The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-07

out the WhOle tmrty AaeAoAaos WV
pull was as strong as ever. Then, tax.
Inc the linen line from the chest, l benz
II on to the other and kept paying OUT
for several minutes; but no bottom
Being afraid to lose 1t, 1began hauling
IN. measuring on the gunwale as dad
40, and found that 1t had gone down
over nine hundred feet Well, when
man Is alone in mid-ocean, on nothing
but few sticks, and finds himself over
an unfathomable abyss, the sensation
is something like that of worms crawl
ing around In his gizzard-a sort OF
ticklish feeling through his insides.
Heading out to the west'ard. crepH
slowly back over my course, leaving
the lead fathoms under water. In
three minutes it strusk bottom ana
dragged. Then I lowered away the
lump of coquina which served as an
acknowledging fifty feet of slack line,
which secured to the mast with run
ming loops-after which I ate an
orange, took few swallows of wine,
and fished out the diving-suit.
1 remember once, when boy OF Is,
being invited to very swell ball at
which I expected to meet a girl who
had produced strong impression
upon me, and spending, in consequence,
nearly two hours over my toilet before
I was satisfied with it. But that
wasn't circumstance to the care with
which 1 got into that diving suit,
though the time consumed was up
preciably less. The recollection OF my
sensations when first trying it on gave
me feeling OF apprehensiveness
which it was impossible to shake off.
I pumped mir into the knapsack until
1t wouldn't stand another inch. ex-
amined every rivet and clamp, every
seam and Strengthening hoop, before
putting it on. But at last was COM
pletely bottled up, with the sole ex-
ception Of the lens in front of my face
This 1 left open to get another bite Of
orange and at least half the bottle OF
wine, realizing that no matter how
much I might want either, under wa
ter, they would be simply out OF the
question.
Then 1 screwed on the lens, opened
the valve from the knapsack. and start
ed to step over the gunwale; but my
feet seemed glued fast; I had for
gotten that the leaden soles of my
shoes weighed 1e pounds each, and
that there were weights attached to
my shoulders and belt as we'll. They
got themselves over at last, however,
and, letting the line slip through my
hand, sank rapidly to the bottom.
At first the sensation WIS similar to
diving, naked, in deep water. There
was the same bubbling numbness In
the ears, the impression of flight, faint
~ penetrating through an Opaque
green substance, and grotesque shad-
owy objects which caught at the feet
and made 1t difficult to step. The alb
sence of buoyant feeling was strange
and very uncomfortable. Had 1t not
been for Halstead's precaution in max
ing mo try the suit on, might easily
have lost my head during the first five
minutes. There was rushing of air
from the knapsack which made mo
gasp for breath, and the continual
pop-pop-pop.popping of airIbubbles
from the top Of the copper helmet
Allied me with horrible dread that
the water was pressing az HTcn me
through some unsupported leak In the
ar1nor.
Presently, however, it seemed EVIL
dent that was neither drowning nor
suffocating yet, and tried to look
about me. Everything had the shad-
owy appearance that objects will take
on in a room from which the sunlight
has been excluded by window-shades
"a sort of cool twilight. But us my
eyes became accust omed to it, and as
confidence began to return, I could
see more distinctly. My body was pro-
tected by copper hoops which allowed
me to breathe in comparative free
dom, but my limbs felt as though tho
sleeves and breaches were II sizes too
tight and were likely to split when
ever they moved.
AS nearly as one might calculate, the
range of sight extended in a radius of
about so feet-though at that distance
objects had merely the appearance Of
blurred masses-and in few moments
I commenced making my way along
the reef to the s'uth'ard, keeping as
near the eastcrly edge as dared, but
being careful to plant each foot firm
ly before taking a step. It must have
been instinct which led me down the
reef instead of up, for when I had
walked a couple of hundred yards I
stumbled against dark mass which
seemed to be an abrupt rise in the
shoal. The side toward me was so
steep that I was afraid to climb 1t, so
walked carefully around, wondering
ut its odd overhanging formation at
the westerly end. At the southerly
side 1t sloped away in gentle deoliv-
ity, which mounted with ease.
The rock must have been at least Is
feet higher than the surrounding
. ledge, for could see the sun through
! the water overhead. It was longest
from east to west, and in the middle
was small projection as high as my
shoulders. 1t was this which sent q
shivering conviction through me that
had found the wreck at last, and /
eagerly searched for another projec-
ton at the westerly end. After tax
ing about 20 steps found it, or rath-
er found small lump Of rock where
1t should have been; and this settled
my last doubt. My first impression,
that the foremost had br oxen off short
or than the main, was accountedfor by
the fact that the whole westerly end
OF the mound was two or three feet
higher han the middle. Walking east,