Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-09-17
AT WORK UNDER WATER,
PRESSURE MEN HAVE TO BEAR IN
DIGGING TUNNELS.



luck, person seldom, if ever, stops
to think that men work day after day
deep down in the water, or the mud,
with none but artificial light to guide
their movements, and only the air
that is pumped to them to breathe.
People who work in the open air
would have only to work for short
time in n divers suit, n caisson, or an
airlock, getting taste OF what it is
like and how it feels, to be cured for
ever of grumbling at their lot and to
thank tteir lucky stars that it has
been ordained that they work on top
of the earth.
The work Of diver his sensations
while under the water, and his ex-
| periences have often been written
about, but those of the airlocl1 and
caisson worker have not. While he
does not face the danger of fouling
pipes and lines, as does the diver, he
stays down longer, gets warmer, and
his great danger lies in the stagnation
of blood and paralysis, resulting from
the change of atmosphere.
Mr.. Il. c. Rapier, of East Cambridge,
is an airlock worker, and talks most
interestingly. His work was mainly
IN the alrlocks used IN building the
great hudson River tunnel. 10 n
Boston Herald reporter he talked Of
some of the sensations, dangers and
experiences.
tie SAID That, while man working
on the surface of the earth hears nm
an atmospheric pressure OF fifteen
pounds to the inch, men III the locks
bear pressure OF from fifteen TO fifty
pounds OF compressed air, according
to the depth. The heaviest pressure
ever worked under was borne by five
divers on the Swedish coast-sixty-
five pounds. Four Of these died five
minutes after coming out.
While, as general thing, the diver
stands not nearly that amount of
pressure, and seldom stays down more
than two hours, the men in the Hud-
son River tunnel stood pressure of
from forty-ive to forty-siX and one
half pounds, and worked on four-hour
shifts Some men stayed down twenty
all the time, and Superintendent Has
klns stayed down once twcnty-four
hours.
The sensations experienced are pc
culiar. When man first steps in
there is tlngllng III the ears and n
pain in the head, and when he talks it
Is apparently through the nose. This
10 nv ha
remedy is to hold the nose, close the
mouth and blow against tho ears.
This reilves tho pain and stops the
sensation When the pressure is all
on the worker feels all right and eX-
perlences no discomfort. Then there
Is sort OF eXhiaratlon, and man
does more work IN the lock than he
could outside.
Another peculiar thing about the
action OF the pressure is that man
may have liquor enough aboard when
outside to Just make him feel jolly,
but when he steps into the lock he is
drunk as loon.
The danger lies in coming out1Ethe
pressure into the open mir. 1t is then
that Il man is apt to suffer from stag
nation OF the blood and paralysis
caused by the change OF atmosphere.
Besides this man may be attacked in
the head or stomach with severe pains
Three out OF five cases where the head
and stomach are attacked result fa-
tally.
Another severe malady resulting
from the change is what is called the
"bends. lhls Is the ar getting In
between the flesh and the bone. 1t is
extremely painful, end so severe that
quart OF whisky administered IN half
an hour would not 1ntoXicate the
patient. The stagnatlon and paralysis
are the worst dangers, and do the
work quickly. Many men have been
keeled over by these causes, and not a
few die. Old timers at the business
sometimes get caught. Mr.. Rapier
himself was twice attacked. The rem
edy for this paralysis is quick re-
turn to the alrlock'
The effect OF the pressure varies on
animals, us Is shown by the mules