Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-07-26

DOWN m The oceAN's oGPrhs.
Ths San fnncisco Call saysi II. ~.
Hartman, recently discharged from the
cruiser Han francisco q San Diego upon
the expiration Of seven ysars' sefvice, 10
| In the city and telis an Interesting story
Of his experience % diver while invcs-
| tigatiug the wreck of the Blanche Enca-
lsda. Hartman Il Pcnnsylvanian, -
years old.
During the troubles In Chile IN en-
listed With the lnsureents and Vas suc-
ccasively IN oficcr on . torpedo boat.
lieutenant Of artillery at the hattie Of
Acacalgo River, . spy against Balmacc-
da, aud commanded two pIec~s of artil-
lery At the battle Of Piscilla, which
opened the way to Valparaiso. lie vas
wounded, and after recovery MAS taken
hack In the American sefvice.
Hartman was engaged In diving on the
lnsurgcnt vessel, Nlanco Encalads,
sunk by the Admiral Lynch In the har-
Dor Of Caldera.
One month after the insurgents, then
In possession Of the port, employed
Hartman and an Englishmsn, also .
diver, 10 20 down and measure the hole
and determine the chances of rrIslng the
weasel. Divers equipped With incandes-
cent lights were lowered Into the shlp
which vas lying In nine fAthoms OF
water. The ship VAS lying upon her
port aide. She had sunk In . field of
sea grass growing ten feet high. The
waves had washed great avenues of
white sand through the grass TO various
parts of the vessel.
Almost everywhere we're arms, legs,
heads. aud trunks Of human bodies.
Many of these the hsh had eaten clean
% the fe.h. only the skulls and bones
remaining. The nesh that still r,m,in'
ed intact, Was soft and mushy, and When
touched would fall away from the bones
Many bodies were found whole, the men
having met death by drowning.
In the starbosrd rigging stood the
skeletons Of two men With the bones oi
the hands stili clInchlng the rAtllncs.
The whole scene va. horrible and re-
voting beyond description. The great
cot obstacle In the work VAS the hsh,
There we're millions of hsh aud cel'
everywhere. They would shoot through
the water And msgnlned by the wftsr
aud the glAss Of the divers helmet and
rejecting the rays of the electric light
they looked like thousands Of blades ol
pollsbcd silver.
Whenever Hartman would lay hl.
hands upon the deck they would come
In contact With = slimy eel. The eel.
would wrap themselves about the divers
legs a. they went along the deck. This
aud coming In frequent contact with
di.soi,ipg human flesh, Afforded . yari'
ETY. Of sensations not frequently met
With even by diver.
Among these hsh we're numerous
sharks. They we're with difficulty KEEP,
away from the divers. With one Hart.
man had battle. The suit II diver
IL .o shotted as Ia keep him at about
an equilibrium In the water. With {
.light movement be- can easily rise. ~
he goes over the bottom he rarely
t.uchc. the ground. 4 diver 10 Ala
provoked with weapon of defe0cs
against q rav.pcu. f.h, la the shape Of
an electric pole sin feet long aud cover
ci with rubber, excerpt at the end which
l. q steel point.
lending la . large curve over this
point IL q hook With ball on the end
Tie point aud ball ARE positive and mega
tive poles of an electric current, which
4. Furnished 10y wire from q dynamo 90
the vessel. When q shark spproache.
too close to the diver the end OF the
pole IL thrown against him aud the
current pas.e. from the point through
IA. fi.h Ia the ball. The fish recciSes 4
violent shock, which may either sun Of
Nil.
Hartman saw an enormous man-eat.
Ing shark quietly approaching him and
slowly oJ-ulng and shuttin. bis .nor'
mou. Jaws. When within striking dl.'
tsnc- the pole Was thrown against HIN
The shock stopped him and be- rvmain'
ed under the influence for several min
ute. then recovered and came slowly
on sgsln. u was rrpcstcd With tbs
same result th. third time. Hartman
dropped underneath the shark, and
Win. he was Yet motionlc-s ripped
With . knife along th. belly from the
gill. Ia the tail, leaving his inie.,ine'
to fall out.