The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-11-29
HORRORS A DIVER SEES.
BLoop-cURDLINo SIGHTS IN
DEEP WATER.
Rxpsrisses OF Professional Diver In the Great
Lakes Moving Bodies ofthe Dead Found
n Wrecks OF vesseis--ne Il
OFTEN unnsred.


II have gone down to the lake bot
toms many aud many u time TO release
the bodies OF men. women and children
VINO were known 10 have persisted In
sinking vessels" says a diver OF
long experience. ''and | long ago grew
insensible TO any feeling OF horror or
even uneasiness In searching among
sunken wrecks for corpses But II
have gone TO the bottom TO recover
goods or valuables simply. no one hay-
ing been carried down with the vessel
and lost. ] am continually haunted by
dread that some dead man will
rise suddenly from some part OF the
wreck and confront me, or that corpses
are doating la the water above me and
around me. / never 90 down hatch
way or into the cabin OF sunken yes
sci at such times without inyoluntarily
shuddering over the thought that per-
haps some poor victim OF the wreck Is
imprisoned there. and that he will
suddenly DO released by the lurchings
OF the hulk. and appear TO me In all
his swollen. wild-eyed frightfulness.
know. OF course, that dead person
Is as harmless, tossed Enthusiastically
about amid the solemn surroundings
OF many fathoms deep. AS he would be
lying calmly In his coffin ut home. but
can't help a cold shudder and an in
clination to singal 10 be pulled 70 the
surface II come unexpectedly In con-
tact with one at the bottom OF the lake.
That feeling Is by no means common
among lake divers. and with me 1t is
the result OF an indelible first impress
sion. an incident OF my first experience
on sunlxen wreck.
1T was years ago. In Lake Huron.
had gone down TO recover a valuable
cargo from vessel that had founder
cd so suddenly that the captain and
crew had barely time to escape by the
boats. The wreck lay in ninety feet
OF water. II was badly broken up.
aud rocked and swayed Ia the water
SO that / kept my balance with diff
Guilty as worked among timbers. /
was prying and chopping my way 20
the matches when from some place
about the wreck. just where | never
could tell. dead man rose suddenly
In front OF me. The corpse was not
more than ten feet away. erect facing
me- and seemed TO me exactly as II 1t
had arisen In alarm at my approach.
The man had died with both hands
clutching the breast His open mouth,
widely staring eyes. and distorted
face made such n picture OF horror ms
hope never TO see again. The corpse
stood for a second facing me. and IL
seemed TO me as II It's horror was Of
me aud at my presence. / was para
lyzed with terror. The dead man rose
ut last toward the surface, and in such
way as TO deepen the impression
that had disturbed him in his
snbterranean sepulcher. foa IL WAS
for all the world as II he we're fleeing
from me. Several times before the
corpse disappeared beyond my line OF
vision IL turned Ia tho water aud
seemed to gaze back at me with that
haunting look OF horror. the hands
still clutching the breast After tho
body had gone out OF sight tried TO
proceed with my work. but was so
much unstrung that fish swimming
by or my air hose tapping against me
gave me such painful starts that had
70 signal 10 be hauled up 10 the sur
face. Ii was n long time before /
could venture down on wreck again.
and have never been able TO over
come the feeling OF dread for unex-
pected corpses that was the result OF
that first experience OF mine. The
dead man OF that wreck must have
been stowaway. No one knew him.
but In the breast pocket OF the coat he
clutched so tightly was found 81 900
Ia bank notes. No claimant ever APP
peared for the money. aud IL was
divided between myself and the crew
OF the wrecked vessel
NJ ~