Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-01-30

der Water-How a Divers Ingenuity
Brought Him Fame and Won a Friend
ly Wager-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 | could do, and all that, and,
II | remember rightly, made the asser-
ton that | could catch fish, dress it,
cook it under water and bring it up to
the surface in good shape for eat
ing without wetting it particle
OF course everybody was incredulous,
and one man who was even more in
credulous than the rest offered to bet
me 500 that | could rot GO it, AS l
thought | had pretty sure show of
winning, and the man seemed anxious
To bet, put up my money, and when
asked when | wanted the affair to come
off, | set day about a week ahead, as
had some preparations to make.
Taking couple of my men | got a
boat and went quite distance out into
the harbor, stopping over place where
thought l should be able to catch a fish
easily. | 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 | went to the bottom and Sc
cureIy fastened the barrel to some rocks
with ropes to make sure that it would
,-;z tla
away. Mind you, had the barrel raised
about three feet from the bottom, and at
this time, as q matter of course, it was
filled with water. After | had secured
it | stopped down and crawled up into
it, standing erect upon the bottom.
When [ crawled in the barrel was full
of water, but as | staid under there min
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 a matter of course,
kept forcing the water down. Soon my
head was entirely out of water, and soon
my chest was out.
Then | 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 drop in the barrel and | was
standing in only three feet of water.
had one of my patent lanterns with me
SO | could see what l was doing, and
taking q hammer, nails and small
board, which had brought down with
me, | proceeded to nail up small shelf
at Que 81 .ic Ut the barrel Of the-hcight 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,
All my arrangements were completed,
and all had to do now was to wait
patiently for the day of the trial to come
Off
ut dawned at last, bright and clear,
and a considerable party of gentlemen
embarked with It's, to either see this, as
they supposed, great feat performed, or
to see me fail III my attempt to make
good my assertion. | impressed it upon
the mind Of the party who had bet
against me that to perform the feat it
was very essential that | should go
under water at a place where | could be
reasonably sure cf catching fish, and
he left it with me to select the place.
Of course | steered for the spot where |
had the barrel anchored, and, stopping
near where | thought it would be, | put
on my suit and prepared for the descent.
| took with me my lantern, a small stew
pan, pepper, salt, etc, and my fish hook.
BY the way, you never saw man
catch fish under water, did you? Well,
it is quite a simple operation. You don't
really use any hook at all, but long line
with the big sail needle on the end of it.
/ When Won are on the bottom and see a
| fish, good care must be taken to get be-
hind him. Then cautiously edging upto
him, you make quick Jab with the
needle, and if you are a good shot your
/ fish is caught. Then all you have to do
/ is to push him up on the string, which
must, Of course, be knotted on the end,
| and YOU are ready for another one. 1t
was one Of these needles that | had, and
/ was very successful in not having to
| occupy much time in catching my fish,
! for had scarcely struck bottom and got
nv bearings when | saw one directly
ahead of me- and | succeeded in getting
! him impaled upon my needle in short
order. Then ] crawled under the barrel
and. setting my lantern on the shelf,
waited for the water to lower | had not
/ long to wait, however, and soon my
helmet was hanging on nail which l
! had hammered into the side of the barrel
| for tha. purpose, and l was busily clean
ing the fish with my jack knife, which
forgot to mention had brought with me
for that purpose.
This done, | unscrewed the top of the
lantern. which, as you know, is quite a
large one and has q big flame. This
lantern is fed by a small air pipe from
above, the same as human being is,
and as | could live and breathe freely
under he barrel. of course the lantern
could burn brightly, too. Placing the
pan, which fitted exactly into the top of
! the lantern over the flame, placed the
fish in it and he was soon frying away
at a great rate, while | soon made him
palatable with salt and pepper.
After it was well fried | shut off the
blaze in the lamp and screwed on the
cover, leaving the stewpan and the fish
inside, where they were sure to keep
perfectly dry. Then, putting on my
helmet, got cut from under the barrel
and gave the signal to be pulled up. /
had been gone only a few minutes, and
the people thought as a matter Of course
that | had come up 10 say that L could
not catch the fish, never dreaming that
| bad caught it. dressed it and cooked it