The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-07-15

pamp u the Nnst Costly Necessity ~ The
outni story ~ q ratsi Accident
Submarine diving has iecn reduced 10
such nm exact science that there h little
work under water that the expert diver
cannot do. and Il Is hardly more dangerous
than similar work nu the surface
Minor improvements arr making IN the
suits constantly, hut the greatest change
within few years has been inthe manner
" attaching the helmet. But you must
know first how submarine armor ia con
structed before ] can explain this Co you.
You have the common notion, ! suppose,
that II you just have n diving suit you can
do all the diving you wish. That Is a very
erroneous idea The suit Is n small part ot
the necessary apparatus. For instance, you
can buy diving suit for 40, Of the best
quality. but before you can make a dive
you must have apparatus which, Of cor
responding quality, will cost you sGsd
As the pay of diver is only s. day and
his work very uncertain, you Sill readily
/ imagine that the divers do not own their
own suits The suits are bought by wreck
ing compafiies 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. a copper collar, which
/ fits over the shoulders, chest and back, is
/ fastened to the rubber suit with IL bolts.
/ To this collar the helmet is attached. For
merry the helmet was screwed to the collar,
but the recent improvement mentioned il
the fastening Of the helmet with bolts,
which is much stronger and safer
h.. halt,,at 10 mazda pf sheet nd
weighs about 30 pounds 1t has three eye
holes, one in front and one on each side, all
filled with half inch thick glass and pro-
teoted 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 - 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 n breathing
spell, the helmet is not taken oif-one of the
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 a ring in the he'll
met. and after being bolted in several places
to the collar on one side goes through ring
in the belt and is then bolted to the collar
on the other side. This is not only life
line but 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. But
the diver may have too much air as well as
too little. The air pipe is made much
heavier and sitter than ordinary rubber
! hose If it were too timber, it would get
into kinks" and shut off the air.
Three men on the surface attend to one
diver-two to work the air pump and one
for the air tube and life line They must
be trustworthy men, too, or they will kill
the diver. Some companies make it a point
to employ father and son or two brothers
or very close friends While one relative
dives, the other exercises great care on the
surface
Incased in his armor the diver keeps dry
as chip and of course the pump gives him
plenty of air. But do not say that he is
altogether comfortable. When the water
is cold, the diver is cold and requires one OF
two suits of heavy flannels and wooden
mittens to wear beneath his divers nit
tens. In clear water hgcan see very well, but
about this harbor the water is not clear
and most of the work must be done by
feeling. In fact, it is very hard work-sC
hard that four hours is counted a full days
work. Formerly the divers wages were
much higher, but they have come down
New York divers probably run less risk
than any Others in this country because
they do more work and know how to keep
their apparatus in order. Very much de
ponds upon that, but not everything. DC
casionally an accident happens in spite OF
all the care possible.
The last fatal accident to a diver in this
harbor that / remember was several years
ago. A steamship had sunk near her dock
and diver went down to see how she lay
He felt his way along her deck up to the
bow, for the water was too muddy for him
to see much. 1t was too muddy, indeed, for
him to see that one Of the anchors lay on
its side with IA flulle in the air. As he went
up one side of the deck and down the Other
his life line passed around the anchor. On
completing his work he gave the signal tC
be drawn up, but when his companions
drew on the line they only pulled him to
ward the anchor. He could not see what
was wrong, but he managed to get hold OF
something to cut the line. Unfortunately
instead of the life line, he cut the air tube
and before he could be eXtricated he was
drowned The men on the surface imme.
diately dived for him without any armor
but they were too late.-lnteryiew in New
York Sun