Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-08-25
ANOTHER HORROR
FROM THE ILL-FATED SHIP AN
DELANA.

FROM THE ILL-FATED SHIP AN
DELANA.
Diver Baldwin Meets Horrible Death from
Failure Of the Air.pump-He is Instantly Suf
focated-His Head Horribly Swollen and
Black as Jet from Rush Of BIood-A Sight
which Appalled, Even the Doctors.
Tacoma News.
"pll either take ride across the
river Styx with old Charon as pilot, OF
this line will be passed through ths
main hatch of the Andelana to-day
were the last words of Diver William
L. Baldwin to the members of the An.
delana Wrecking company, as he
passed over the side of the barge, or
Thursday, of last week, to accomplish
a task which no other diver in the his.
tory of submarine diving had before
the courage to undertake.
Baldwin is now on his journey
across the Styx!
At IL :39 o'clock that morning he
went over the side of the barge thai
had been towed to an anchorage above
the Andelana. At IL 80 o'clock hi.
lifeless body was hauled inboard ovel
the side, the loosening of the helme,
disclosing a purple, distended, distort
ed face, bearing no earthly resemb
lance to the handsome, manly fellow
who stripped few minutes before te
don the diving suit in which he was tc
60 to death.
Baldwin knew the fearful risk he was
taking, but with the sang-froid tina,
has characterized his actions in all his
diving operations, he had but smile
for the doubters and the answer: "Ii
it comes; then I'm dead. I made il
before with the pump working no,
half so we'll as it seems to to-day, and
with the repairs I've made feel con.
fident of reaching the bottom and do.
ing good work in the raising of the
ship"
As the glass face plate was being
brought to be screwed on the face, he
made some remark about the air, and
told his comrades to keep the pumps
going. Also he had given instructions
regarding the third cylinder in the all
pump. 1t was this cylinder tina,
caused the disaster and death. In the
prior descent this third cylinder of the
pump had caused much trouble
through its failure to act properly.
Baldwin himself undertook to remedy
the defect in the cylinder. He Sc.
cured an old worn gasket and placed
the same on the valve.
Baldwin had descended about $50
feet. Suddenly there came hiss oi
escaping air from the pump. The
tension on the life line slackened.
The sound Of escaping air continued,
and then they knew that all was over,
that Baldwin was dead or would be
dead before he could be brought to the
surface.
As fast as mans arms and muscles
could haul on that life line, the diver
was brought to the top and his limp
body, armored as. it was, hoisted
aboard the barge. In a moment the
bolts which fasten the helmet to the
diving suit were removed.
Never did men work with such
earnestness, such desperation as in the
effort to remove Baldwin's helmet.
At last it was accomplished and
we'll it was not later. Swollen beyond
all recognition, but q minute more ol
time elapsed, and the surgeons would
have been forced to have cut away the
flesh from about the throat and jaws
that the skull might be released from
the helmet.
Baldwin's body, when taken to the
morgue by the coroner's van, was the
most horrible sight that can be i'm.
agined, and many strong men, even
physicians and surgeons, accustomed
to death in all its terrible forms
turned away sick and faint after a
glance at the corpse of the brave diver
The body and limbs from the feet tc
where the neck joins the trunk ap
peared normal, but the neck and head
presented sight never to be forgotten
by those who were permitted to entel
the morgue before the coroner's assist.
ants had by their manipulations re-
duced it more to the semblance OF 6
human being.
Secured by the big metal helme,
from the immense pressure, thai
clasped the body as in a vice, tn.
head and neck became the receptacle
of almost every drop OF blood in thu
body the instant the air stopped, ant
no words can portray the result.
Swollen to almost double its norma
size and black almost as ink, the fac,
looked more like that of grotesqu,
African mask than of human being
The lips were swollen to three time.
their natural size and the ears stucl
out like black and rotting lichen.
from forest tree.
The eyes protruded and seemed t.
glare horribly at those whose courage
permitted them to take more than .
fleeting glance at the nightmare.
1t seemed impossible that the terri
liz