The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-11-20
IN SUBMARINE ARMOR
HOW DELIVERS m WATERS DEEP ARE
EQUIPPED AND TENDED.

Outnt-story of = Fatal Accident.
Submarine diving has been reduced to
such an exact science that there is little
work under water that the expert diver
cannot do, and 1t Is hardly more dangerous
than similar work on the surface.
Minor improvements are making in the
suits constantly, but the greatest change
within few years has been in the manner
Of attaching the helmet, But you must
know first how submarine armor is con-
structed before can explain this to you.
You have the common notion, / suppose,
that II you Just have diving suit you can
do nil the diving you wish. That Is a very
erroneous idea. The suit Is small part Of
the necessary apparatus, For instance. you
can buy diving suit for $40, OF the best
quality, but before you can make dive
you must have apparatus which, of cor
responding quality, will cost you s6s7.
As the pay of diver Is only IS a day and
his work very uncertain, you will readily
imagine that tho divers do not own their
own suits The suits are bought by wreck
ing companies and other 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.
To this collar the helmet is attached. For
merly the helmet was screwed to the collar,
but the recent improvement 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 30 pounds 1t has three eye
holes, one in front and one on each side, all
filled with half inch thick glass and pro-
tected with strong copper wires. On one
side is valve which allows the foul air to
escape, and at the back is n copper pipe to
which the breathing TUBE is attached. The
sleeve wrists arc made of strong rubber,
which keeps the water out. The shoes have
iron soles, 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
burdensomc, but in the water IL feels no
heavier than any ordinary suit Of clothes.
The helmet is always the last thing put on.
When the diver comes up for u breathing
spell, the helmet is not taken off-one of the
eyeholes Is unscrewed, which answers every
purpose. -.5.."
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 ring
in the belt and is then bolted to the collar
on the other side. This is not only n 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,
and most of tho things relate to it. But
| the diver may have too much air as well as
too little. The air pipe is made much
heavier and sitter thun 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 They must
! be trustworthy men, too, or they will kill
tho diver. Some companies make it poin,
to employ father and son or two brothers
or very close friends. While one relative
dives, tho other exercises great care on the
surface.
! Incused in his armor the diver keeps dry
RS n chip, and of course the pump gives him
4 plenty Of air. But do not say that he is
is cold. thediyer is cold and requires one oil
two suits of heavy nannels and woolcr
mittcns 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 In fact, 1t il very hard work-sc
hard that four hours is counted 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 keeI
their apparatus in order, Very much de
ponds upon that, but moi everything DC
casionally an accident happens in spite O
all the care possible,
The last fatal accident to diver In thi
harbor that remember was several year.
. ago. A steamship had sunk near her dock
and diver went down to see how she lay
lie felt his way along her deck up to tn
bow, for the water was too muddy for hin
to sec much. 1t was too muddy, indeed, 70
him to see that one of the anchors lay OF
its side with 1uke in the air. As he wen
up one side of the deck and down the othe
his life line passed around the anchor. o.
completing his work lac gave the signal t
be drawn up, but when his companion
drew on the line they only pulled him tC
ward the anchor. lie could not see WIN
was wrong, but he managed to get hold Q
something to cut the line. Unfortunately
instead of the life line lie cut the air tube
and before he could be extricated he VIZ
drowned. Tho men on the surface imme
diately dived for him without any armor
but they were too late.-Interyiew in New
K York sun.