The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-11-30


structed and what 1t Costs The Air
Pump Is the Most Costly Necessity of the
outdt--Story of "a 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 it 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 if you Just have diving suit you can
do all the diving you wish. That is very
erroneous idea. The suit Is a 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 s. a day and
his work very uncertain, you Vii readily
imagine that the 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. \ copper collar, which
fits over the shoulders chest and back, is
fastened to the rubber suit with L. 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 80 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 a valve which allows the foul air to
escape, and at the back is a copper pipe to
which the breathing tube is attached. The
sleeve wrists are made of strong rubber,
which keeps the water out The shoes have
iron soles, which weigh over p 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
burdensome, but in the water it feels no
heavier than any ordinary suit of clothes.
The helmet is always the last thing put on.
When the diver comes up for breathing
eyeholes is unscrewed, which answers every
purpose.
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 n ring in the hel
met, and after being bolted in several place,
to the collar ON one side goes through a rinl
in the belt and is then bolted to the cola
on the other side. This is not only a lif
line, but a telegraph line too. One pull
means more wind; two pulls, less wind
three pulls, stop the pump for moment
You see, the air supply is the main thing
and most of the things relate to it. Blu
the diver may have too much air as well a
too little. The air pipe is made mucl
heavier and sitter than ordinary rubbe
hose. If it were too timber, it would ge
into kinks and shut off the air
Three men on the surface attend to on
diver-two to work the air pump and on
for the air tube and life line. They mus
be trustworthy men, too, or they will XII
the diver. Some companies make it poin
to employ father and son or two brother
or very close friends. While one relativ
dives, the other exercises great care on tn
surface.
Incased in his armor the diver keeps DIR
as a chip, and of course the pump gives hir
plenty of air. But | do not say that he
altogether comfortable. When the waite
is cold the oliver is cold and requires one c
two suits of heavy flannels and woole
mittens to wear beneath his divers mi
tens. In clear water he can see very well, bu
about this harbor the water is not cleal
and most of the work must be done b
feeling. In fact, it is very hard works
hard that four hours is counted full day
work. Formerly the divers wages wer
much higher, but they have come dow
New York divers probably run less ris
than any others in this country becaus
they do more work and know how to kee
their apparatus in order. Very much d,
ponds upon that, but not everything. o,
casionally an accident happens in spite {
all the care possible.
The last fatal accident to diver in tn
harbor that l remember was several yea
ago. a steamship had sunk near her docl
and a diver went down TO see how she la,
He felt his way along her deck up to ii
bow, for the water was too muddy for hi
to see much. 1t was too muddy, indeed, f.
him to see that one Of the anchors lay @
it's side with n tluke in the air. As he weI
up one side of the deck and down the otht
his life line passed around the anchor. O
completing his work he gave the signal I
be drawn up, but when his companion
drew on the line they only pulled him t,
ward the anchor He could not see whf
was wrong, but he managed to get hold ,
something to cut the line. Unfortunatel,
instead of the life line, lie cut the air tub
and before he could be eXtricated he wa
drowned. The men on the surface imm,
diately dived for him without any armo
but they were too late.-Interview in Me-
York Sun.
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