The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1898-02-11
TRIP IN \ DIVING EEL,
nat Man Saw ut the Bottom of Lake
Huron
Ncw York IIcrald)


Two months ago the wreck of Tho stoo,,
Tr ieWnbic, which was sunk in 1S;5 in
- ~ tlMroh on Alpcna, Mich, was To-
nn L;u. since then an insurance comnnnv
, m,iCn iniu fGi,uD on the loss of the coUnnr
WIN which the vessel was loaded hos I.n,,
NEGOTIATING with Il wrccking firm fn,. ~
practicable. ''so as Is
,,d,i ne depth OF water made diving opcra-
wjih i.ti'oSs'pie. as no diver can work
M mirn safety ut a depth Of $50 feet. 1t
,wrecking concern that would take hold Ky ~
- ~ 80, =" vonStruct special diving apparatus.
n,roi,E n'iu sale enough to withstand ,h,.
den G.. Smith. ot milwaukee, inv"n,nI Or :,
Giving bell and organized a company f."
been II work for several weeks V W. h' a.;
ne vicinity Mr. J. S. Gadsden agent nr
c enc Insurance 5s company. had the expert
electricity. o'A ny
!, When we wero about twenty feet below
NE waters surface" said Mr. C;ads,ion
IN renting his experience in the divin.,,
.'S'.' thcre was Il slight leak al the ctl,:Cs
u" d., me cover but as We got down deeper
y was sealed tight, and not drop came
!ni1I.Sh, we We're in telephone conmlIn-
,hi, on, with ne surface all the time and
me Del was lighted by electricity. No
Were lowered FIRST on one Side Of ~
steamer, which we Inspected II w,e :,
d a"%H I , amI rather dark. still at tha
that held the gunwalc of The :,,,' an - -
nLacc NJ distance Of six or seven f,nt
lheR we were lifted ana moved oyCr. ~
ne othcr side OF the vessel. Through thn
glass In tho bottom and sides w. coiIiI .1g,
m n us anu on cvt@ry side through tie
water. Several fine specimens Of I.,ila
trout went swimming by, some of tim,
almost touching the glass "a
INC, Lr!l mas four legs on the outs'tln,
worked by cogs and cranks from the IN
soc i9r balancing 1t on the bottom where
mere Is Il SlopiiIS surface. There is also :,
iittic propeller for moving il around 10 unw
GHsifed position. also worked from The in
Sidc An Ingenious fel turc Is two stool
RODS, working in ball-bcarng Joints or
journal IS. which pass through the bottom
OF the bell, and at their ends are. lsrapniiIi"
hooks for handling the wrccliagc,
~ piece of rock was lowered from, No
surface ana II was pushed into n nositinn
where ii would hold the cable ia
which II was attached. Then a piece OF
dynamite Was lowered and was pinccd in
position IN the SAME way An electric
to lift us up. When the dyna mite was cy
niodcd the surface of the lake vas
greatly ag!tated and large numbers OF
lake trout Were killed by tho shock and
soon We're sceen floating on he water.
The men on the barge were SO eager in
gathering up tho trout with nets that they
neglected to lower MS to see the big lllb-
6lcs made at the bottom. When we went
down the sediment was so agitatcd that
we could see nothing.
Three weeks before l was there the
wife Of Captain Peterson, who Is in charge
Of the life saving station at Thunder Bny
her sister and another lady were down IN
the bell II WIS the first time ever women
were ct the bottom of the lake and sur
ViVcd. Th. inventor Ct The bell claims
| that 1t can be lowered TO depth OF l51
feet with perfect safety. and, by putting
In heavier glass. TO depth OF 1900 feet"