The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1895-09-11
ARE SAD FACED MEN.
This IS WHAT ONE or THE CRAFT
SAYS OF DEEP SEA Divers.

A life That Isu't Exactly jolly v~t-
srAn Tells sT EEperience. 10 aud other
Divers Have Had-A Cio-s shave FAiry-
land on ths ocean. Hottsu.
Il suppose you sometimes see some
fearful sights IN wrecks. said re-
porter to a veteran deep sra diver.
Yes hut you get uscd to 'cm when
you have been IN the business long.
When | first started diving. I was cent
down to report wreck NoLody was
suppuSCd Co have been dIownt4l when
the vessel went down. but wh.'u ! Went
into the cabin t.c first thing s.iw was
tac body 81 a man seated Il the table.
. I hc water was very clear und Eiaguihed
hiin until hc looked alsuut four times
Eis natural size. His hgud WAS upuu the
s.sulllcr of a little hny. who was sitting
uti his knee Il wu- my first experience
with dead bodies. and it gave me
shuek. New I don't mind I'm nc all
M,~t 81 the tales YOU hear about groups
. @! dead people Sittiu round quite natural
in a cabin are lies. 4 butlv will rise. aft
a hclng IN the water q couple uf weeks
aEd bc found fuatiug M against the
CcIlIng When th,'y l.ye their legs m
Ger "A table. they sometimes 1T right
where thcv are until their budie, d,,-ay
away. because they are held down bv the
table. which Is usually screwed 10 the
floor
An English diver knew once nad a
pretty nasty experience with sharks Ho
was diving IN wreck which had been
loaded with live cattle When she had
been down at the bottom for month
or so. the bodies Of tho cattle became
light and ioated mp against the hatch.
ways As soon as he started the after
hatch. the cattle began TO float out and
up TO the surface Of the water TIE To-
cality was infested with sharks, and
they soon began 10 gather round the
hatchway, grabbing the cattle as they
came out and following them mp TO the
surface. fighting among themselves
Some Of the cattle had been tied, and
they floated ont rs far rs their rupes
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
20 go up for fear no might BE- attacked
and afraid TO stay down because one
snap Of a sharks mouth wuuld have
severed his air hose In twinkling. He
gave the signal To be hauled up in n
hurry and went hin among the school
Of sharks and through them In going
through "a shark snapped at him and
took of his right hand. 20 that he had
TO give up the business "
What's the narrowest escape yUu
ever hads"
well, about the closest shave that
remember was when was putting some
copper ON q steamers bottom while she
was in dock. toOk some plates down,
with me and did some work gu one side
Of the hull. after which wanted 60 put
some plates On tie other side. The ves-
sel was about three feet of the bottom.
l crawled underneath. dragging some
plates after me. When had been work
ing for some time. l noticed my air WAS
getting short. 50 / went to try 10 get
under the keel again 60 be hauled up
found the steamer nearly on the bottom
and squeezing my air hose between her
keel and the ground Tho 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 I found il would not
budgo an inch. can tell You scared is
no word for how felt
IF the bottom had been soft. il would
not have mattered 80 much. but ia was
rock. and the hose was gripped like q
vice There was nothing TO do but wait
II she fell any lower. the air would 10
entirely shut of. and I would simply
have to die. You can bet I shall never
forget those few minutes when / wAs
waiting 90 see whether she rose OF fell
My head felt rs though 10 WAS bursting
and my nose and ears began 90 bleed.
Presently felt the air getting little
fresher. ! took heart, aud soon she be-
gan TO rise with the turn of the tide
There was plenty Of time for me To get
my nerve back before she was high
enough OF the bottom for me TO crawl
under / didn't get IL back. however.
but Just stood there trembling until |
could squeeze under her bottom aud give
the signal TO bc hauled up For weeks
after that | was sick man, aud my
hearing has never been right since
Sometimes, especially in tropical wa
tiers, the bottom Of the sea Is a lovely .
sight i have seen forest Of kelp and .
seaweed gently waving with the tide
which looked like fa.ryland The dim .
light and the bright colored fish darting
about make II look all the more beauti-
fuL bit Of seaweed on land does not
amount TO much. but IL you see Tegu-
lar forest OF It growing it looks very diff
ferent
If you stand still for n minute. the
hsh will swim all around you and ex.
anime you Just as a lot Of human beings
would look at some strange animal AT
the slightest movement they whisk their
tails aud not living thing is to be seen.