The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-09
tered. Even The ghost of a sardonic smile
have l seen. but the Missed impTecation has
so far eluded ne
WORKING UNDER WATER.
Difficulties and Dangers of Divers
ife
shemeld tEng } TeIegraph.

ohemeld (hng Telegraph.
When it is n divers turn to go down he
takes off his ordinary clothing and encases
himself In two WOODEN jerseys. two pairs of
| drawers and the same of stockings
Then his signalman helps him into HIS
outside dress. which is combination of
waterproof cloth, with indiarubber collar
and cuffs. Then comes the breastplate,
which is made of metal, to which the collar
of the dress is fastened.
The boots, weighted with lead or iron.
and weighing over sixteen pounds each.
are next put on. Then the lifeline (Which is
used TO signal with or to haul up the diver
IN case OF danEer is fastened round the
waist.
Next comes the helmet, which is generally
made OF copper, with eyeglasses and n
mouthplece, which is screwed on the very
last thing before going down. The tube, or
hose as it is often called. is screwed on to
the helmet ana attached to the air pump
which is worked by two men,
Lastly there are two leads hung by cords
over the shoulders and fastened round the
waist, each lead weighing about thirty
pounds. thus equipped the diver is ready
for work.
Now rs regards the work, it must neces-
sarily be of various kinds One time he
may be eXcavating cylinder, which, ac-
cordlng 10 my estimation is the most dan
gerous work lie engages in.
Fancy yourself in six-foOt cyljnder AT q
depth OF so or 100 feet, filling a skip with
mud or ballast, with either an empty or A
full one continually swinging over your
mead, ana knowing that If there was any
carelessness in the hitching on or off the
skip, or any accident happened and it fell,
1t must crush you. there being no room to
escape from il.
Sometimes the diver is engaged in saving
oil piles which have been so firmly imbedded
that they could not be drawn, have been
10 Of
Nhere dam is being made his duty is to
put III oOltS, having first bored the holes
in the piles with an auger.
fancy yourself at depth of 80 or IS feet,
quite IN darkness, between two rows of
piles about eight feet apart. Suppose your
self to have bored the holes in the first row,
you can imagine how difficult it must be TO
pore corresponding holes in the other row
eIght leei away. with no light to guide you;
but that is what diver has to do
When the holes are bored he has to mt
the bolts In and screw them up. That kind
OIL Work requires great care ard also a great
deal OF practice before it becomes easy.
Now ne lS-engaged on a concrete pier or
hreakwater. his duty being to fix the frame
work 10 hold the concrete. We will suppose
IL lisa Depth OF fifty feet. A ladder is low
cred, weighted with iron to take 1t to the
bottom.
The diver then quietly descends, his tools
are put INTO bucket, and when he is safely
at the bottom he signals for them to be low
ered. Then he starts work, his life being
Literally in The hands of his signalman.
There Is little danger, comparatively speak
ing, IL he has trustworthy signalman
remember some years ago being engaged
saving OF piles, without any idea of danger
or knowledge OF anything wrong, when |
was unceremOniously hauled up. When my
helmet was taken off and began to splitter
Dlt' found had my signalman to thank
for my life perhaps.
The air tube had bursted. He had the
presence OF mind to hold fast the end of the
tune and so keep what air there was in il.
wnile he gave orders for me to be hauled up
what was the matter, and /, not finding any
difference in the supply of air, could not
understand it. Now, II he hal been n
careless fellow, he would not, In all proba-
Dlhty, have noticed the tube. The men
would have gone on pumping. the air would
have escaped through the fracture and
should have been Sutfocsted