New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-04
AT THE BOTTOM or THE SEA.
A SUBMARINE DIVER TELLS SOME OF HIS
EXPERIENCES.
GETTING TURNED FEET UPwARD-soME FORCED

After n going experience OF fifteen years, uurlHb
which have often had cause 10 feel that was face 10
face with DEATH cannot remember ever having beub ca
nor. deliberate ymptons of fear than did when about
10 make nv first descent under water in the suit of
submarine diver. A celebrated philosopher and poet
has said that the memory relieves the mind in her
vacant moments and fills Up tine cha>nS OF thonghn
with ideas Of what is past, have other faculties
that acf,ate and employ her upon what Is to come"
That what is 10 come precisely describes fear, ana
as | stood on the rungs Of a diving aunch's ladder,
eDcascd in waterproof suit fully two sizes to- largo
| for me- with breaStplatc and helmet firmly screwed
! down and shoes my feet weighing twenty pounds
each ! am convinced had a ful cargo Of If. A
| necklace ot lead Weighing eighty pounds having
been adjusted around my shoulders, and my manila
life line having been hauled taut around my waist and
stopped with the airhose TO the side OF my helmet,
INV instructor gave the signal ~ his assistant to
start the pump, questioned me with regard 10 my
signals cautioned me not to mako q ID fool OF
NY self" as many others had done. and then screwed on
the face.plate. which cut me of from all ordinary
communication With the world What emotions wclled
within me as l descended step by step, shall not
trcspass on space to describe; suffice il 10 say it
was almost a hundred 10 one against my descending
at ALL l felt dFeadfully afraid. Pride and will
finally conquered, however. compelled my ALMOST
paralyzed limbs perform their Office the last rung
of the ladder reached, graspcd guide rope and
slowly LET myself down to the bottom.
During my descent had experienced most frigltul
ringing in my cars IL seemed IL the drums
about to burst. ON MY reaching the bottom l
remembered the Injunction OF my instructor to sw0l
low my breath. ycl sing | practised all three.
with the result that was instantly relieved. | then
set about tour. The fish, OF which there were
great nbcr around Inc, peerrd curiousiy into
the glass plate of my helmet for few moments then,
Is II satisfied away again ! put ont my
hands, If to catch them but this did not seem 10
them in the least; on the contrary they clustered
around all the more closely. They appeared much
larger than the same species which lad out
Of water. After a WHILE the bottom being very
| muddy, and being unable to perfectly. my feet
slipped from under me, and made what | thought
n TroOMyn Bridge lean. After regainins my
footing and receiving tug my fe line, which was
a sigma. nqulrins whether was all right. explored
this apparent ca~m and found it only about six
feet deep. ! suppose ] remained under water fully
half hour my first essay. did not ask TO be
hauled up. but waited until the signal come up was
given
During my stay under water had made the acqua'n
lance Of I've GELS than before in my lf',
although | had only descended TO depth OF thirty
| feet. l felt none the for my descent on NY
arrival top. AID began % think had within Inc
the making Of a model diver.
Ny second essay not successful. n was IA
deeper watcr-prObably twelve or fourteen flthpms
started out to IND a cable that somewhere near
where had been let down. / scrambled around for
time without any success. when. my right shoe
having become entanglci in something the bottom.
/ had the misfortune lose it, Finding IL impossible
to keep my right leg the bottom. because Of rs
decided tendency TO practise hlghicking every time
l moved, sgnallcd pull me up When my face
plate unscrcwcd / explained that had lost one
of my shoes. My shoe having been replaced in
few minutes I was descending again. this time q
hunt up my lost After search Of probably
quarter Of hour. cspicd IL half jammed under
large stone Unfortunately for myself IN my eager
TO grasp IL, bent forward from standing posi-,
ton, instead OF dropping on my knees. The conse
quence that the air ia the upper part Of my suit
escaped to the legs and lifted my feet. tried and
tried again to regain my footing, but could not, and
eventually had to so up feet first. My second essay
WAS not without fruit however. | had rcgalned my
lost shoe and lad learned very valuable lesson.
