Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-20
HOW 1 RESCUED THE
LMlAIMIE'S HEROES.
CBy John wan, the Florida Diver)

(By John Wall, the Florida Diver.)
The warship Maine was blown up at
midnight, Feb. 16.
The following morning a telegram was
SEM to Key West, Ella: cSend down the
best diver in the service. Must be afraid
of nothing"
AS this answered my description pref
ty well, the authorities at Key West
sent for me, with the result that before
night I had agreed to go to Havana to
work upon the wreck of the Maine with
out delay. | was to have three assist
ants to work the pumps and ropes, and
was to receive $125 per day to be divided
up among all hands A divers day con-
ssts of four hours. 1 like to go down at
eight In the morning when the waters
are clear, and stay until noon. That is
about as long as like to be beneath the
water although have remained under
two hours longer.
Diving in Florida waters and in the
Gulf of Havana is different matter
from Mississippi work. The Florida
waters are as clear as bell and diver
need not carry electric lights with him.
He can see the shells. under his feet and
behold objects a long way off
] am a Florida diver and have always
worked in tropical waters except once
when I went to Lake Huron to recover
valuables from a sunken steamship. l
understand working below the surface
and 1 can say that no diver can go
down with more ease and work quicker
or longer than l can.
But the wreck of the Maine was a diff
ferent matter. Never in my experience
had / been called upon to do such a
critical piece of work Here at the bot
tom of the sea- or submerged far below
the surface. was a $4,000,000 cruiser,
containing $4,000 in bank notes, silver
and valuables. Besides these were the
ships instruments of costly make and
rare design.
More than all there were bodies down
in the ship and these were to be re-
covered. along with the gold and silver.
One of my arrangements was for a
complete electric light service I wanted
lights in my helmet and where l could
manage them in my hands. | wanted to
be able to work as distinctly as on land,
and even more so. l wanted to go down
in the Maine and bring up everything
that could possibly be reclaimed for the
service of the government.
I shall never forget the morning, sew
eral days later, when the wrecking
schooner took me out to the great sub
merged vessel and lowered me down.
The suit / wore on that occasion was
worthy of note, for I had a brand-new
waterproof and strong. Underneath it,
as the waters are chilly, / wore a heavy
wooden suit. Over the canvas divers suit
was a belt, which connected by brass
rods with a collar around my neck, to
which were fastened the tubes for rails
ing and lowering me and for supplying
me with air. My boots had iron soles,
weighted so heavily that 1 could not
move around on land, and my helmet
MA G uyifh
could see out of window whichever
way turned my head.
The helmet was fitted to the suit. It
was large enough to permit my moving
my neck with freedom. 1t was of glass,
with copper outside, in which were Win
dows Of iron netting.
Ny suit, when was ready to go down,
weighed 400 pounds and was SO heavy
that could not support its weight I'M
aided. My feet, each of which weighed
seventy pounds, had to be lifted for me,
and on going down the ladder from the
side of the wrecker one of my assistants
took my feet off the rounds and placed
them below at each step. My hands
were protected lightly with rubber
gloves, which connected with my suit
with broad elastic bands, making my
sleeves watertight
/ wanted to go down with my bare
hands, feeling that l could work better
and with more delicacy of touch in that
way, but l knew from experience how
numerous the little fish are and how
they bite and sting the fingers. 1 knew
also what formidable creatures the big
fish are in these waters and how they
would be attracted by the bodies that
were within. They nip off divers bare
fingers.
A part of my outfit which I have not
mentioned was a supply of iron nerve,
for I knew that the sights which / would
see below would destroy my courage and
send me back to the surface.
I once recovered two bodies from a
sunken ferryboat. They were a man and
woman clasped in each others arms,
with a smile upon their lips. When I
saw them / shouted aloud and the sound
reverberated inside my hollow helmet
until it became a laughing echo. l tried
to grasp the rope to give it three pulls,
which would bring me to the surface,
but all that l could do was to touch it
feebly. When they pulled me up had
tainted inside the helmet, and for days
/ could see that smiling couple before
my eyes.
The Maine would hold no pretty sight
but I must nerve myself for the work