The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-08-05
WHAT MODERN DIVERS DO.
IMPROVED APPARATUS GREATLY
INCREASES THEIR SKILL.
The Diver is an Important Person
and His Labor a Factor in the
Worlds Progress

The remarkable headway which has
been made of recent years in the way of
inventions for, and the manufacture of,
the apparatus used by divers, has great
ly facilitated the labor and lessened the
dangers connected with what will al
ways be dangerous calling. This inn
provement in the apparatus they use has
enabled the divers of to-day to per-
form a variety of work greatly in excess
of that which they could have under
taken few years ago, and divers have
now to understand pier construction,
wreck raising, submarine mining, the
repairing and cleansing of vessels, and
the construction of tunnels and collier
les.
A depth of more than $50 feet is but
very seldom descended to, and that
depth is considered the limit for divers
work. The 204-foot mark below the
surface was reached by diver named
James Hooper, and is said to be best
on record. He descended to it seven
times and remained at that very excep-
tional depth for forty-two minutes on
one of the seven descents. This feat was
performed while examining ship called
the Cape Horn, which had gone down
with valuable cargo of copper on the
east coast of South America.
When divers first begin to practise
their profession they almost always de-
scend to the bottom or to the vessel or
whatever it is they are going to work on,
by means of a rope ladder heavily
weighted at the foot, but when they
have gained in experience they prefer
simple rope, also weighted, down which
they slide. just below the surface they
pause for short time in order to make
sure that everything about their dress is
all right, and then continue on their
downward way very slowly, so as to
grow accustomed to the increasing pres
sure. 1t is the habit of the most ex-
perienced men to stop at intervals, and
if they feel any unpleasant symptoms 20
descend for yardor SO before going down
greater distance.
If there is great oppression or loud
singing in the ears, the diver must not
persevere in his attempt to go down, but
return to the boat or dock. Oddly
enough, it is even more necessary to as
cend slowly from considerable depth
than it is to ascend in that manner. BY
stopping every now and then, the i'll
effects of the sudden change from resist
ing great pressure to being in the open
air are avoided. 1t takes very strong
and experienced man to undertake any
work at depth of 125 feet, and in COM
ing up from that depth man should
take at least five minutes.
When a diver has reached the foot Of
his ladder or rope he attaches light
line to it and secures the other end to his
wrist, SO as to be able to get back to the
ladder whenever he wishes to. In case
this line should become unattached and
he cannot find the ladder he should at
once give the signal to be pulled UP.
There is one type of diving dress that
is a recent invention, and which is not
connected with the surface with the
usual vital airpipe and the all-importaut
. signal cord. 1t is called the self-feeding
dress, and has small supply of oxygen
in the reservoir.
The first time it was used was by a
fearless English diver named Lambert,
whose record for daring and successful
work beneath the surface is remarkable
one. The great tunnel under the mouth
of the river Severn, in England, became
flooded in part, and he descended the
shaft and worked his way for a quarter
of mile in the absolute darkness
through what was called a baby tunnel
which was nearly filed with a rushing
torrent that carried with it much heavy
debris. His object was TO close heavy
iron door, and he had to carry an iron
crowbar with him. After hard strug-
gle he reached the door and found that
two rails had to be pried up in order that
the door could be closed. After two
hours work he got one out of the way
and then, dreading the exhaustion of his
supply of oxygen, he retreated to the
mouth of the shaft aud was drawn TO the
surface, with very small quantity re-
rnaining. The next day, after renewing
the supply, he went into the tunnel
again and succeeded in closing the
door, and thus enabled the engineers to
pump the flooded portion dry.
Lambert has been a diver for a quar-
ter of century, and has visited every
part of the world during his professional
career. Once he recovered $3.50, 600
worth OF gold Spanish dollars and iugots
which had been lost in mail steamship
called the Alphonso XII, which sank
off Point Gaudo, Grand Canary Island,
in 100 feet Of water. The treasure,
$500, 900 in all, was in a small room be-
low three decks, and Lambert first had
TO blow a portion of the vessel up in Or
der to get at it, This feat he considers
his most praiseworthy, and he wears one
OF the gold pieces he saved, on his watch
chain.
Divers have also saved S250,OO0 in
gold and silye. from Il steamship sunk
off the Chinese coast, near Shanghai.
Just as they had secured it fleet of
pirate junks came along, aud the divers
vessels had very narrow escape from
being captured.
In the pearl and sponge fisheries in
Slrious parts of the world the diving
dress has almost superseded the old
methods Of having naked native divers,
aad the output has consequently been
very largely increased.
As yet the coral fishers in the Medi-
tcrrauean and the amber fishers in the
Baltic have nearly all proved too con-
scryatiye to adopt the modern methods;
but in one case, where London dealer
IN diving apparatus and dresses sent a
man down TO search for coral, the diver