The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-06-27
ARE SAD FACED MEN.
THIS ls WHAT ONE OF THE CRAFT
SAYS OF DEEP SEA DIVERS.

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srsn Tells Of Experiences He and Other
Divers Have Had-A Close shave-Fsiry.
land ON the oceans Bottom.
II suppose you sometimes see some
fearful sights in wrecks said q re-
porter to veteran deep sea diver.
Eyes, but you get used to 'em when
you have been in the business long
When I first started diving, was sent
down to report wreck. Nobody was
supposed to have been drowned when
the vessel went down, but when went
into the cabin the first thing saw was
the body Of man seated at the table,
The water was very clear and magnifed
him until he looked about four times
his natural size His hand was upon the
shoulder Of little boy, who was sitting
on his knee It was my first experience
with dead bodies, and it gave me Q
shock Now don't mind 'em at all
Most of the tales you hear about groups
of dead people sittin round quite natural
in cabin are lies A body will rise aft
er being in the water a couple Of weeks
and be found floating up against the
ceiling When they have their legs un-
der table, they sometimes sit right
where they are until their bodies decay
away. because they are held down by the
table. which is usually screwed to the
floor.
IAN English diver knew once had
pretty nasty experience with sharks. He
was'diving in wreck which had been
Vr,ik1 L.
been down at the bottom for month
or 80, the bodies Of the cattle became
light and foated up against the hatch
ways. As soou as he started the after
hatch, the cattle began to float out and
up to the surface Of the water. The To-
cality was infested with sharks, and
they soon began to gather round the
hatchway, grabbing the cattle as they
came out and following them up to the
surface, fighting among themselves.
Some Of the cattle had been tied, and
they f1oated out as far as their ropes
would allow. The sharks gathered round
them and began to tear them to pieces.
Pretty soon they began to fight, and poor.
Marsh-that was his name-was afraid
to go up for fear he might be attacked
and afraid to stay down because one
snap Of sharks mouth would have
severed his air hose in twinkling. He
gave the signal to be hauled up in a
hurry and went bifY among the school
of sharks and through them. In going
through shark snapped at him and
took off his right hand, so that heshad
TO give up the business. -
WHAT'S the narrowest escape You
ever had?"
well, about the closest shave that
remember was when was putting some
copper on steamers bottom while she
was in dock. took some plates down
with me and did some work on one side
Of the hull, after which wanted to put
some plates on the other side. The ves-
sci was about three feet off the bottom.
crawled underneath, dragging some :
plates after me. When Ihad been work.
ing for some time, noticed my air was
getting short, SO went to try to get
under The keel again to be hauled up.
found the steamer nearly on the bottom
and squeezing my air hose between her
keel and the ground. The tide was Civ
Ing out, and she had gradually sunk un.
til she was almost aground I had for
gotten all about the tide, and when
pulled the hose found it would not
bulge an inch. can tell you scared is
no word for how felt.
IF the bottom had been soft. it would
not have mattered so much, but it was
'ock, and the hose was gripped like
7ice. There was nothing to do but wait.
Il she fell any lower, the air would be
entirely shut off, and would simply
,ave to die You can bet shall never
orget those few minutes when was
waiting to see whether she rose or fell
Ny head felt as though it was bursting
md my nose and ears began to bleed.
PRESENTLY I felt the air getting little
resher. took heart, and soon she be-
IAN to rise with the turn Of the tide
There was plenty Of time for me to ret
ny nerve bAck before she was hi9h
nough of the bottom for me to crawl
lnder. didn't get it back, however.
mt just stood there trembling until I
ould squeeze under her bottom and give
he signal to be hauled up For weeks
tier that l was sick man, and my
earring has never been right since.
Sometimes. especially in tropical wa
ers. the bottom OF the sea 10 a lovely
light have seen forest Of kelp and
eaweed gently waving with the tide
which looked like fa:ryland The dim
lght and the bright colored fish darting
bout make it look all the more beauti.
ul A bit Of seaweed on land does not
mount to much, but if you see q regu-
n forest OF it growing it looks very dif.
aren't
II you stand still for minute, the
sh will swim all around you and ex.
mine you just as lot Of human beings
'ould look at some strange animal At
40 slightest movement they whisk their
Nils and not living thing is to be seen.
1T takes the life out Of man some
ow. diving does. and I never knew
iver who did much smiling. They are
u rather grave. sober faced men. -
lew York Tribune