Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-03
AN AMERICAN PEARL DIVER
He Lives Among the Malays and Plies
His Dangerous Business.
Strange Scenes ON the Ocean Floor
Sensation of a First Descent
I'm the Diving Suit.
From the Boston Transcript.

With the single exception of the coral
which has little. If any. popularity at the
present day-the pearl is the only water
gem: and Of all occupatons-perhaps ex-
cepting acknowledgement diving is the
most dangerous, and is a calling followed
by few men.
There Is a vast distinction between the
wreck or dock diver and the pearl diver,
though the same dress Is worn by both.
Those of the former class do not make SO
many descents, nor pass so much time I'M
der water; they are attended by faithful
companions, and the boat from which they
dive is firmly anchored, the depth of water
also is not usually great; but with the pearl
fishers all the manifold dangers become
thousand times magnified, and any acct
dent that may occur almost always ter
inmates fatally. A pearl diver with heart
or lung trouble, that may have existed to
but a slight degree before, if he knew of it
at all, will after few months succumb to
the malady. Nearly all divers are partially
If not totally deaf. Incipient paralysis is
another affiiction.
A pearl diver is at the mercy of half
civilized and often treacherous crew; the
drifting boat to which Is attached the life
lire and air tube may be seized by sud
den strong current or tide, and the diver,
running 10 Keep up Will the podt, may
have his lines become entangled among
coral reefs or other growths of the sea.
Again, the air pump may not work, the
pipe may burst or the gigantic tridacna-a
huge clam " lose shells are converted into
babies bathtubs by the natives of the
Philippine Islands = may imprison the
divers foot leg or hand.
There is fascination in the contempla-
ton of these horrible dangers that makes
a reckless person almost wish to venture
single descent. OF, If not, to learn as much
as possible the details of this singular en-
ploym ant
The Only American.
The professional pearl diver of the Indian
ocean is usually an uneducated man; many
are natives, who wear no diving suit only
staying down a moment, seizing an oyster
shell in either hand, and then striking at
once to the surface. These men are Kama
kas or South Sea islanders, Japanese, Chi
nese and Malays. A curious feature of
their diving is that they drop from the
boat feet downward, making little resist
ance-thus enabling them to remain longer
on the bottom than IL they dved head fore
moSt-as one would imagine, owing to a law
of motion; they can dive in shallow water
only, as the tremendous pressure of deep
water would crush their unprotected bodies.
The deep-water divers are nearly all sail
ors who have bought pearling boats, or are
hired by companies that own fleets. These
rovers are Germans, Swedes, a few English,
but seldom an American can be found
among the number. To my knowledge
there is but one English speaking pearl
diver from this country, and he a Boston
ian-Mr II. p. Whitmarsh-a partner in a
mercantile house.
, While in Australia some years ago he
purchased a lugger-a vessel of from five to
twenty tons. with two short masts, used
entirely for the pearling trade-and with a
crew of six Malays and cockney English
diver set out for the principal pearling
grounds that lay off the northwestern coast
Of Australia, extending to Torres strait on
the north. The luggers congregate in fleets
on these grounds. and are visited every six
weeks by a steamer from Singapore, that
brings down Malay crews, provisions and
mails, carrying back the beautiful mother
of-pearl shells. which are shipped to the
London market
The vessel which the American had pur-
chased had been out but a week when it
sprung a leak, and the owner had to put
into q creek in order to make repairs
While there the cockney diver succeeded i'll
obtaining some Holland gin, and he became
SO delighted with his condition that he per-
sistently refused to set sail again for the
pearling grounds
Every method Of lnducement was resorted
to, but he was obdurate. thinking, and with
good reason, that the expedition would he
an impossibility without his presence. The
ether knew that II he did not avail himself
of the spring tides-then at their height
that kept the creek filled with deep water,
1t would be impracticable to get out. He
determined to dive himself and sailed away
for the grounds.
The Divers Suit.
The pearl oyster Is not found In beds, as
our edible oysters, but they are scattered
sIngly over a large area, the diver some
times having to walk many miles before
filing his bag. The shells are about the
size of large soup plates, Weighing about q
pound each, and shaped much like our oys-
ter shell, only more round.
1t a stupendous task that this rash
American had undertaken; he had neve.
made a descent, he was unable to eik
Malay, and his life must be trusted to the
treacherrus Mohammedan crew. The next
day after arriving at the pearling grounds
he prepared to make his first descent.
The diving suit is rn st unattra,'iv"-
looking garment made Of waterproof cloth,
the only openings being at the neck and
wrists; the legs extending into stockings;
the neck decoette, allowing the body to en-
ter the garment at that opening The
wrists and ht nds of the diver must be
sofI ed and oiled, that the extremely tight
wristiets will ALLOW them to pass, fitting so
tightly after they go through that no wa
ter can penetrate the garment.
Over the stockings boots of canvas or
leather are put-they have loaded soles,
making the weight of both about sixteen
pounds. Over the neck Is put a brass
corselet, fastened to the garment by four
outer brass sections or rims, the edge OF
the dress being secured between TIE TINS
and corselet by means of brass screws that
pass through eyelet holes. Upon the head
is placed the copper helmet that is screwed
to the corselet. Two lead weights. shaped
somewhat like heart ard each weighing
about fifteen pounds, are suspended about
the neck, falling back and front similar to
the famous liver Pad"
In the helmet are three glasses-cne on
either side, the third and most important
being in front. called the face-glass,
through which the diver continually looks,
for as he turns his head about in this ar
NOR the helmet, of course, does not follow
his motions. In the back of the helmet IS
fastened a rubber air-tube, containing a
spiral spring to keep it from collapsing, and
fresh air is conveyed through this into an
inner lining of the helmet over the top of
the head to the nostrils.
On the side of the helmet is an air-valve,
regulated by the diver, that allows the es
cape of vitiated air. The lifeline, an inch
rope is fastened with slip-knot about the
waist of the diver. and extends from the
right side to the surface, the other end fas
tered to the foot and constantly held taut
by the man, called the tender, who an
swers the signals, which are jerks on the
line, the code being: One jerk. pull up; two,
more air; three, lower bag. Simple Ian
grage. but how emphatic In a moment Of
peril!
The air pump is supplied through the air
pipe by the pump. worked by two men on
-