Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-19
UNDER WATER.
The Experience Of . Diver-CuttIne Out 9
Sharks Heart.

q
Sharks Heart.
From the Providence Journal.
'Tve seen many time when I'd rather be un-
der water than on shore. I used to feel that
way sometimes. Mr.. Edward II. Littlefeld, a
native Of Block Island, but now keeper of fish
market on Fountain street, sixty-six years old
made this remark in a story he was telling on
Friday afternoon. He was diver for twenty
Tour years. in all spent forty years under the
water or upon il. and has tackled wrecks from
Lake Superior to Niagara Falls and from Maine
10 Fort Royal He estimates the number Of
bodies he has with his own hands pulled on, OF
sunken vessels at 100 and that he has walked
out and around forty to fifty vessels lying in
water varying in depth from Is 70 les feet. He
nearly LOST his life ten years ago while getting
Tue cargo out OF the schooner Warren Gage, of
the east OF Narragansett Pier. ana has since
that ume preferred to stay above water.
MY hrst experience" said he twas in Sea-
comet river, in 1859, hunting for Capt Ben
Iallmans son Jerome. IL was in the month of
August. and Jerome Tsllman had been in the
water eleven days They'd dragged for him.
bnt couldn't find him. was shipman for Capt.
Charles Herbert, the wrecker, then, but one
day the regular diver took sick. and a. they
had an agreement giving Capt Herbert $500 II
he found the body in three DAYS and $500 II Re
time, 1 was picked out to go down. Ii was
night of Gould's island, and went down at
$50 clock In the morning. wasn't used to
IT, SO took sick about $50 o'clock. but got
some old Cognac brandy TO drink and went
back about IL. The first thing saw when
got down the second time was a swarm Of blue
nsh. went through them and then came a
lot OF dog fish. These dog fish are tough
things, for they have two SPURS on the back
near the tail, and they wind around a mans
legs and spur him. They smashed against me
anu any number or them spurred my legs a
good deal as boosters use their spurs, so that
at last got out my knife and went to cutting
my way through. You know dog fish will feed
on dog tsh that is dead, SO ripped them
OPEN all around me as they went along with the
must have killed nifty or sixty OF them all two
ar three feet long
After got through them felt somethinc
whirl me round. l could tell it wasn't the cur
rent. so L looked around to see what il WAS
lhere was big shark OFF TO my lett looking at
me- Ia have given city to be out of his wav,
but, says l, If go up he'll bite me in two. and
so decided TO stay there. felt just az If nv
helmet was rising up. L suppose il was nv
hair We'll. MIR. shark looked at me awhile.
hen he goes round me twice and half, and
then got my knife out again. He turns on
one side and could have put a barrel in his
mouth easy. knew what was coming. 80
waited He dashed for me, and as he came
stepped one side, shut my eyes and slashed
with the knife. caught him in his life, for |
cut his heart right in two. 1 opened my eyes
and found him lying on the bottom fifty or
sixty feet off. the blood rising from him in
bubbles. L went up to him and then something
happened to me, don't know what. suppose
tainted, for came to with my body leaning
against the shark s. down there on the bottom.
Wen, 1 hadn't given any signal to my tender,
SO he had kept up the air supply, but pretty
quick felt them pull three times to ask me il
was nll right. They said the blood all came
up to the top in bubbles before il mixed with
the water. Why, that sharks liver-I cut halt
OF 1t out-couldn't have been goti barrel
but, after ALL L had my greatest Experiences
IN The two years before the war. The time
went down los feet. the deepest / ever got,
was in 1850. A vessel went down east north
east of Point Judith, and the captains wife and
daughter were drowned. L went down after
them They talk to me now of going down
500 or COO feet, but don't believe it. After
the hrst 100 feet the pumps won't supply a
man with all except inside his helmet Before
that 1t Will circulate around his body. When
1t only reaches his helmet his clothes begin TO
cling to him. and his pores flow out all the
water IN his body. 1t is q terrible sensation.
Now. got down TO this vessel and started to
descend into the companionway. At the first
| step began to feel numb all over. 1t was the
pressure OF the weter above me, and as I'D
been told about IT went back on the deck of
the sunheu vessel and climbed into the rat
lines. hadn't gone up more than three stens
before felt better. Then went back again.
You can continue this right straight along and
go deeper each time. When felt numb again
1 went upon deck and climbed onto the rail- 1
was all right in a minute and then went into
the companionway again. All this time the
vessel was waving from side to side with tbe
swell under the water.
"Now, it queer. butthere's something abou,
bodies under water Did YOU know thai II Won
went into the cabin of a vessel where one Vas
that it would start toward YOU. almost AZ II il
we're alive? 1t is that that makes the shock so
terrible. You can't avoid them They Gonna
as if they wanted to be taken away Well the
captain wife and daughter were in the STATE
room at the foot of the stairs. and had 10
open the door | took some blocks and braced
my whole weight against the door. / weighed
100 pounds. and the suit weighed 265 more. i
knew there'd be a terrible shock so GOT all
ready. The door gave way at last and broke
into kindling wood like a fash. Tbe concns.
sion of the water flung the bodies toward me
like lightning. shut INV ewes and re.cb;n,
out to grab the bodies. caueht the woman's A.
she flew toward me I sicnaIlea and vas taIa,,
mn. Then I went down 10 hunt for ths i;ttI.'
girl. I found She had come ont wbon har
mother d,d and fosteJ nn6sr tba -, ,ahIa
Wbv that table ms set inst 90 uba, ,ha 800
snnt anS thara 40 toos -, az INC ..sse.
Paus;np the old aiver be,,r 10 lane, nm,