The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-25
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
with the single exception OF the coral
which has little, if any. popularity al
The present day-the pearl is the only
water gem. and Of all occupations-per-
hans excepting aerOnaut5cs-pearI diving
is the most dangerous. and is a calling
followed by few men. There is a vast
distinction between the wreck or dock
diver and the pearl diver, though the
same dress is worn by both. Those Of
tie former class do not make so many
desc5nts, nor pass so much time under
water; they are attended by faithful
companions, and the boat from which
r-lv dive is firmly anchored; the depth
Of water, also, is not usually great; but
with the pearl fishers all the manifold
dancers become a thousand times magni-
ned. and any accident almost always
terminates fatally a pearl diver with
q heart or lung trouble that may have
existed to but a slight degree before, II
be knew OF 1t at all viii after few
months succumb to the malady. Nearly
az divers are partially II not totally deaf.
Inripient paralysis IS another afiliction.
A pearl diver is az the mercy OF half
civilized and often treacherous crew. the
lie line and air tube may be seized by
a sudden strong current or tide, and the
may have his lines become entangled
among corral reefs or other growth or
the sea. Again, the air pump may not
work, the pipe NAV burst, or the gigan-
are converted into babies bath tubs by
the natives Of the Philippine Islands,
may imprisOn the divers foot, leg or
hand. There is a fascination in the con-
temptation of these horrible dangers that
makes a reckless person almost wish 10
venture a single descent, or If not, TO
nOEE1nlH
this singular employment
The professional pearl diver Of the In
dian ocean is usually an uneducated man;
many are natives, who wear no diving
suit only staying down a moment, Selling
an oyster shell in either hand ana. then
striking AT once to the surface, These
Japanese, Chinese and Malays. A Gu
rilus feature of their diving is that they
drop from the boat feet downward, max
ing little resistance, thus enabling them 10
remain longer on the bottom than II they
dved head foremoSt-as one would I'M
ag.ue owing to law of motion; theycan
dive I'm shallow water only, as the ire
mendOus pressure Of deep water would
crush theif unprotected bodies. The deep
water divers are nearly an sailors VINO
have bought pearling boats or are hired
by companies that own fleets. These row
eVs are Germans, SWedes, few English,
but seldom an American can be found
among the number.
To my knowledge there is but one Eng
disappearing pearl diver from this country
anu ne a bOSLOlldl-t1. 4. w ulLllldl sid
partner in mercantile mouse. W ME IN
Australia some years ago he purchased
lugger-a vessel OF from hVe TO twenty
tons, with two short masts, used entirety
for the pearling trade-and with crew Of
six Mdlays and a cockney English diver
set out for the principal pearllng grounds
that lie off the northwestern coast OF AUS
tralla, extending TO Torres strait on the
north. The luggers congregate In Meets on
these grounds and are visited every SIX
days by a steamer from Singapore, that
"A
mails, carrying back the beautiful moth
er-of-pearl shells, which are shipped TO the
London market.
chased had been out but week when 1t
sprung a leak, and the owner had 10 put
into creek in order to make repairs
While there the cOckney diver succeeded
in obtaining some Holland gin, and he
became so delighted with his condition
that he persistenty refused to set sail
again for the pearling grounds. EVery
method of inducement was resorted TO-,
but ne was obdurate, thinking, and with
good reason, that the expedition would be
an impossibinty without his presence.
The other knew that If he did not avail
himself of the spring tides-then at their
hight-that kept the creek filled with deep
water, 1t would be impractlcable 70 get
out He determined to dive himself and
sailed away for the grounds.
The pearl oyster IS not found in beds,
as our edible oysters, but scattered singly
over a large area, the diver sometimes
having to walk many miles before nIling
his bag. The shells are about the size
of large soup plates, weighing about
pound each, and shaped much like our
oyster shells, only more round. 1t was
stupendOus task that this rash American
had undertaken; he had never made a
descent, he was unable to speak Malay,
and his life must be trusted to the treach-
erous MOhammedan crew. The day after
arriving at the pearling grounds he pre-
pared to make his descent.
The horrors of the first descent! 1t is like
a chapter out of Dante's Inferno" as
told by Mr.. Whitmarsh:
First of all comes to mind the fear that
the air may not come in; again, the belief
that sharks are waiting below to devour
him, though they never attack dressed
divers, but often eat the natives; the feet
VIII not go down first, as they ought;
there is an impulse to dive in the old boy
ish fashion, but worst of all sensations is
that caused by the fearful pressure OF
water upon the sensitive parts of the
body, particularly the ears; they feel as
though two iron spikes were being bored
into them, the pain increases and the poor
victim yells and struggles, but until COM
munication is freely opened between the
nose and ears it does not cease. This oc-
ours Immediately when bottom is reached.
The American diver states that all fear
passed away when he reached the sub
marine land.
Everything was magnihed to twice its
size; white coral groWths, shaped like IL
verted mushrooms; cOraline reefs formed
like trees, curious sponge and lichen-like
growth, were in profusion. Sea fan ana
abounded and fish, gorgeous in every color
of the rainbow, swan about.
Everything in this new and WondrOus
world was vivid with brilliant coloring;
the diver was finally brought to his senses
by seeing an ordinary beer bottle lodged
IN a reef. He sat down on a coral cup and
gazed about him, while a crowd of curl
GUS fish, attracted by the strange object,
hung about in a circle, gazing at him with
an inquisitive stare. A heavy feeling stole
upon him and the buzzing of air in his
helmet warned him that it was time to re-
turn to his boat. He gave the signal and
was drawn gasping to the surface, blood
eNuding from his nostrils ears and mouth;
ne had been on the bottom of the sea ten
minutes.
For a week after the first descent
liver coughs up blood; this is caused by
ne bursting of minute blood vessels on
the lungs. But the diver must make
descent the next day and every succeed
ing day Cor else the ears may heaD, re-
manning each day a longer time, the du-
ration depending wholly on the depth Of
water. About eighteen fathoms-six feet
70 a fathom-is the deepest safe depth A
glVer can remain only about ten minutes
10 this depth, while in five fathom. he can
work for two hours or more; a greater
depth would crush the bones of a strong
man, despite the counteraction of air
within the suit.