Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-06-03
A STRUGGLE FORLIFE
CAPTAIN SMITH TELLS OF HIS CLOSE
CALL AT DEATHS DOOR.

with Fifty Feet OF Water Above-Felt
the Water Creeping Under His Armor.
Each Moment an Eternity.
Captain Charles Smith Of Bridgeport,
Conn, who had a thrilling struggle
with death so feet under water the 9TH
or day, told the story of his experience
today. The captain is we'll 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 I usually care to go, although I
have been down 16 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 wreckage, and many were sus-
pended over the decks and into the hold.
cut them away on the starboard side
and then crossed over, doing the same.
Then in some way some Of the tangled
mass slowed over and fell partially into
the hold and was caught with it and
held fast. You cannot see very far in
such a depth of water, and when ]
found myself pinned in, how could
not tell. jerked the life line three
times, which is the signal to rise. l felt
myself rising few feet, and then all
the wreckage fell in upon me and ev-
erything came to standstill. jerked
the life line repeatedly, but there was
no response. / 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 to me.
I'm the meantime those on the wreck
ing ship were wondering what had hap
pened. 1t seemed to them as though the
signals to haul up were quickly follow
ed by others to lower, and then by one
to stop. The man at the lifeline became
confused at these contradictory orders,
and hoping to take safe course ordered
the derrick to haul ON the blocks. Moth
ing yielded to the strain, although the
wrecking ship careened greatly. The,
men at the pumps worked for dear life,
until they were exhausted and had to be
relieved. Still no signs of release
"All this while was wondering"
continued the captain, "why l was not
hauled up, when l came to the conclu-
sion that my lifeline had certainly been
fouled when the wreckage shifted and
that my signals were not properly sent
up. 1t had now become black as night
in the water. I had cut a small hole in
the valve of my right hand rubber glove
by catching hold of some iron bolts, and
the water had come in and filled the
glove full, exerting terribly painful
pressure on my hand, and was slowly
oozing past the clamps at my wrist and
had reached my elbow. 1t seemed to me
in that mass which was moving by the
tide that I would soon be hopelessly
crushed by the wreckage. found my
self becoming confused through the great
air pressure in my helmet, and / had
about concluded that should never
clear myself. when suddenly the wreck
age gave a lurch, and found I could
climb up to one of the deck timbers.
Grasping my ak, cut away at my feet,
but some iron stays were in the way.
As hung there it seemed lifetime,
when again the tide favored me, and l
began working desperately.
Suddenly the whole mass broke
away and began to rise rapidly, and
became SO entangled that was actually
held head downward, as was carried
up. 1t seemed another eternity before
reached the surface. When came up,
the men at first did not suppose I was
there, as there was such mass of tan
gled material, and their surprise you
can imagine when shot up through the
wreckage, feet first. When was hauled
upon deck and my helmet opened, it
seemed as though my eyes were on fire.
30 terribly did they burn from the les
sened air pressure.
at was," concluded the captain, "the
closest call to deaths door that ever
had, and have peeped through its key
hole pretty often, l assure you.
Captain Smith is powerful six foot
er, 40 years of age, and has followed his
dangerous calling some IS years. His
wide experience in these lines stood him
in good stead in the thrilling event
which followed his experience. New
York Journal.