The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-03
WORKING UNDER WATER
Difficulties Encountered at
the New Pennsylvania
Depot.
sURMoUSTS THEM.
Graphic Description Of LabOrs in
the Submarine Field-W0n-
ders That Are Being
Accomplished.

EdSSeuEetb WIZ pdSSc0 tukOusu Suo
Pennsylvania Railroad station this morn
ing AMI stopped a moment to watch the
men at work in the water pr eparing the
foundatio ms for the new ferry house
found the work so interesting that
that they came very near missing their
trains. Out toward the deep water they
saw disc Of copper bobbing up and
down like huge float on fishing line.
From this disk to the pier ran small
rubber hose and a light rope. A man
standing on the edge held the
hose in one hand and the
rope in the other, while he kept his eyes
attentively fixed upon the bobbing disc
From the mans hands the rope aud hose
went to the pier and laid there coiled up.
The hose however went further and
ended in. queer looking red colored ma
chine with two large VIII cells which
two other men kept oon tinual revolving.
Those who remained on The wharf as the
tide went down saw the copper disc
developed into queer looking sort of
pot, arranged with round glass windows
protected by heavy copper bars. As the
water continued to fail this pot arr9nge-
menr was seen to be securely rivet-
ed to body of oil skin such
as fishermen. pilots and those who go
down to the deep general by wear. Then 1t
became obvious 10 all that the arrange
ment was u diving suit. aud that the bob
bing up and down was caused by diver
within the suit who was at work upon
the foundation.
WHAT THE PLANS REQUIRE.
As has already been stated in The JER-
sEY CITY NEWS, the plans OF the new
ferry house require that the foundation
beams upon which the structure will rest
f1St hn laf1 II fba nflaQ rhrpQ feet n
der low water. Near the shore 1t has
been found feasible to saw the piles off
from the surface, and men clad in rubber
up to the waist have been engaged
Further out from the shore. as the
water became deep, the men have
to work from improvised platforms
swung from the string pieces. The water
into which the outside pilings have been
driven. however, is too deep TO admit of
the men working from the surface. and 1t
became necessary to employ the divers.
HOW THE DIVERS GO DOWN.
At half-past nine O'Clock Diver Russell
appeared at the wharf. and donning his
suit, prepared to enter the water. He first
put on the thick oil skin suit, leaving his
hands free, which reached to his should
ers Then the weights, each weighing about
forty pounds were hung about his neck,
one in front and one behind. Then he
stepped into = pair Of heavy iron sandals,
feet. Then the copper head piece
was placed upon his shoulders and
securely riveted to the suit by large
screws hrmly driven home by wrenches.
Finally the hose was attached TO an oben-
ing in the topN of the head piece
and with plenty of slack was
secured firmly to the huge copper
hat so that it would not become entangled
with that arrangement. Then the signal
rope was attached in front of the diver SO
that he could use IL. II necessary, without
exsrtion, and the hideous looking OBJ
ject which Mr. Russell had now
become slowly descended an improvised
ladder and disappeared into the muddy
water. At first nothing could be seen
where he disappeared except visible
agitation of the water until the tide be-
gan to recede. Fhen by degrees the cop
per headpiece of the suit began to ap-
pear.
WORKING UNDER WATER.
At no time however was any portion OF
the divers grewsome dress above the
water except the head piece. The diver
sawed. sawed away at the piles and old
string-pieces until half-past twelve
when he slowly emerged from the water.
He climbed the ladder, and when he
reached the level of the wharf the head
piece was taken off. He then climbed
t0j the pier, shook off his iron
sandals and hastened over to the boiler
for one of blue flannel, which made him
look like quite dude. He told me that
il was very difficult and oppressive work.
ing about the spiles, as the water
was not deep enough to en-
entirely remove the appressiveness OF
his heavy suit and the weights which he
carried.
This afternoon Diver Pollock viii don
the suit and try his hand at sawin wood
under water.