Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-04-08
DIVERS PERILS.
Electrical Apparatus for Their.
Protection.
Tho Thrilling Story OF . SubmHBtne E1-.
plorer VINO Was Employed BIZ tho
Chilian InsurRents-A BAttIe
with . SHARK.

III. M. Hartman, recently discharged
from the cruiser San Francisco at San
Diego upon the expiration of seven
years service, tells an interesting story
of his experience as u diver while in
vestigating the wreck of the Blanso
Encalada. During the troubles. in
Chilli he enlisted with the insurgents
and was SUCCESSFULLY an officer on a tor
I.edo boat, lieutenant of artillery at the
battle of Acacalgo river, Il spy against
Balmaccda and commanded two pieces
of artillery at the battle of Placilla,
which opened the way to Valparaiso
He was wounded, and after recovery.
was taken. back in the American Serv-
ice.
Hartman, says the San Francisco
Chronicle, was engaged in diving on the
insurgcnt vessel Blanco Encalada, sunk
Ivy the Admiral Lynch in the harbor of
Caldera.
One month after, the insurgents. then
in possession of the port, employed
Hartman and an Englishman, also a
diver, togo down and measure the. hole.
and determine the chance of raising the
vessel. Divers equipped with incandes-
cent lights were lowered upon the ship,
which was lying in nine fathoms of
water. The ship was lying upon her
port side. She had sunk in Il field of
sea grass growing ten feet high. The
waves had wished great avenues Of
white sand through the grass to various
parts of the vessel.
Almost everywhere were arms, legs,
heads and trunks of human bodies.
Many of these the fish had eaten clean
- fho ln cly
remaining. Tho flesh that still re-
manned 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 starboard rigging stood the.
skeletons of two men with the bones Of
their hands still clcnching the ratlincs.
The whole. scene was horrible and re-
goltlng beyond description. The great.
est obstacle in the wori1 was the fish.
There were millions Of fish and cells
everywhere. They would shoot through
the water and. magnificd by the waite,
and the glass of the Divers helmet, and
rcflectin~ the rays of the electric light,
they looked like thousands of blades of
polished silver.
Wherever Hartman would lay his
hands upon the deck they would come
in contact with Shiny eel. The. cells
s,ould wrap themselves about the
divers legs as they went along the
deck. This, and coming in frequent
contact with dissolving human flesh, af-
forded variety of sensations not. fire.
quently met with by even diver
Among these fish. were npmenous
sharks. They were with difficulty dept
away from the divers. With ONO Fart
man had battle. The suit of diver
is so shotted rs to keep, him: at aboua an
equilibrium in the water. With n slight
motion he can easily rise. AS he goes
over the bottom he rarely touches
ground. A diver is also. provided with
weapon of defense against ravenous
fish, in the shape of an electric pole six
feet long and covered with rubber, ex-
cept at the end, which is n steel point
Bending in large curve oyep this
point is n hook with bail on the, end.
The point and ball are positive, and
negative poles OF an electric current
which is furnished by wire from n dyna-
no, on the vessel. When a shark APP
proaches too close to the diver the end
0t Che pole Is thrown against him and
5he current passes from the point
through the fish to the ball. The fish
7cceiycs a violent shock, which may
either STUN or kill.
Harm an saw an enormous man-eat-
ing shark slowly approaching him and
aIovSIy opening and shutting his; enor-
sous jaws. When within striking dis
lance thGp pole was thrown agaipsb him.
H'he, shoos stopped him and he. remained
under the influence for several minutes,
9Ien, recovered and came slowly on
qgaiR. twas repeated with the Some
ftesplh the third time. Hartman dropped
underneath. the shark, and while he
Sas yet motionless ripped with knife
along tho,helly from the gills to the tail,
iRayipg hls iutestines to fall out