Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-08-01
THE DIVERS STORY.

and stiffness as of death, about
you, slender cord your only means
of communication With those above
Ito be caught in tight place, /
say under these circumstances is
about enough to craze man out
right | can tell you sir"-and the
old diver leaned back in his chair
and fixed his eye thoughtfully on
the roaring fire before which we
were seated. Il can tell you, sir,
it's often a toss of penny with US
when we once get in among the tim
bers of an old wreck if we ever come
to the surface againl
81 remember a pretty tight fix |
got into when we were diving into
the Conqneror up the Sound up the
Connecticut shore. She was COM
ing in from the Mediterranean after
a three years. cruise with the mid
dies and went down in gale in
sig bit Of home with every soul on
borrd.
81 was young then and anxious to
be the first sent down in her for the
sake of the reputation it would give
| me; for reputation meant money
and money you see, was the only
reason Nettie and were deferring
our marriage. You can understand
how matters stood and how glad |
was when in the receipt of orders to
make the first dive into the old man
| of-war.
"The sea was running pretty high
as I was carried down in my heavy
'armor' from the deck of the steam
Ell to the float alongside, where the
ropes by which to haul me up again
were fastened on the india-rubber
tube, through which was to be sup
piled with air was adjusted, and I
stood listening to my final instruc-
tions before being put overheard.
Now, dear boy said my old
| friend and instructor, Lott, the fa-
nous deep sea diver, who came for
ward to close the little glass window
in my helmet, stake good care of
yourself and don't stay too long be-
low. The currents are swift and
treacherous about here; and keep
an eye to your ropes or they'll get
tangled. Now, then, good by, old
fellow, and good luck to you; and
with pleasant smile he closed the
glass door before my eyes, and fast
ened over it the protecting wire net
ting.
/ 81 dropped into the waves with a
splash, sinking swiftly down through
the brilliant sunlit waters, which.
though rough and boisterous at
their surface, sudde My grew calm
as / passed below. ! glanced up at
the sun, which appeared to be great
ball of fire, but growing smaller and
smaller as | sank lower, it finally
seemed like the tiny red spark of a
candle, and then faded from sight.
| I noticed that the waters were lit
by pale greenish haze, much like
the effect Of moonlight in light,
drifting fog; but these observations
we're cut short by my realizing that
I was near bottom, and looking be-
low I found myself over bank OF
tall, thick seaweed.
Knowing that if / were once en-
tangled in them, they would hold
me there forever, / pulled the signal
rope violently, and my descent was
checked just as my feet touched the
treacherous grasses. The tide bore
| me slowly along and past them, turn
ing me around again and again in
the eddies, and making my head SO
| giddy that I was heartily glad when
cleared the bank and stood at last
upon the bright, sandy bottom. The
shells and gravel on the bed of the
waters were most delicate and beau
tiful in formation, and exquisite in
design, but SO tender that even the
shells crumbled at my touch.
81 hurried on with the current I'M
til saw before me what / judged to
be the great wooden walls of the
Conqueror, but on nearing it | found
| it to be a reef of rocks, fancifully
honey -combed from end to end, and
IN and out among the little arched
halls of these fern-covered chambers
| the fish were chasing each other
playfully or hanging idly in the wa
tiers.
Passing around these rocks,
came upon q mass of tangled rig.
| ging, and few steps further brought
me to the man-of- war half buried
where she lay in the drifting sand
her spars and topmasts crushed and
| splintered upon her decks, her sails
and rigging hanging over the side
and resting upon the broken bull
warks.
| Great caution was necessary lest
] should become entsDgled among
the ropes or caught under the shift
ing timbers, and making my waJ
slowly to the companion-way, ! sent
up the signal
"'3- s23-ns7-'- CT am at out
to enter the vessel'-'I shall be il
danger'-'Play out rope freely and