The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-02-08
FIFTY YEARS A DIVER.
ONE MANS LONG SERVICE UNDER
NEW YORK WATERS.

Most successful Divers-Eirst Dcscen,
In Diving suit-GhastIy Experience
In Wreck or the Delaware Capes
"For more than fifty years 1 have
made my living under the waters OF
the rivers aud harbors Of this section
OF the country. That is, j have
worked as a diver during that time.
and while L am now getting to be an
old man, L still follow that profession.
L have had many and varied expert
ences."
These are tho words of John -.
who Is now employed in the rigging
loft Mt the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and
who has been one of the most success
tul divers in the employ of the United
States Government.
He entered the service OF the Cow
eminent more than forty years ago.
There Is not portion of the rivers
about New York or the harbor that he
does not know. Whenever diver has
been needed to examine the hulls of
the vessels that come to the NAVY
Yard, 1.-The old man." as he is callod
by the workmen at that place. was
called upon to Ego down. and look Mt
them, and there are few vessels, espe-
clally the older ones, that he does not
know thoroughly. He has often been
called on to go to vessels that had be-
come wrecks along the coast.
Some days ago, while at the Brook
Iyn Navy Yard, n New York Times
writer went into the rigging
loft. The 'old man" was busy MAX
ing repairs to some of the diving ap-
paratus and adjusting one of the
pumps to be sent to n naval station
down the coast. He was in reminis-
cent mood, and while adjusting the
rubber bands to divers suit and ar
ranging the air valve on the pumps,
told the following story:
81 first put on divers suit to GO
below the water here in the BROOKLYN
Navy Yard. Previously / had MANY
times been down in the old diving bell
that was in use here so long. Nv
father and L were the only divers then
employed i'll the yard and none of the
ships carried diving outfits. / first
put on the suit many years ago, but I
shall never forget it. One of the old
wooden ships had arrived here from
foreign port and was in bad shape
as she had encountered rough weather
on the voyage. Most of her rigging
was gone and she leaked badly. The
blocks and props of the stone dry dock
had been placed for the vessel. but be-
fore putting her in the dock L was or
dered to go down and examine the
hull.
After the helmet had been adjusted
L felt as if l would suffocate: nv head
swan and l felt myself getting dizzy.
As 1 went below the water and the
light was shut out l thought | would
never come up again. / had been
down about half an hour and had be-
gun to get used to it. Then L made
an examination of the hull. and if was
lucky thing for the Government that
that ship was not put into the dry dock
until 1t had been examined. Over 100
feet of the keel .d been torn away
aud 1t was dragging. The vessel had
struck submerged wreck and torn
away the keel. If it had happened to
one of the modern vessels she would
never have reached port.
''Since that time have seen many
wrecks and been down at the bottom
OF the rivers and harbors about New
York many times. There was one
wreck that L was called upon to ey-
anime that L shall never forget If
was the wreck of steamer off the
Delaware Capes, and that was so long
ago that L have forgotten in what
year she was wrecked. We left the
navy yard on one of the tugs the
night before Christmas and started
for the scene of the disaster. The
wrecked steamer had been struck
amldsnlps by some unknown craft
and must have sunk Immediately
There Is one thing certain, few of the
people escaped. [ had never done
any deep sea diving before that time
and l have done little since. After
we had reached the wreck, whose
spars were inst out of water, [ pre-
pared to go down.
When l reached the deck of the
ship the first place : went into was the
wheel house. There L found the
skipper clutching the wheel. Yes. il
did unnerge me, but fastened line
to him and he was pulled up to the
tug. got into the cabin. but re-
NAMED only few minutes, when /
gave the signal TO be hauled up. II
was more than an hour before | went
down again, anil believe what I saw
was the cause Of turning my hair
gray. There were thirty-one bodies
in the place, and when / opened the
door several of them noated toward
me. ! shall never forget that expert
encc or how felt
owe worked there for nearly
weak, and while lot Of valuable ma
terial was saved and / was well paid
for my services, l would not knowing
ly take the job again for ton times the
amount. 1t was terrible, and even
now ] cannot understand how + man
aged to do the work. That was the
worst experience / ever had
"My days Tor diving arc nearly
done. / have not been down for some
time now, and nextyear will berctired
Many improvements have been made
to the apparatus used in diving, and
the work IS not surrounded by rs
many dangers as it used TO be. All
the ships in the service now carry
divers and are equipped with outfits.
SO the services OF the men stationed
IN the yards are needed only for duty
there. We have little diving 60 do
here. Our tim, is spent in the rig
gin0 lofts and dOinu work aI,out tho