Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-01-06
THE DIVERS ARMAMENT.


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 devil-fsh, he may at first
have been somewhat startled by the APP
partition.
The being who thus rises from the sea
Is not a mischievous creature, but on
the contrary a very useful member
of society when his services arc re-
quired and brought in requisition. A
full description of his dress is some
thing like this:
From the helmet projects q coil 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 air-pump on a float-stage or
in boat The pump is manipulated by
two men and furnishes compressed air
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 he can
breathe without the assistance of the
air-pump.
When he goes down INTO tho water
he has two means of communicating
with those above-the hose and the life
line. BY the latter he also descends and
comes up when necessary.
In order to overcome the natural buoy
ancy Of his body and make its specific
gravity such that he can walk about on
tho bottom Of the sea, he wears shoes
with solcs heavily baliasted or weighted
with lead.
The upper part of his body Is protect
cd, as Is also his lower half, by heavy
canvas covering, consisting of jacket,
with sleeves, and pantaloons, with ter
limitations which, fit closely, with elastic
bands clinging to his flesh, the Jacket
fitted closely to the helmet with metal
lie bands bolted together, with q burber
gasket between.
No water or air can get to him, except
the latter by the hose, unless he opens
the glass windows of his helmet, which
he is not likely to do unless occasion re-
quires.
Additional weight Is placed at his
chest and back; sometimes O breast
plate and shoulderplate of lead,
sometimesa belt heavily weighted which
can be thrown ON or off the shoulders,
and hang down in front and behind when
in use.
The experiences Of o diver are many
and interesting. After he has once
reached the sunken vessel, whether by
being lowered straight down from the
wrecking craft or by walking along the
bottom of the ocean to avoid currents, he
must search through the hull Of the ship
as though she were floating upon the
surface Of the water.
To do this he carries q small lamp
with him, which g:7es out peculiarly
brilliant light wnon unuer Jne water,
and makes the surrounding objects
glisten with all the colors of the rain
bow.
Care must he taken that the air-tube
does not get tangled in any way, or cut
by friction against the side of tho YES
sci. Unfortunate divers have frequent
ly lost their lives by this means when
exploring the intricate passages OF o
vessel at great depth below the surface
Of tho water.
Danger is also experienced from heavy
pieces of timber, boxes, barrels and even
dead bodies, which are often floating
around in the hold of q sunken vessel
A diver, once telling of the trouble
that ho had in exploring a wreck, seid
that he was constantly annoyed by sew
eral heavy chests which kept moving
about with every swell Of the sea. One
came so near his diving-bell that no was
forced to give it q violent push, which
sent it against tho opposite wall Of the
small cabin. Instantly 1t rebounded
and came within an inch Of the divers
helmet, which it would have quickly
broken had 1t struck it.
But, by lodging in time, the cnest
passed hacmiessly over him, and the
next moment it eollidcd with another
silsilar chest. The force Of the coils
ion broke ono Of the hoops OF the huge