The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-08

Al sorts d edyenfnres. Arrangements
wffh desIaEsh Ct en<rnoas proportions
are q everyday occurrence wiziie The
ssnd:nx Of hunan bod;es ard other
ehaztiy erizences ct sbIpureek % :
srpals matter 10 the professional siver-
probably one Of the saest noted divers
in this country ID Jssssh Moore. Who i
Eor Ia this city on business Mr..
Moore eI<inas Eesr Orleans - bis
home although be q sesenfiy froEs
seattle, W. =. II ssss NJ the Chicago
Hotel on Jsfxs0a street that an r.
axsA<y reporter met him few days
axD. and beard one 81 the most thrill
inw adventures thss ever he7eil man
under water. be bavinx been impact
through the foot IN sosse ~ feet q
water AZ Memphis, Tenn. NJ. Moore
walks with N almost irnpercspslpse
larreuezs ~ result Of bis adyenfnfss
ii the Mississippi river.
THAT loot bOthegs me Ut Times
sasd the diver. and the horror OF the
situation wzs In ! shall never fos-
get.
Stocking from his right foots which -
slit from near the instep V between
the great and second toes, he having
released himself BY tearing bis foot
through the bolt at the time OF the inn
placement.
The story. however. Il best told in
the divers own words.
at wAs IL October. is5a said MI
Moore, that ! Was engaged 70 90 the
underwater work, that - 70 build the
faelines for the Kansas City, spring.
field and Memphis Railroad, at Mem
phis. Ny work was al under
water. having 70 sink caps
on top Of the piles, and tnsn
drive drift bolts In each pile. The
latter we're six in ror, forming what
= termed 4 bent. The incline Was
about 100 feet in length the bents be-
ing sixteen feet apart. IL was on tue
morning OF October 18th that ! was
eer,t over 10 the West Memphis side
and made d survey. ! found that the
Incline laekes, d foot OF being down on
the caps. and no reported to the chief
eur:neey. ass directed 20 bolt the
iucline tiIulsers 60 the caps, and IL was
in doing this that the accident that
nearly cost me my life occurred. |
tisefi she regulation diving dress with
helsuef and air pamp, but relied prsu-
cipally on my lifeline and signal
rope ,-....s
cd OF drawing bolt - feet under wa
Ter. ssln this instance, !" he continued.
"a piece Of two-fneh gas pipe OF the
required length was used After holes
had been bored In the tirnbefs, bolt
was sent down the pipe, and being put
int position bF the diver. was rainmed
homie something after the manner OF
loading 4 gun. Everything progressed
nicely until about the middle OF the
day. had Just pointed the pipe over
q bolt hole and given the signal 70 send
the boItdown and ram away, when
felt sharp, singing pain IN nay right
foot. and found myself impaied.
reached for my life line. bat owing
70 the muddy water in the
Mississippi, | was unable 10 ind IL for
several moments. BY that time re-
allied my position. The bolt had
been driven through the string-riece
oil the incline. then through my foot
aud then into the top Of the pile.
confessed that | was frightened at
first, but well knowing that II ] lost
ms presence OF mind ! would be q
goner, bracea up and looked about
Tor some way % release myself. II !
had slate with me could have sent
II an aud notified those above of the
fix I was in, but had gone dcwn that
day without one Ny situation was n
very serious one.
.a'rhe current was running at the
rate 81 about SIX miles an hour, and
there | WAS. d prisoner under ~ feet
OF water, suffering intense pain and
losing large quantity OF blood. There
was no ether diver within three or
four miles of the pssSe, and things
looked very blue Tor me. had been
impaled for probably half an hour
when the men concluded that some
thing was wrong, and tried 10 signal
NE With suy lifeline This was finally
abandoned, and . young fellsw named
John Corners. who acted IS my tend
er. came down He brought with him
the duliest knife ] think | ever SAW
He came down 20 meet Fae IN fsoses
xas He had no diving suit, bet got
enc Of The men on the lighter 20 hold
nav lifeline and hose. and came doEn
By them. He bad 10 act quickly, and
g. soon "a fse reached me he placed
the knife in nv hand, and. releasing
his bold on the line. rose go the snr
face
Il can assure yea | felt better when
| rot hold Of thai knife. Ny first work
Was 10 sharpen il on piece Of railroad
iron. psies Of which were around me.
then cut the upper strap Of my shoe
and then cat the right leg of my dress
off Just above the knee. This resulted
In the wafsr filing nay dress Up 10 my
chin. This did not miud. however,
for 80 ioag IS the air pump was kept
going was safe. The main trouble
was 10 get rny foot clear. eonid not,
ffom the position vas in. reach down
further than the upper strap Of my
knee Had been able 90 do 50 would
have slit my fo-ss between the toes.
81 tried IN every possible way TO
clear myself. fut IL was impossible,
and. rs q last resort. had 10 suffer
the torture OF having the bolt torn
through the flesh. | signaled with my
lifeline, which was attached to the
wench. and the engine started The
agony was simply terrible, and after
being impsled under wster for 50 min
ntes | Was brought up very faint from
loss of blood =