Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-12-07

A DIVERS DRESS,
Weighs Nearly Two Hundred Pound.
and 1s Very Complicated,

Weighs Nearly Two Hundred Pounds
and 1s Very pIicated.
Under the Sea" is an article about
divers In st. Nicholas. 1t Is written by
James Cassidy, who says: The dress OF
fully equipped diver weighs in round
numbers, one hundred and seventy
pounds. Taking off his everyday gafh
the diver pulls on his thick undertook
lng-=a white knitted sweater and trou.
sers and pair of ribbed stockings,
also white. Should he intend to work
III unusually deep water, he puts ON
Two, sometimes three. sets of under
! clothing. 10 relieve the pressure of the
water.
! The woolen clothing donnel, the next
| garment is the diving dress. measur-
| Ing, Tor man of average height, I'VE
! teet nYe Inches from The collar To tha
sole OF the foot This dress il made Of
solid sheet India rubber, covered on
both sides with tanned twill. 1t has Il
| double collar. the inner one to pull up
round the neck, and the outer one. of
red indla-rubber, to 20 over the breast
plate and form water-tight joint. The
| cuffs also are Of red india rubber, and
/ ill tightly round the wrists, making
! when secured by the yulcauized india.
! rubber rings water-tight joints, at the
same time leaving the divers hands
! free. In the outer collar twelve holes
are bored for securing the breastplate
This Is made of timed copper. The
outer edge Is of brass, and has twelve
screws firmly fitted 10 1t at intervals,
and projecting upward. These proJec.
! lions pass through the corresponding
holes in the outer collar of the dress.
The band Of the breastplate Is in four
sections, and the holes In the sections
pass over the projecting screws, and
are secured In place by wingnuts or
! thumb screws. A little careful consid.
GRAFTON Will make 1t clear that the
dress Is held In position by Its rubber
collar, with the aid of the brea plate
fange and wing-nuts. The upper edge
Of the breastplate Is fitted with II neck.
ring aud II segemental screw. The use
of this we shall presently explain.
The boots are of stout leather, with
leaden soles, and are secured over the
instep by buckles and straps. The pair
weighs thlrty-two pounds--four pounds
over the quarter OF a hundred weight.
| The lead soles are firmly attached by
copper rlvets. The tongues of the boots
are very wide. Boots Intended for
rough work are fitted with metal toe
caps. Thus misunderstanding dress,
/ breastplate. and boots is our diver ar
rayed. He has now to be weighted.
Lead weights of forty pounds each,
shield or heart shaped, are suspended
back and front by means Of gun-metal
clips, and studs or tabs, and lashings.
He has now only TO put on his helmet
and to atfix the air-pipe,
The helmet, like the breastplate, Is
of timed copper, and Is fitted with a
segment bayonet-screw at the neck,
corresponding to that mentioned as be-
longing to the breastplate. The eighth
of turn. and the helmet is firmly Sc.
cured, being both air and water tight.
1t has three strong plates glasses In
brass frames, protected by guards, two
oval at the sides, and a round one in
front. The front can be unscrewed to
enable the diver TO give orders with
out removing any other portion of the
dress. An outlet-yalye is provided mt
the side or back of the helmet, which
the diver can close should he wish 10
rise TO the surface. This valve allows
the breathed air 10 escape. yet pre-
vents the entrance of water.
Al the side of the front glass Is a me-
chanical arrangement for getting rid of
the excess OF air, and II also assists,
when the back outlet-yalve Is closed,
! in regulating the expansion of the dress
In rising TO the surface There is also
an inlet-yalve, and this is constructed
so AS to allow the air 10 enter, but not
to escape in case of break in the air
pipe. The alr-ppe Is made in lengths
OF from forty-hve to sixty feet, fitted
together by means of gun metal joints.
Securely connected with the helmet by
means of the inlet-yalve and an elbow
tube. the other end of the air-ppe Is
fitted on to the nozzle of the air deliver
ing diving-pump.
His leather belt Is buckled on; his
knife, well sharpened, and of good,
strong steel, covered with metal case
to keep 1t dry and intact, is slung upon
It; and after taking h drink, or little
light refreshment, the word Is given
"All right" the face-glass screwed on,
and receiving Il tap on the helmet as n
signal to descend, down he goes by rope
or ladder, either Of which mast he
weighted at the bottom.