The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18
DYING MADE Easy.
A Frenchmnn's Invention for Submarine VOL
and Its Trial In tho Seine.

~ II toE
and Its Trial In tho Seine.
PARIS, July 4.-Somc interesting expert
ments were conducted yesterday at Choisy-lo-
Roi with an apparatus which its inventor,
NJ. Patti DIAL Pozzo. calls n 'submarine work
err" and which is a large diving bell OF ingen-
ious construction. The object was to show that
submarine exploration may BIO conducted by
engineers with facility and great exactitude
without tho aid of professional divers. and that
the ordinary work OF divers may be performed
by any class Of laborers without special train
ing, without danger, and with absolute indie.
pendence of movement.
The diving suit at present in use among
divers can be used only within circumscribcd
limits, and its use is attended with danger to
the man who wears it; II it receives a puncturc
the man browns, and in any event there Is al
ways trouble with the compressed mir which Is
pumped into the suit from the surface. More
over, 1t has been found exceedingly difficult for
a diver dressed in the suit to do efficient work
at a depth of more than 100 TO 40 feet, on ac-
count OF the pressure and the risk of asphyxia-
ton. Finally, the diver is absolutely dependent
upon a comradc at the surface for his safety
and for his sphere OF movement.
With the new diving bell Of NJ. dial Pozzo, all
this is changed. Three men may work together
and in ordinary costume; the air they breathe
is supplied from the surface, but there is plenty
Of it, md it does not differ greatly from the
ordinary atmosphere; the men cantrol the move.
mcnt OF the diving bell under water, and should
anything happen TO the air supply tube they can
instantly come TO the surface. With various
ingenious contrivanceS thoy are able to work
better. and strong electric light gives them an
operation is Increased, N. dai Pozzo says, 10
loo feet, although the trials were conducted
The apparatus which lay in tho Seine near
eignths submerged. 1t looked like nothing so
much as a huge rubber ball which had acct
dentally fallen overheard. But notwithstand-
ing its buoyancy 1t Is n heavy steel sphere, ten
feet in diameter. At the mex there is a hole
for the entrance of the workmen, which is fas;
tened before submcrsion. Air may be supplied
from tho surface through II tube, but that which
Is in the bell before 1t is sealed is sufficient to
last two or three hours. The thickness Of the
provide against any danger OF collapse from
water pressure, even at the depth OF 1900 feet.
The interior Is reached by means Of a light
ladder from tho hatchway on top, and the cham.
Der In which the men are to work Is roomy and
comfortable. Eight largo portfolios fitted with
ton: There are also two In the bottom OF the
shell and two in the top. At one side are cleo
trio, accumulators and 2 telephone, by which to
hold communication with the surface, and on the
oiHer cr q number n %Gr q levers Sr:n by means means q ifv which the
Tho navigating machinery consists of three
four.bladcd propellers. worked by hand or by
on tho outside OF the boil. The other %contriv,
ances, also on the outside, but worked from the
ncls. for the catching, moving. and raising OF
me Invention is boxes for ballast (which arc
filled by means OF sideways before submcr
SION, tho object Of which Is to tighten the bel
by discharge In case Of necessity, and 30 facili
Tho trial Of the hell yesterday went off with,
out hitch or accident. The inventor, a young
woman, and a reporter were the first to make
1 Tho HAspapt The gnhnra VIVA pnnnArtal hp Al
steel cable with the boat from which the EN-
harkniion was made, and along. this cable raI
ballast was run into the ballast boxes, and II
ten seconds the bell sank TO the bottom of thu
river, a depth Of thirty feet. There %electri,
lights were turned on to throw flashes In vari
Gus directions through the portfolios, and fo
fifteen minutes tho bell went through the pre-
arranged eyolutions, dancing around the abut
ments of the, bridge, picking up huge rocks
graphing, chains which had been sunk in III,
FF or xb anS Otherwise sSs was dRs sTifS5%ainFr al 'h Sbt sri %s
hauled to the surface by means of steam wind
lasses, and her passengers. declaring that the!
had never had so much fun in their lives
crawled out OF the hatchway. Several NOR
trips We're made to accommodate the ,pecpl
who, wished to know how 1t felt at the bottom
OF the river, and at the last. In order TO show
how absolutely safe the bell would be II any &C
cident happened to the cable connecting 1t witt
craft had sunk to the bottom: In less than
minute the sphere bobbed TO the surface, Tn
men inside, OF her had only TO move a lever
the, ballast had been dropped, and her buoyanc!
had brought her to the surface with a rush,
In the opinion OF the Government engineer
who were present Eat the trial, the new bel
Is destined to be of incalculablo benefit in plant
ihh3 10rpedoes and other distractions for coas
~deience, In caif son work for the abutments o
bridges, and in submarine exploration gencr
ANY, They think 1t will be even more usefn
IN these ways than In raising lsunken vessels
Inc inventor viii take the bell next month L
aeep water In the Channel on Hayre, whore b
hopes 70 go down about 1000 feet. He IL con
dep'h 40 satisfactorily US In the Seine.