Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-09-02
WORKING UNDER WATER
Captain John J. Williams Re-
pairing the Broken Main.
DIVERS ARE CURIosITIEs HERE


ence Of Hundreds Of People Some
thing About the Captain aud Ills Pro-
fession.
Captain John J. Williams. the well
known submarine diver of Thurlow, u.
was at work in the Chlstiana today near
Third street bridge Captain Williams
came here this morning and started to
repair the water main which supplies the
residents Of south Wilmington and which
was broken on Tuesday.
On the captains boat is n derrick with
which he hoists the pipes to and from
the bottom OF the creek. He is only as
sisted by three men one who attends TO
the air pump engine and life line.
The captain made his fourth descent
into the creek az 1.15 this afternoon. He
attired himself in a white oilcloth suit
and pair Of heavy shoes, with heavy
iron belt around him. These he can ad-
just himself, but an assistant has TO put
the helmet over his head
On the front OF the boat is the air
pump and, as soon as the helmet is ad-
/ iusted to his head the pump Is worked
and the diver starts on his submarine
task
Large crowds Of people view the diver
from, Third street bridge and from the
wharves nearby. There are about 600
people TO see him at every descent and
these are all very mnch interested in his
work
The Christiana, at the point where the
captain is working, is not over thirty
feet deep. From the captain and his
Al.
divers care Co go deeper than 1875 feet.
and then they can only stand the
pressure for a short time. The record !.
204 feet which was reached by "a diver
in South American waters. Divers make
pretty good wages.
The average wages are 50 and SO a
day foi from four to five hours work
which IS reckoned a day. II Is very ex-
hausting work and the majority Of the
men engaged ia the business are pretty
heavy drinkers with an exception IN
= the captains favor After man hal
} been az work In fifty or sixty feet OF
, water his first Impulse when he comes ul
] is TO take one or two big drinks &
= strengthen his nerves and pull him 20
: together Thore are not great man.
old divers. Sooner or later the worl
! tells on them and when they break dow
3 il is always in the head.
Exhausting Labor Must be Avoided.
After the diver is in the water he la
light for the first six or eight feet
Below that everything is black as night
There is the oxhausting labor Of strikin
: blows, or saving or .-the resistance Of th
surrounding elements has 70 bo oovercoms
a The pressure and the exhaustion tend
make q man sleepy and = diver has
keep moving an the time Il is quit
/. common FOR men 60 lie down and rest
their suits under water.
, Eoadinr a Book at the Bottom.
In the West Indies it is as light as da
az any depth A diver can SEQ TO road
! book sixty feet below the surface, Will
j. these on board tho boat froi
z which he is working can witness hi
D every movement There is no chanC
for diver to 'sojer' in that kind &
water When az work the men come Il
> TO rest and got fresh sir every hour ,
+ hour and a half
g Some Of them, it is reported, have II
: manned under the water Tor six hours
= Few Divers Are rativs-Born.
4 The greater majority Of the drivers OF
z foreigners although there is a considerab
o number Of Americans engaged in n
,. work. The captain has been engage
v in the work for q number Of years
Is about five feet nine inches in heigh
p and weighs about 1i0 pounds. He hl
e dark hair and moustache Il will pro-
j. bly, be one week before he finishes q
r,r,.h