Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-05
A HOLE IN THE SEA.
The First Of The Gazette's Ten
Possible Gases.
A DIVER HUNTED A DIAMOND.
Hunted by Shark-A Ptscatorial Explos-
iona Message in It's stomach Which
Saves a Mans Life. Sentenced
to Hang for Murder.
copyrighted. 1891 by the Authors Alliance.
All Rights ReserveG)

copyrighted. 1891, by the Authors Alliance
All Rights ReserveG)
In the fall of 1855 the steamship Sunda,
from Southampton. WAS running along the
southern coast Of Long Island, not many
hours from port, when she was passed by
one Of the great British liners outward
bound. The tide was high and the course
OF both vessels was nearer he course than
usual, that of the Sundd being inside Of the
other.
As the two steamers passed each other
there was great waving Of hats and hand
kcrchlefs. Suddenly there WAS scream
from the Sunda. Il came from Siguora
Rochita, The pIlna donna of an opera troupe
which was coming 10 America in that
ship.
y have lost my bracelet" she cried in
italian, and then turning to the passengers,
she repeated the cry in very good English.
The situation was Instantly compre-
hended by everyone. Il was la:e i'll the
afternoon; the captain had given grand
dinner to the passengers, at which the
prima donna had appeared in all her glOries
OF characterization, and the greatest OF these
Elcries. magnificent diamond bracelet. WAS
gone from the arm, with which she had
been enthusiastically waving her lace
handkerchief.
The second officer, who was standing
near dashed into the captains Office and
quickly reappeared with chart aud instru-
ments, and made rapid calculation of the
position Of N, vessel, at the time OF the
accident, maxi. IN allowance for the few
minutes that hdu passed since the first cry
of the SigUOra. After consultation with the
captain oi4d recalculatious of the distance
from land and some other points. ne an
nounced to the weeping signora that her
bracelet lay under II little black spot he
made on the chart. and that if she chose to
send q diver for it, she might get il, for the
depth Of the water AT that place was not
great.
BY profession am diver, and the next
day l was engaged to search for the
had a copy of the chart, and,
having hired 4 small schooner with
several men who had been my as
sstauts before, and taking with me al the
the necessary acCOutrements and appu-
ances, set out for The spot Indicated, and
by afternoon we were anchored, we be-
lieved, al il or very near it. | lost no time
in descending. | wore, Of course, the
usual divers suit, but | took with me no
tools. nor any of the implements used by
divers when examining wrecks, but car
red in nv right hand brilliant electric
lamp, connected with q powerful battery
on the schooner held this by an insula-
ted handle, in which there were two
little knobs, by which !
COULD LIGHT OR EXTINGUIsB IT.
The bottom WAS hard and smooth, and
lighting my lamp, began to look about me
II I approached the bracelet / ought to be
able TO see il sparkle, but after wandering
over considerable space, ! saw no sparkles
nor anything like q bracelet. Suddenly,
however, SAW something which greatly
interested me. Il was hole in the bottom
Of the ocean. almost circular, and AT least
ten feet in diameter. l was surprised that
l had not noticed it before, for it lay not
far from the stern OF our vessel.
Standing near the rocky &C of the
aperture, l held out my lamp and looked
down. Not far below saw the glimmering
OF what seemed TO be the bottom OF this