bauer, who spent smal