since then l have worked under ships bottoms, on
sta:es weighted with hedge anchors and placed In
position by myself and have rarely experienced any
difficulty III performing the work which set out 10
accomplish. When d man once become accustomed
10 working under water, he can handle tools with al
most the came precision a. he does upon dry Land.
la shallow waterway from SIX to eight fathouis-
| ii is difficult ~ keep ones footing, because the
pressure the water IS not sufficient altogether 70
| overcome the air in tie suit. man can easily work
three hours in fathoms Of water but in t~ent!
Ill hour is considered very good work. II takes
strongly con. dldtcd man ana GOO etVer " "oIs d,
| 10 nity iatiVins believe 10 DC utter " rot. have
|
time ~ tnc ana te consensus % uP.'H ION! ,r,,
| De that Who can sttt IN tnrty iOur lhtHoh9
one s0on discovers that order descend 10 any
great dcpth and remain cng,h OF time II Is desiFa
bic let ones sell down SLOWLY. Going do"n qulch{
OF blood to the mead, ana IN almost an
cA.es tne diver viii Ind himself bleeding IRON inc
| Cyco. nose, mouth and ear, and suffering intense
pam Oh III, touching thc bottom. Given Aeht, sdhdy
bottom and clear water man can discern ob!cClo q,
a great distance but II Tie bottom - dt all muddy II
! Is almost equivalent 10 ones cropping his Way III
| thick fog.
ana It's Lmcnt j. about 100 pounds, 80 that Wh'n
a man Weighing, say $50 pOuuds-and men Of that
sound dcscends below the blue depths lie IS carrying
n, BODY twenty pounds more Than his own %eisht
nc could run race II freed nom Ms arAo'c ana
lle signals in use In submarine diving are as fol
lows one ting the line signifies All rgllt hf'c
| air., two, " Less air la case the He line gets
lammed or fOlcd BY any means and The hose IS clear
three tugs the hose signifies Haul Inc up II the
! second diver down to clear the first.
While the subject perhaps 1t would be worth
while relate few ncncnts which have come under
my notice while attending other men. BY the way,
it takes three men 10 ATTEND dlveIone to drcss MN
and attend To his signals while below ana TWO l"
Uuc Very dark night about three years ago DIVER
descended und-i 40" JuathOu3c at the Torpedo station
NeNpOr T. l., for tie purpose Of testing 100 candle
power incandesccnt sGbnarlHe lamp lie mao scaf'cy
| been under water i've minutes When owing 10 the
Ii"Poi '9d y GnocNed nat on his back Ills
attendant scarcely more fortunate received the cur
rent along wet line aud hose, and for few minutes
/ he thougnt spuug tad come. It needed only few
| moments 10 cut q the circuit hanl mp the diver
aud un>crcw ti, face plate strange u relate, he
-ald ia felt al right" having only been stunned
for A few minutes. lie able 70 tel rs tilHt By
the aid Of the light, he coHM perfectly within II
I radius ~ fourteen 10 fifteen feet.
On another occasion we hdd the misfortune 10 loss
the anchor ui a submarine mine IN NcwpOr; iiarbOr.
. The senior member Of the diviHg class. youth of
concerted OF hS imaginary
| r,,,,yc,s a, ever Bean Brumme Of his f"ppish
actions volunteered t. 70 down and hunt 1t mp. lie
Wa, speedily IsEcd and proceeded to pay out line
and hose I'm order give him plenty Of room IN which
/ ~ sv0op aiornd. After he had danced a mnnet
under water for about mali an hour- seemed like It
! any how from the gyrtOns and peculiar movements
/ OF his air bubblcs-we got one tug. We started 10
/ haul but not an inch did our diver buGgc. We
: tUrgcd and tagged In vain for about five minutes.
,,,',u T. nc he