The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-10-24
4 DIVERS EXPERIENCES,
SENSATIONS FELT WHILE WOR-S-
ING IN TIE SEAS DEPTES.
The Dress That is Worn-Breathins
Without Effort-Method Of Sig
t,alinr-k pi1er,s Kenru Iteration.

down into the depths and
learn the diving business for himself.
That's the way + learned It, SAYS Cap
tain Anthony Williams in the New
York World.
I was originally n wrecker -thas ls,
I would purchase sunken ships, raise
them and sell them. IN the summer
Of 1853, Of tie Massachusetts, coast, 1
vas raising sunken ship. The diver
who vas working for me seemed very
2azy. careless sort Of fellow. was
paying him by the dry. and st length,
when he came up on one occasion and
reported very little progress il bis
work; after having been under water
Tor c long time; was angry shd ez.
pressed myself strongly. He retorted
With. "Try it yourself if you ean DO
any better"
"All rieht," said I. ''Let me have
your diving dress and I will try it NY
self" He thought was only Joking,
but 7 vas not. Thinking to see me
back out, aud that I would rot dare
to eeatrte down below Into Davy
Jones's locker, be took of his diving
dress and put it on.
Now, diving dress is really two
dresses, one within the other, and both
of!ndia-rubber. The stockings, pants
and shirt ere all made together rs one
garment, which the diver enters al the
neck, feet first, The hands are LETT
bare; the wristbands of the rubber
shirt.sleeTes tightly COMPRISING the
wrists. There IS copper breest-plate
bearing upon its outer convex surface
small screws, which arc adjusted
through holes in the neck Of the shirt,
which, hy n cans OF nuts fastened upon
the screws, is held SO firmly in place
as to render the entire dress from. the
neck downward absolutely air and
wptcr tight.
FITTING With equal closeness to this
breast-p!a!c is the helmet. II conf
nIetclc irc;oses tho head and is sup.
piled with three glasses, one in f-ont
and one Mt each side, to enable the
dive 10 look in any direction. Tns
die. fcc5 ere incasca il q pair Of
very thick leather shoes, made to lace
IN the front and supplied with heavy
iaa3en soles to prevent him from turn
ing fect uprermost in the water.
When I had lonned this dress ]
pIaeeA across ny shoulders ropes sus-
tanning tvo leaden weights, one hang
ing at my breast aud the other at n13
back. Sometimes in very strong chr.
rents it is necessary to maGe the
weights which the diver carries ex-
traofd;nari!y heavy, a1:l such vas the
case With those hanging over my
shoulders on the occasion o. my first
die, b25 greatly to my surprise,
though the diving dress / we're Weighed
OF itself nearly two hundred pounds.
I did not feel the great burden sus-
tanned in wearing it any more than 1
did t!,a: OF n ordinary clothes when
out of the water.
It also seemed marvellous to me that
though ] was ten OF twelve iathoms
under water my breathing Was wholly
devoid Of effort as if I had been walk
inc about on dry land. Perhaps some
Of my readers may know that by
means OF Al eir-pump, worked by two
men, the diver is supplied with air,
! which passes into his helmet through
q hose at its hack. Near the place OF
It's entrance IS q spring valve for its
escape. This valve can be controlled
! bv the diver, but he usually setslt be-
! fore going into the water and seldom
! iist;lr|os it a:tervard. The pressure
OF the air being greeta- than that OF
the water Q surplus OF the former
readily escapes. ,
When thu valve proves insufficient
to permit the escape OF superAuity
! Of air the diver can opeu in his breast
plate a similar spring valve Intended
Only for such en- emergency. He can
also regulate the eanount OF air pumped
T. him by signals upon tue air-hose to
the men engaged in pumping. One
pull upon tho air-hose means ''more
air." two pulls, :'less air.'
The signals by means OF the air.
hose are generally used by all divers,
but each one of tie fraternity has also
Lis own private code OF signals upon
The lifeline, which is always fastened
to the Divers wais: and by which he
is drawn up out OF the water. These
signals each diver writes down very
carefully and gives to the maa in
charge Of the lifeline. By means OF
these lie can send for tools, mlter1al,
When o lengthy communication is
to be made the diver sends UP for a
+, slate and writes all he wishes to say
II is Just IS easy TO read and write IN
/ der water as II is out oft, all objects
! being greatly magnifed.
The only unpleasant sensation ever
experienced during nv whole career
as o diver-e7en on the occasion OF
my first dive-was drumming IN tue
ears. This wil sometimes destroy the
hearing if the diver remains too long
under water.
Four hcnrs-two in the morning
anu two in the Afternoon comprise a
; days work in the diving business, and
! if diver always restricts himself to
! this limit there is little or no danger
Of bis becoming deaf, but if he goes
much beyond it ho is almost sure to
ipjurc his hearing. once renamed
under water for nine hours and as a
! consequence completely ]ossthe use Of
! NV lett ear for q period Of three
months, during which time l suffered
agony With carache. Eventually,
however, my hearing became normal
again.
So fer as remuneration IS concerned
!