Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-23
hey lefs me in peace 70 pursue nay dangerous
sHxLLKp UNDER WATER.

sHKLLKD UNDER WATER.
"Once or twice I was startled by heavy
splash overhead, and dull thud, followed BY
the rapid descent Of shot or shell within easy
view, showed me the immincnce Of still aupsher
danger than falls to the lot Of the average diver,
and as the threatening object settled into the
soft, oosy bottom . tiny cloud Of mud would
FOR moment Obscure Il from view, pretty
much as q similar body would create q flight Of
dust II dropped into . particularly dusty road.
''1t IL needless to say that felt constant fear
from seeing these oft-repeated clouds. lest one
of them might prove to be the suffering fuse
Of an unexploded shell.
Although an old hand at the diving busi-
ness, 1t had never before been my fortune to
operate in action, 30 I was not little anxious,
"a you may imagine, g. TO the effect of q shell
exploding on the bottom.
~ was not kept long in suspense, and found
out to my entire satisfaction, as viii presently
tell you.
well, atlast reached bottom and slowly trod
my way along the bends of the ship to the base
OF operations, the disabled screw, stepping on
rusty shot, with which the bottom of Charleston
harbor seemed to be literally paved in places
Once nearly tripped over the stock Of an old
rust-worn anchor
II found that the mud, although, ofcourse. very
soft, was not many inches deep, and offered no
dihcuity to easy progress.
MORE OF THE PRoPELLER
"Being but fifteen or sixteen feet from the sur
face had no difficulty in perceiving the cause
OF the trouble with the propeller. which was
this: piece Of chain attached to the floating
distractions with which the enemy had closed
the regular channel entrance to Charleston had
become SO wound above the propeller shaft, be-
tween the blades and the stern post. rs to be
nant ;nroas;hi. NJ x"a,. -! o ~ "
Inst such q cnnd;,;o, ~ $50. SS p.epu ioI
At once and soon had IT, =. - 70 ~ ~
vbich 800 s,,;.a LII y. 'afee al .n9 LINES
Nd ia,,r.S 1891 So, an., a. ave-
th.t AZ ans,;,,as Sou .ue suah 80 suouenty
revo,ut;on .on u, uae qos' shol., Parsi a
explained to me later and ONE of the nronellsr
blades striking my expiration tube threw me
from my feet, and for a moment thought my
lsS xas sealed. Inc crews'opped as suddenly
a' ~ nau s'ar'eo ana l somehow struggled 70
ny .eos AGAIN. hesIzihs tnst out q iews,rokes
ie "eIe rsquireo 70 compiete my Jop, soon
=. Iaut soVu snip N msn'lhs Vim again. 10 I9t
~ A0as'' ~ ner propeher was concerned.
EXPLOSION OF SHELL UNDER WATER.
"Being now at liberty to return to the upper
world. cautiously retra.ed INV stems IN wbere
tho ,,ddo, H., ;a,, =,
e' 10y '"''eiHs w anu iio ih 'ne
WSsor' an9 was ABOUT 10 mount 70 the SURFACE
wnen, WIN a Crash ana roar OF ten thousand
sno., Dig sheh fen, apparently, right over me,
49, .ss~sAoA
" seGonu' se',ieo, as tnougnt, alrectiy upon
me. RAISING put Few feet distant 1t had
scarcely reached the bottom when the very
eartn ana sea seemed shattered TO atoms. The
sneI mao eApiooeo ainiost beside me-
some means the hooos provided IN the
preast OF my srmor mad become fastened to a
funS OF my iaooer, else This tale had never been
told. stunned and racked as was, the in
s st OF set-preservanon urged me TO attempt
tne ascent oI my only ROAD 10 saiety, tne ladder,
r wheh 70 my norror, oaIeo as 4 was, tne current
. voSaI sNayIis me pacx ana Iortn 80 Vioienuy
NAV .na' Io9ho IL Impossible 10 DO anytmng more
'uan noio on ior Gear NE ana trust 70 the
enap'er Vi a'oioeh's ior saie'y ana nhai rescue.
TowED TO SEA UNDER MONITOR.
varying current dull, regular beat, united to
a seeming tremor of the ship. convinced me
that the vessel was under way and probably
snnips9 VI sno oo'soni as ! rapiuiy resained
Possession " my scattereo Iacuities assured me
oi snis ioI cou,o piainiy see IL ghdlng past
uh'i ,he snoais oeePeheo ana hotning couio De
eInnas,;na 90, s; u,u "a o., ..
think YOU know the dangers OF divin0-towed
to sea under a monitor! At first slow and easy,
the motion rapidly grew more violent, and had
1t not been for the hooks l have spoken Of
death would have been inevitable, for my
s1ens'n a.one "ouio no. nave enaoieo me 10
retain my mold on the ladder and should have
miserably drowned, my body weighted down
by the diving armor beyond recovery.
Al OF this time In reality minutes, but SEEM
ingly hours, my faithful men In the turret
chamber had not ceased to give me plentiful
supply OF air, SO my only danger was II, being
swept away. After what seemed TO me miles
OF ground passed over and hours OF time, tho
beat OF the engines grew gradually slower, then
stopped, and no sooner did feel the pressure
OF the current relax than prepared to make
the best OF my way to the surface. Unlocking
myself from the ladder l remember no more.
death-like faint seized me and for hours lay
without life, vibrating between this world and
the one beyond.
LIFE SAVED.
Returning sense revealed nv four men
around me stretcbed ON the xa,d roorn t.hIe
ao;no fri, ,,.,,,os. - r hoh.,, -
oo'ns '"e,' u',no'' Al NY oeuAa anu oHiy CIV
ing way TO the surgeon OF the ship when
neavy groan and SLOWLY opening eyes told that