The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-03-18

line astern. through the bitt port, IN
about ten minutes. Then | spent a
good half hour over my meal. discuss
ing with the padre. who remained TO
keep me company, the probability OF
Santa Rosa reef having sunk 10 the
bottom. but advising him not 10 state
this as fact in his forthcoming book
until he had persuaded the govern
ment TO make more exhaustive
search with one of the cruisers. Then.
after a delightful tete-a-tete with the
senorita, returned TO Halstead. whom
l found removing the fastenings from
\ a large bundle which one OF the men
had just brought up from the lazareet.
There was also sea chest. marked
with my name. upon one OF the tran
SONS. He nodded toward this and
said:
II suppose you don't remember
bringing that on board, do you?"
swell. TO tell the truth. don't. And
/ think was pretty sober, too. Where
did I get it? What's inside?"
Nothing at present. This diving
suit is going in II can make IL. Now
draw the curtains and strip to your
shirt and drawers"
what for?"
ITO try the thing on, OF course.
Hustle. now; Wen be in by two o'clock
I've read the directions over until |
know them by heart. but want you
10 be boxed up in IL once while I'm by
10 help you. It's pretty risky bust
ness, no matter how often man does
IL, and l don't want your death on
my hands. You see, II will be simply
out of the question 10 depend upon
pumper above water-you can't trust
anyone-and it's going to take all the
nerve you've got TO SO down without"
i put the suit on, piece by piece,
obeyng the printed instructions TO
the letter and fastening every clamp
myself; for / knew assistance would
be unobtainable when came to actual
/ IN use IL. The screws at the back OF the
helmet collar were the most difficult
TO tighten, but finally adjusted them
to even Halstead's satisfaction. For
! tunately, | had not screwed on the
| front lens OF the helmet until the last,
\ else / think ! should have been suf-
| located before the compressed air in
the reservoir began 10 work. The sick
ening nervousness | felt at being shut
up in such rig made me dread the at
tempt 10 go under water with il. but
the captain assured me that, having
had the thing on. IL wouldn't trouble
me as much next time. Then we
packed 1t carefully away in the chest
together with several dynamite cart
ridges, two light but powerful steel
bars, a couple Of strong hatchets. and
some saws and knives.
From another locker Halstead took
square mahogany box, covered with
rubber and having a lens in one side.
1t looked something like a kodak. but
proved 10 be powerful rejecting
! light, the electricity for which was
supplied by a chemical cartridge that
lasted six hours and produced brill
liant illumination. He said he had
used IL when mate OF an oil tank run
ming TO Batoum, the insurance regula-
tions prohibiting anything in the shape
of an open lantern on board. A small
but reliable compass, 1000 feet OF half
inch braided linen line, a spare sex
tant, the taffrail log then towing
astern. and n chart of the two archi-
pelagoes, completed the equipment.
The chart we spread upon the table,
but the other articles were securely
locked in the chest. Then we sat down
TO figure the exact position of the reef.
"To begin WITH said the captain.
1--WE took that first sounding as square
ly upon that chnrted position as IL
would be possible for n ship 10 strike
Il. / got the sun at six bells in the
forenoon watch and calculated back
wards, so I'm dead sure OF 1t. Then,
under half speed. we made just about
n mile further eas'-those two sound
iugs I've marked with crosses, as you
see. After that, three miles due SOU
10 this other cross, and six miles due
moth, TO this one. No bottom any
where at 800 fathom. While you were
telling me about those clouds, we made
about half mile before we turned;
then, as closely as can figure II, just
about six miles 10 where | took that
first cast. Well, you know how much
water she's drawing, don't your
Fifteen feet?"
Sixteen and half aft; and the lead
struck rock at an even three fathom,
first heavel saw the line jerk as the
leather strips went under, and every
hair OF my head felt as though 1t were
standing on end. 1t scared me SO that
/ dropped the whole coil from my arm
luckily-and / had mighty hollow
feeling in the pit OF my stomach. Dur
ing the next 60 seconds | did more
thinking than l ever did in an hour Of
my life. l knew you were watching
me. and was afraid others might be,
too. by every law of prudence and
seamanship / should have sigpaled
you; Stop herl Hard asternl'--but
IL did, knew we'd have the deck full
OF people in a few seconds. Diaz and
Moreno would have been up in two
jumps, and what we knew about the
reef everyone would know. Sebastiano
would have sufficient data TO chase
|