The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-27
How Divers Are Equipped in SUBJ
marine Armor and Tended
While Beneath.
. Modern Suit for the Business.
How CONSTRUCTED, What II
Costs.
An Air PuRp the Most Costly Necessity
Of the Outft-Story Of y fatal
Accident.

work under water that the expert diver
cannot do, and it Is hardly more dangerous
than similar work on the surface.
Mino Improvements are making in the
suits constantly, but the greatest change
within u few years has been in the manner
OF ATTACHING the helmet. But you must
know first how submarine arnor is con-
Etructed before Gun explain this to you.
You have the common notion, I uppose
that If You just have n diving suit you can
do all the diving you wish. That Is II very
erroneous idea. The suit is a small part Of
the necessary apparatus. For instance, you
can buy a diving suit for 80, of the best
quality, but before you can make n dive
you must lave apparatus which, of cor
responding quality, will cost you $Gs7.
As the pay of a diver is only Is a day and
his work very uncertain, you will readily
imagine that the divers do not own their
own.suits. The suits "~a bought by wreck
ing companies anu otner corporations, and
they employ the divers. The most expensive
thing about the outfit is the air pump, and
the next is the helmet. The diving dress
proper is made OF india rubber, laid be-
tween two layers Of canvas, the rubber be-
ing entirely covered. A copper collar, which
fits over the shoulders, chest and back, is
fastened to the rubber suit with IL bolts.
10 this collar the helmet is attached. For
merly the helmet was screwed to the collar,
but the recent improvement l mentioned is
the fastening of the helmet with bolts,
which is much stronger and safer.
The helmet is made of sheet copper and
weighs about 80 pounds. II has three eye
holes, one in front and one on each side, all
filled with half inch thick glass and pro-
tected with strong cope wires. On one
side is u valve which allows the foul air to
escape, and at the back is a copper pipe to
which the breathing tube is attached. The
sleeve wrists are made of strong rubber,
which keeps the water out. The shoes have
iron soies. which weigh over 25 pounds each.
The heavy leather belt is lined with blocks
of lead, weighing in the aggregate 100
pounds. The suit complete weighs about
225 pounds, and on the surface it is very
burdensome, but in the water it feels no
heavier thar any ordinary suit Of clothes.
The helmet is always the last thing put on.
When the diver comes up for a breathing
spell, the helmet is not taken off-one of the
eyeholes is unscrewed, which answers every
purpose.
The life line, as we call 1.-THE rope with
which the driver communicates with the
surface and with which he is hoisted when
necessary-passes through a ring in the he'll
met, and after being bolted in several places
to the collar On one side goes through Il ring
in the belt and is then bolted to the collar
on the other side. This is not only a life
line, but a telegraph line too. One pull
means more wind; two pulls, less wind;
three pulls, stop the pump for a moment.
You see, the air supply is the main thing,
ara most of the things relate to it. But
the diver may nave too much air as well as
too little. The air pipe is made much
heavier and sitter than ordinary rubber
hose. If it were too Timber, it would get
into kinks" and shut off the air.
Three men on the surface attend to one
diver-two to work the air pump and one
for the air tube and life line. rhey must
be trustworthy men, too, or they will kill
the diver. Some companies make it a point
to employ father and son or two brothers
Or very close friends. While one relative
dives, the other exercises great care ON the
surface.
Incased in his armor the diver keeps dry
as q chip, and Of course thepump gives him
plenty of air. But | do not say that he is
altogether comfortable. When the water
is cold, thcdiver is cold and requires one or
two suits Of heavy ~fnnnels and wooden
mittens to wear beneath his divers nit
tens. In clear water he can see very well, but
about this harbor the water is not clear,
and most of the work must be done by
feeling. Tn fact, it is very hard work-so
hard that four hours is counted IL full days
work. Formerly the divers wages were
much higher, but they have come down.
New York divers probably run less risk
than any others in this country because
they do more work and know how to keep
their apparatus in order. Very much de-
ponds upon that, but not everything. Oc-
c~asionally al accident happens in spite of
all the care possible.
The last fatal accident to q diver in this
harbor that l remember was several years
ago. A steamship had sunk near herdock,
and q diver went dow to see how she lay.
He felt his way along her deck up to the
bow, for the water was too muddy for him
to see much. 1t was too muddy, indeed, for
him to see that ono of the. anchors lay on
its side with IL fuke in the air. AS he went
up one side of the deck and down the other
his life line passed around the anchor. On
completing his work he ave the signal to
be drawn up, but when his companions
drew on the line they only pulled him to-
ward the anchor. He could not see what
was wrong, but he managed to get hold Of
something to cut the line. Unfortunately,
instead of the life line, he cut tho air tube,
n before he could be extricated hi was
drowned. The men on the surface imme-
diately dived for him without any arnlor,
but they were too late.-Interview in New
York Sun.
Joan of Arc,