The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-09-13
ARE SAD FACED MEN.
THIS IS WHAT ONE or THE CRAFT
SAYS or DEEP SEA DIVERS.


eran Tells 81 Experiences He and other
Divers Have HAd-A Close shave-FAIry-
land on the Oceans Bottom.
Il suppose you sometimes SEQ some
fearful sights in wrecks. =" said a re-
porter to a veteran deep sea diver
Yes. but you get used to 'em when
you have been in the business long.
When | first started diving. / was sent
down to report q wreck Nobody was
supposed 10 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 tho table
The water was very clear and Inagnified
him until he looked about fonr times
his natural size His hand wls upon the
shoulder OF a little boy. who was sitting
ON his knee IL was my trst experience
with dead bodies. and it gave me
shock Now don't mind 'cm at all
Most Of the tales you hear about gruups
Of dead people sittin round quite natural
in a cabin are lies A BODY will rise aft
or being in the water couple Of weeks
ard be found floating mp against the
ceiling. When they have their legs uu-
der a table. they sometimes sit right
where they are until their bodics decay
away. because they are held down by the
table. which is usually screwed 10 the
fioor
AN English diver knew once had a
pretty nasty experience with sharks He
was diving IN n wreck which hsld been
loaded with live cattle When she had
been down at tho bottom for month
or SO, the bodies Of the cattle became
light and tioated mp against the hatch
ways As soon rs he started the after
hatch, the cattle began 10 float cut and
mp 20 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 aud following them up 90 the
surface, fighting among themselves
Some ~ the cattle had been tied. and
they flOated cut as far rs their rupcs
would allow. The sharks gathered round
them and began 10 tear them 20 pieces
Pretty snon they began TO nght. and s,or
Marsh-that was his name-vas afraid
20 20 mp for fear he might be attacked
and afraid TO stay down because one
snap Of sharks mouth wculd have
severed his air hose in = twinkliug. lie
gave the signal to be hauled up in
hurry and went bin among the school
Of sharks and through them. In going
through q shark snapped at him and
took of his right hand. 30 that he had
to give up the business "
What's the narruwest escape yuu
ever hndY"
We'll, 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 un one side
of the hull, after which wanted 10 put
some plates on the other side. Tho YES.
sel was about three feet or the bottom.
i crawled underneath. dragging some
plates after me. When hnd been work
ing for some time. noticed my air was
getting short, so l went to try 20 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 had for
gotten all about the tide. and when /
pulled the hose found ID would not
bulge an inch can tell you scared Is
no word for how l felt
IF the bottom had been soft, il would
not have mattered so much. but il was
rock, and the hose was gripped like a
vice There was nothing to do but wait.
II she fell any lower. the air would 10 1
shut on. and / would simply /.
have to die. You can bet / shall never /
forget those few minutes when was 1
to SEQ whether she rose or fell. /
My head felt a. though ia was bursting .
and my nUse and ears began 20 bleed I
Presently / felt the air getting n little 4
tresher. / took heart, and soon she be- 1
gan to rise with the turn Of the tide. 1
There was plenty Of time for me 10 get
my nerve back before she was high 4
enough of the bottom for me to crawl 4
under. l didn't get il back. however.
but just stood there trembling until /
,ould squeeze under her bottom aud give
Inc signal to DO hauled up. For weeks
after that / was a sick man, and NV
learing has never been right since.
Sometimes, especially in tropical wa.
ers. the bottom Of the sea Is a lovely
light have seen forest Of kelp aud
gently waving with the tide
which looked like fa.ryland. The dim
light and the bright OolOred fish dartinR
about make il look all the more beauti-
ul A bit Of seaweed on land does not
amount to much, but IL you see a regu-
aE forest Of It growing IL looks very diff.
erent
" II you stand still for a minute, the
ish will swim all around you and ex.
Imine you just as lot Of human beings
Eould look az some strange animal At
he slightest movement they whisk their
ails and not a living thing is to be seen
= IL takes the life out of n man some
low. diving does. and I never knew n