The Portland daily press., 1894-11-12
DIVING FOR PEARLS.
Thrilling Experience of Boston Diver Off
the Australian Coast.

L
is like chapter out of Dante's Sin
ferno," as told by Mr.. Whitmarsb, Bos-
ton diver. First of all comes to mind
the fear that the air may not come in;
again, the belief that sharks are waiting
below to devour him. though they never
attack dressed divers, but often eat the
natives; the feet will not go down first
as they ought; there is an impulse to
dive in the ola boyish fashion: hut
the worst of all sensations is that caused
by the fearful pressure CT water upon
the sensitive parts of the body, particu-
larly the ears; they feel as though two
iron spikes were being bored into them,
the dreadful pain increases and the poor
victim yells and struggles, but until,
communication is freely opened between
the nose and ears it does not cease.
This occurs Immediately when bottom is
reached.
The American diver states that all
submarine land.
Everything was magnified to twice its
size; white coral growths, shaped like
inverted mushrooms, colaline reefs
formed like trees; curious sponge and
lichen-like growth, were in profusion,
Sea-fan and palm-shaped weeds 20 feet
in height abounded, and fish, gorgeous
in every color of the rainbow, swan
about.
Everything in this new and wondrous
world was vivid with brilliant coloring;
the diver was finally brought to his
senses by seeing an ordinary beer bottle
| lodged in reef. He sat down on coral
| cup and gazed about him, while a crowd
of curious fish. attracted by the strange
| object, hung about in a circle, gazing
| at him with an incuisitive stare; a
heavy feeling stole upon him, and the
buzzing of air in his helmet warned him
that 1t was time to return to the boat;
| he gave the signal, and was drawn
| gasping to the surface, blood xuding
from his nostrils, ears and mouth; be
had been on the bottom of the sea ten
minutes
| For week after the first descent a
diver coughs up blood: this is caused
| by this bursting of minute blood vessels
on the lungs. But the diver must make
a descent the next day, and every sue.
| ceeding day Tor else the ears may heaD,
remaining each day a longer time, the
| duration depending wholly ON the depth
| of water. A bout IS fathoms-six feet
1 IL.
| A diver can remain only about 10 min
| utes in this depth, while in FIVE faith
| oms be can work for two hours or more
| a greater depth would crush the bones
| of strong man, despite the counter-act-
| ion of air within the suit.
The effects of diving on the nervous
system are very apparent; while diver
| is at work he is usually in II bad tenn
per; he thinks his life line is not held
| taut, or they are not giving him enough
| air, sometimes becoming SO impatient as
| to jerk signal for ascent; but after the
| face glass is removed and he takes a
| deep exhalation OF pure air his anger
vanishes.
To hold the oyster shells, canvas bags
! filed with holes to let out the water are
| lowered on the lifeline; they hold about
| 20 shells, but to the novice the magnifi-
| fed shells look at first too large for the
opening of the bag. In the first descents
many shells are overlooked until the
| practiced eye becomes familiar with
the form, covered with it's lichen-like
covering. Sometimes in graspins a
| the stone fsh-so named by the
| divers-a venominous little fish hiding
under rocks and shells and secreting a
poison. This fish punctures the skin
| of tine hand. causing the entire arm to
| swell, with great pain. The remedy is
| TO remain UolOW anu Suuer, IOr the
| pressure of the water causes the wound
to bleed freely and the poison thus es-
| capes: if. however, one comes to the
surface the arm swells rapidly, turns
black and is very painful for several
| weeks.
Before making a descent the diver
must eat but little, bit of toast and a
cup OF conee constituting breakfast, as
full stomach tends to make respiration
difficult. While walking over the large
area the diver adopts swinging, rapid
gait that his eyes may scan as much as
possible of the ground. Even experienced
divers are nervous while under water: a
strange object, such as a rock looming
suddenly in sight, strange fish or an
unusual growth will make the heart
beat more quickly. and feeling of un-
easiness to prevail.
The luggers are good sailing vessels,
and speed is needed for the work, fol
there is much bottom over which to
travel The lugger beats up against the
! wind to the grounds, and then drifts