Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-02-12
A NEW KIND OF FISH YARN
A PiSCATORiAL EXPLOIT WHICH
PROVED PROFITABLE.

A Real Live Fish Caught and Cooked On
der Water-How q Divers Ingenuity
Brought Him Fame and Won . Friend
~ Waxer-A True Story.
'It was this way" replied Mr.. George
w. Fuller, the veteran diver, sitting
back in his chair and half closing his
eyes as If to recall all the circumstances
OF this most curious of diving expert
ments. "You see, had been talking
with some of the boys, telling them
about what l could do, and all that, and,
if remember rightly, made the asser-
ton that could catch a fish, dress it,
cook it under water and bring it up to
the surface in good shape for eat
ing without wetting it a particle.
Of course everybody was incredulous,
and one man who was even more in
credulous than the rest offered to bet
me 500 that l could not do it As l
thought / had a pretty sure show of
winning, and the man seemed anxious
to bet, put up LILY money, and when
asked when l wanted the affair to come
!
had some preparations to make.
Taking a couple of my men got a
boat and went quite distance out into
the harbor, stopping over place where
thought should be able to catch a fish
easily. I had brought a weighted barrel
along with me and my diving suit. The
barrel we then proceeded to sink, hav-
ing the open side downward. Putting
on my suit l went to the bottom and Sc
curely fastened the barrel to some rocks
with ropes to make sure that it would
neither rise to the surface nor float
away. Mind you, had the barrel raised
about three feet from the bottom, and at
this time, as a matter of course, it was
filled with water. After / had secured
it l stopped down and crawled up into
it, standing erect upon the bottom.
When l crawled in the barrel was full
of water, but as staid under there miIs-
ute after minute, the water began to be
driven out little by little, this being
caused by the air which was issuing
from my escape valve rising to the top
of the barrel, and not being able to go
any farther it, as q matter of course,
kept forcing the water down. Soon my
head was entirely out of water, and soon
my chest was out e
"Then l unscrewed my helmet and
stood in the air under the barrel. As it
was being fed constantly from the pump
above, the water lowered until there was
not a drop in the barrel, and 1 was
in only three feet of water.
had one of my patent lanterns with me
60 could see what l was doing, and
taking hammer, nails and small
board, which had brought down with
me, proceeded to nail up small shelf
at one side of the barrel of the height SO
that when my lantern was set upon it it
would be convenient for me to look down
on the top of it. This done, put On my
helmet, got out from under the barrel,
and went up to the surface once more
ALI my arrangements were completed,
and all had to do now was to wait |
patiently for the day of the trial to come
of.
sit dawned at last, bright and clear,
and considerable party Of gentlemen
with us, to either gee this, as |
they supposed, great feat performed, or
70 see me fail in my attempt to make |
good my assertion. l impressed it upon |
he mind of the party who had bet
against me that to perform the feat it |
vas very essential that I should go
Inder water at place where could be
sure of catching a fish, and
1e left it with me TO select the place. /
0f course steered for the spot where l
had the barrel anchored, and. stopping
lear where thought it would be, put
IN my suit and prepared for the descent.
took with me my lantern, small stew
IAN, pepper, salt. ETC.. and ny fish hook.
by the way, you never saw man
,stch fish under water. did yous Well,
is quite simple operation. You don't
eally use any hook at all. but long line
Nth the big sail needle on the end Of it.
Y hen you are On the bottom and see a
ish. good care must be taken 70 get BE-
lind him. Then cautiously edgiDg up to
i'm. you make a quick jab with the
leelle. and if you are good shot your
lsh il caught. Then all you have 70 do
5 TO push hlIn up On the string, winch
must. of course. be khot.ed On the cad,
nd you are ready for another one. II
vas one of these needles that 1 had. and
was very successful in not having t.
ccupy much time in catching my fish,
o. had scarcely struck bottom and got
~ bearings when l saw one directly
head Of me, and succeeded IL getting
i'm impaled upon nav needle in sho1
rider. Then cravIed under the barrel :
nd. setting my Lantern on the shelf,
rated for the water 70 lower. l had not
my 70 wait however, and sooo nov
elnet WAS hanging on nail which i
ad hammered into the SIDE OF the barrel
II that purpose. and WIS busiay clean
lg the fish with nav jack knife, which
,rgos TO mention had brought with me
u that purpose. d.
This done, l uns-rewed the top Of the
intern, which, as you know. - quite
Irge one and h2s big fame. This
intern Is fed by small air pipe from
ooye, the same a. human beng -,
nd as l could live and breathe freely
oder the barrel, Of course ths lantern
'uld burn brightly, too. Placing the
IN. which fitted exactly into the top Of /
se lantern over the flame, / placed the
70 N it and be was soor frying away ,
great rate, while I soon made him
with ssir and p-Per.
After II was well tined / sau- OF the
a1e n the Enp and SERVED On the b
'ver, kas.Is the s3~pan and tie n-li
kaaA -UAEA tAeH uezs Rs - keD