Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1890-07-30
THE DIVERS ARMAMENT.
Full Description of the Dress Worn b,
Men Who Work Under water.


Men Who Work Under W ater.
If any one has seen diver in his sub
marine suit bobbing up from the water
with his glistening, immense round COP
per helmet, with his square, clumsy,
mantsh-like canvas suit, usually
stained by use, iron rust and sea water
to brownish, yellowish gray, something
the color of deyil-fsh, he may at first
have been somewhat startled by the ap-
partition.
The being who thus rises from the sea
is not q mischievous creature, but on
the contrary very useful member
of society when his services are re-
luired and brought in requisition. \
full description of his dress is some
thing like this:
From the helmet projects coil Of
snake-like rubber hose, sort of an
tenna, which passes down under his left
arm and up through the water, connect
ing with an alr-pump on hoat-stage or
in boat The pump is manipulated by
two men and furnishes compressed an
for breathing when under water, which
eXhausts into the water by valve in
the helmet, enabling him to breathe
continually fresh air, while, when ho
comes to the surface, the windows OF
his helmet can be opened and he can
breathe without the assistance OF the
air-pump.
When he goes down into the water
he has two means of communicating
with those aboYe-the hose and the life
line. By the latter he also descends and
comes up when necessary.
BY each of these he gives and re-
ceives signals mutually understood,
three sharp pulls on the lifeline indi-
eating that he is ready to ascend
In order to overcome the natural buoy
ancy of his body and mako its specific
gravity such that he can walk about on
the bottom of the sea, he wears shoes
with soles heavily baliasted or weighted
with lead
The upper part OF his body is protect
ed, as is also his lower half, by heavy
canvas covering, consisting of jacket
with sleeves, and pantaloons, with ter
limitations which fit closely, with elastic
bands clinging to his flesh, the JACKIE
fitted closely to the helmet with metal
lie bands bolted together, with bnrber
gasket between.
No water or air can get to him, excep
the latter by the hose, unless he opens
the glass windows of his helmet, which
he Is not likely to do unless occasion re.
quires.
Additional weight is placed at his
chest and back; sometimes breast
plate and a shoulderplate Of lead
sometimessa belt heavily weighted, whicl
can be thrown on or off the shoulders
and hang down in front and behind whe-
in use.
The experiences of diver are many
and interesting. After he has once
reached the sunken vessel. whether by
being lowered straight down from the
wrecking craft or by walking along the
bottom of the ocean to avoid currents, he
must search through the hull of the ship
as though she were floating upon the
surface of the water.
To do this he carries small lamp
with him, which gives out peculiarly
brilliant light when under the water.
and makes the surrounding objects
glisten with all the colors of the rain
bow.
Care must be taken that the air-tube
does not get tangled in any way, or cut
by friction against the side of the yes
sci. Unfortunate divers have frequent
ly lost their lives by this means when
exploring the intricate passages of Q
vessel at great depth below the surface
of the water.
Danger is also experienced from heavy
pieces of timber, boxes, barrels and even
dead bodies, which are often floating
around in the hold of a sunken vessel.
A diver, once telling of the trouble
that he had in exploring a wreck, said
that he was constantly annoyed by sew
eral heavy chests which kept moving
about with every swell of the sea. One
came so near his diving-bell that he was
forced to give it violent push, whicl
sent it against the opposite wall of tht
small cabin. Instantly it rebounde(
and came within an inch of the diver
helmet, which it would have quickly
broken had it struck it.
But, by lodging in time, the chesf
passed harmlessly over him, and thc
next moment it collided with anothe,
sirsilar chest. The force of the coils
ion broke one of the hoops of the hug.
box, and the next moment glitterinf
pile of newly-stamped gold coins rollet
out upon the floor of the cabin.
The chest had been used as a sort o
treasury-box by the captain, and all o
his valuables were locked up in it. Be