Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1890-04-02
TIE DIVERS ARMAMENT.
Full Description of the Dress Worn b,
Men Who Work luder Water.

Full Description of the Dress Worn b,
Men Who Work luier W alter.
II any one has seen diver in his sub
marine suit bobbing up from the water
with his glistening, immense round COP
per helmet with his square, clumsy,
manfish-like canvas suit, usually
stained by use, iron rust and sea water
to brownish, yellowish gray, something
the color of a devil-fsh, he may at first
have been somewhat startled by the ap-
partition.
The being who thus rises from the sea
is not a ,nischievous creature, but on
tho contrary very useful member
Of society when his services are re-
1uired and brought in requisition. A
full description of his dress is someAi
thing like this:
From the helmet projects q cell of
snake-like rubber hose, a sort of an
tenna, which passes down under his left
arm and up through the water, connect
ing with an alr-pump on a tloat-stage or
in boat. The pump is manipulated by
two men and furnishes compressed all
for breathing when under water, which
exhausts into the water by valve in
the helmet, enabling him to breathe
continually fresh air, while, when he
comes to the surface, the windows of
his helmet can be opened and lie can
breathe without the assistance Of the
air-pump.
When ne goes down into the water
he has two means Of communicating
utit Oh b,,ca MI 40 | fn
line. BY the latter he also descends and
comes up when necessary.
BY each of taese he gives and re-
ceiyes signals mutually understood,
three sharp pulls on the lifeline indi-
eating that he is ready to ascend.
In order to overcome the natural buoy
ancy OF his body and make its specific
gravity such that he can walk about on
the bottom OF the sea, he wears shoes
with soles heavily baliasted Or weighted
with lead
The upper part of his body is protect
ed, as is also his lower half, by heavy
canvas covering, consisting of jacket
with sleeves, and pantaloons, with ter.
limitations which fl closely with elastic
| bands ciinging to his flesh, the JACKIE
fitted closely to the helmet with metal
lie bands bolted together, with burbei
! gast1et between.
| No water or air can get to him. excepi
the latter By the hose, unless he opens
! the glass windows of his helmet, which
! ne is not likely to do unless occasion re-
quires
Additional weight is placed at his
chest and back; sometimes a breast
! plate and shoulderplate of lead
sometimes.a belt heavily weighted, witicl
! can be thrown on or off the shoulders
and hang down in front and behind whe.
| in use.
| The experiences Of diver are many
and interesting. After he has once
reached the sunken vessel, whether by
being lowered straight down from tbs
wrecbing craft or by walking along tht
bottom of the ocean to avoid currents, h
must search through the hull of the shi.
as though she were floating upon TIE
surface of the water
| To do this he carries a small lamp
| with him, which gives out peculiarl,
! brilliant light whom under the water
and makes the surrounding object
/ glisten with all the colors of the rain
bow
Care must be taken that tho air.tabe
does not get tangled in any way, or Cut
| by friction against the side OF the yes
sci, Unfortunate divers have frequent
| ly lost their lives by this hieaTis sheI
exploring the intricate passages OF q
vessel at great depth below the surface
! of the water.
Danger is also experienced from heavy
| pieces Of timber, boxes, barrels and ever
! doad bodies, which are ofteii floating
| around in the hold of q suhhen vessel.
A diver, cnce telling of the troGblC
that no had in exploring a wreck, said
that ne was constantly annoyed by seq
eral heary chests which kept movine
, about With every swell of the sea. On,
came so near his divingbell that he wa
+, forced to give is q violent push, whicl
sent 1t against the opposite wall OF tn
small cabin, Instantly it roboundet
and came within an inch of the diver
helmet, which it would have quic!il} 5
broken had it struck it.
But, by dodeing in time, the ches
passed harmlessly over him, ana tn
next moment it coliided with anothe
silsilar chest The force Of the coli,
ion broke one of the hoops OF the huc
box, and the next moment a glittrria
pile of ne~ly-stamped gold coins role,
out upon the floor of the cabin.
The chest had been used as sort q
treasury-hox by the captain, and all o
his valuables were locked up in it, BE
SIDES gold and silver pieces OF ncnel
ila,I..Als