The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-16
PERILS OF H DIVER
CAPTAIN SMITHS STRUGGLE FOR
LIFE UNDER THE SEA.
Pinned Beneath Wreckage, with Fifty
Feet of Waite Above Him-Camc
Up Feet Foremost.


BRIDGEPORT. conn. March 15.-Capt.
Charles Smith. VIC had a thrilling struggle
with death fifty feet under water yesterday,
The Captain is a w~ell-known diver, and,
while working on the sunken hull of the
Clara Post. became caught in the rigging
and narrowly escaped with his life.
1.-THE wreck lay quite deep; deeper than
1 usually care to go, although ] have been
down sixteen fathoms," said the Captain.
AFTER the masts went by the board and
the deck was torn off by the waves the
cross timbers were strewed with the wreck
age, and many were suspended over the
decks and into the hold. / cut them away
on the starboard side. and then crossed
over, doing the same. Them, in some way,
some Of the tangled mass slowed over and
fell partially into the hold, and 1 was
caught with it and held fast. You cannot
see very far in such a depth of water,
and when I found myself pinned in, how,
1 could not tell, 1 jerl5ed the life line three
times. which is the signal to rise. l felt
myself rising a few feet, and then all the
wreckage fell in upon me, and everything
came to a standstill. / jerked the life line
repeatedly, but there was no response. L
tried to move, but found the air pipe was
somehow caught so that any movement
shut off the current OF air. 1t was an
awful moment, and it seemed eternity 10
me.
In the meantime those on the wrecking
ship were wondering what had happened
1t seemed to them as though the signals
TO haul up were quickly followed by others
to lower, and then by one TO stop. The man
at the life line became confused at these
contradictory orders, and, hoping 10 take
on the blocks. Nothing yielded to the strain,
although the wrecking ship careened great
ly. The men at the pumps worked for dear
life, until they were exhausted ana nau 10
be relieved. Still no signs of release.
"All this while was wondering, con,
tinued the Captain, why L was not hauied
up, when / came TO the conclusion that my
life line had certainly been fouled when the
wreckage shifted and that my signals We're
black as night in the water. l had cut a
small hole in the valve OF my right nana
rubber glove by catching hold Of some iron
bolts, and the water had come IN and flled
the glove full, exerting a terribly painful
pressure on my hand, and was slowly ooz,
ing past the clamps at my wrist and hao
that mass which was moving by the tide.
that j would soon be hopelssly crushed by
the wreckage. / found myself becoming
confused through the great air pressure IN
my helmet, and / had about concluded that
l should never clear myself. when, sudden
y. the Treska e g gave e of iI ire d anf t ! 1bena
Grasping my AK, / cut away at my feet, but
some iron stays were in the way. As:I
hung there 1t seemed a nIelme, WIeH again
the tide favored me, and l began working
desperately.
suddenly the whole mass broke away and
began to rise rapidly, and l became so en-
tangled that / was actually held head down.
ward as / was carried up. 1t seemed an
other eternity before / reached the surface.
When I anne up the men at first did not
suppose 1 was there, as there was such. a
mass of tangled material, and their surprise
you can imagine when / shot up through the
wreckage, feet first. When / was hauled
upon deck and my helmet opened 1t seemed
as though my eyes were on fire, so terribly
did they burn from the lessened air pressure.
1T Was,'' conclued the Captain, 1.-The
closest call to deaths door that L ever had,
and have peeped through its keyho.e pref
ty often, / assure you"
Captain Smith is a powerful six-f00ter,
forty years of age, and has followed his
dangerous calling some eighteen years. His
wide experience in these lines stood him in
good stead In the thrilling event which fol-
lowed his experience yesterday.