The record-union., 1897-10-25
IN A DIVING BELL.
What a Man Saw at the Bottom of
Lake Huron.


Two months ago the wreck of the
steamer Pewabic. which was sunk in
1865 in Lake Huron, off Alpena, Mich,
was located. Since then an insurance
company, which paid SCI 900 on the
loss of the copper with which the yes
sci was loaded, has been negotiating
with wrecking firm for the recovery
of as much of the cargo as is practi-
cable.
The depth of the water made diving
operations impossible, as no diver can
work with safety at a depth of 16O
feet It became necessary, therefore,
for any wrecking concern that would
take hold of it to construct a special
diving apparatus. strong and safe
enough to withstand the pressure of
water at such a depth. Worden G.
Smith of Milwaukee invented a diving
bell and organized a company to raise
the cargo, and the apparatus has been
at work for several weeks While in
| the vicinity j. s. Gadsden agent of the
insurance company, had the experience
of seeing a charge of dynamite placed
in the vessel ard fired off by electric
! ity.
When we We're about twenty feet
below the waters surface" said Mr..
Gadsden, in relating his experience in
the diving bell, there was a slight
leak at the edges of the cover, but as
we got down deeper the overhead pres
sure was so great that it was sealed
tight, and not a drop came through
We We're in telephone communication
with the surface all the time and the
hell li0htpH oJa ri a "
lowered first on one side of the steam
er,s which we inspected. 1t was a hazy
day and rather dark; still at that depth
we could see the heads of the bolts
that held the gunwale of the steamer
in place at a distance of six or. seven
feet. Then we were lifted and moved over
to the other side of the vessel. Through
the glass in the bottom and sides we
could see below us and on every side
through the water Several fine speci-
mems of lake trout went swimming by
some of them almost touching the
glass.
THE bell has four legs on the out
side, worked by cogs and cranks from
the inside, for balancing it on the bot
| tom, where there is sloping surface
| There is also a little propeller for NOV
ing it round to any desired position,
also worked from the inside. An in
| genious feature is two steel rods, work
| ing in ball bearing joints or journals
which pass through the bottom of the
bell, and at their ends are graphing
| hooks for handling the wreckage
"A piece of rock was lowered from
| the surface, and it was pushed into
a position where it would hold the ca
BILE to which it was attached. Then a
piece of dynamite was lowered and was
placed in position in the same way
An electric wire was attached to it,
and we told them to lift us up. When
the dynamite was exploded the surface
of the lake was greatly agitated and
| large numbers of lake trout were killed
| by the shock and soon We're seen float
| ing ON the water. The men on the
| barge were so eager in gathering in the
trout with nets that they neglected to
| lower us to see the big bubbles made
at the bottom When we went down
the sediment was so agitated that we
/ could see nothing.
Three weeks before / was there the
wife of Captain Peterson, who is in
| charge Of the life-saving station at
Thunder Bay, her sister and another
lady were down in the bell. 1t was
the first time ever women were at the
bottom of the lake and survived. The
| inventor of the bell claims that it can
be lowered to a depth of $50 feet with
perfect safety, and, by putting in heav
Ter glass, to a depth of 1000 feet
New York Herald