The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-01-10
A NEW KIND OF FISH YARN
A PlSCAToRlAL EXPLOIT WHICH
PROVED PROFITABLE.

A Real Live Fish Caught and Cooked Un-
der water--How Divers Ingenuity
Brought Him Fame and won Friend
Iy wager-A True Story.
at was this way" replied Mr.. George
w. Fuller, the veteran diver, sitting
back in his chair and half closing his
eyes as IL 10 recall all the circumstances
OF this most curious of diving expert
ments. "You see, i had been talking
with some of the boys, telling them
il 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 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
thought l had a 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 week ahead, as l
Taking a couple of my men got
boat and went quite distance out into
the harbor, stopping over place where
thought should be able to catch fish
easily. had brought 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 se-
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 matter of course, it was
filed with water. After l had secured
it 1 stopped down and crawled up into
it, standing erect upon the bottom.
When l crawled in the barrel was full
of water, but as l 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 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 was
standing in only three feet of water.
had one of my patent lanterns with me
so l could see what l was doing, and
taking a hammer, nails and a small
board, which had brought down with
me, proceeded to nail up small shelf
at one side of the barrel of the height Sc
that when my lantern was set upon it ii
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.
at dawned at last, bright and clear
and considerable party of gentlemen
embarked with us, to either see this as
they supposed, great feat performed, OIL
to see me fail in my attempt to make
good my assertion. / impressed it upor
the mind of the party who had be
against me that to perform the feat i
was very essential that 1 should e
under water at place where could b.
reasonably sure of catching a fish, ano
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, pu
ON my suit and prepared for the descent
took with me my lantern, small stew
pan, pepper, salt, ETC., and my fish hook
"By the way, you never saw a maj
catch fish under water, did you? Well
it is quite a simple operation. You don
really use any hook at all, but long lin
with the big sail needle on the end of il
When you are on the bottom and see
fish, good care must be taken to get be
hind him. Then cautiously edging up t
him, you make a quick jab with tn
needle, and if you are good shot you
fish is caught. Then all you have to d
is to push him up on the string, whicl
must, of course, be knotted ON the END
and you are ready for another one.
was one of these needles that / had, an
was very successful in not having t
occupy much time in catching my fisl
for had scarcely struck bottom and &c
my bearings when l saw one directl
ahead of me, and / succeeded in gettin
him impaled upon my needle in shol
order. Then l crawled under the barr,
and, setting my lantern ON the shell
waited for the water to lower. / had nj
long to wait, however, and soon m
helmet was hanging on nail which
had hammered into the side of the barr
for that purpose, and l was busily cieai
ing the fish with my jack knife, which
forgot to mention l had brought with n
for that purpose.
"This done, unscrewed the top of I'll
lantern, which, as you know, is quite
large one and has a big flame. TIL
lantern is fed by small air pipe fro
above, the same as n human being
and as L could live and breathe free
under the barrel of course the lanteI
could burn brightly, too. Placing Il
pan, which fitted exactly into the top
the lantern over the flame, | placed Il
fish in it and he was soon frying ava
at great rate, while 1 soon made hi
palatable with salt and pepper.
'After it was well fried l shut off Il
blaze IN lhe lamp ana screwed on u
cover, leaving the stewpan and the fiji
inside, where they were sure to ke'
perfectly dry. Then, putting ON II
and gave the signal to be pulled up.
had been gone only few minutes, al
the people thought as a matter of cour
that had come up to say that l cou
not catch the fish, never dreaming tn
/ had caught it, dressed it and cooked
already They were very much 81
prised when, ON taking off the lamp
showed them the fish steaming hot a.
well cooked. Boston Globe.
L
Chapnal ,,-a f41c latxuaap novar ~, I q