Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05
AN AMATEUR DIVER.
'ohhed Diving Suit and Went Down
to a Wrecked Vessel.

Cleveland Mofrett In ST. Nicholas
III was rising tide the next afternoon an
hour before slack water slack water is the
diVers harvest time), when the crew of The
steam pump Dunderberg gathered on deck
TO witness my descent and assist in dress
Ing me; for no diver can dress himself. The
putting on diving suit is ike squeezing
INTO an enormous pair of rubber boots
reaching up to the chin, and provided with
sleeves that clutch the wrist tight with
ehhsing bands to keep out the water. Thus
lncased. you feel as helpless and oppressed
as tightly stuffed sawdust doll, and you
stand anXiousy while the men put .e
gasket "a rubber joint over your shoulders
and make 1t fast with thumbscrews under
heaVy copper collar Next you step into
pair OF thirty pound iron shoes, that are
sbslapped over your rubber feet. And row
lhey LEAD you to an iron ladder Tat
reaches down from rail to water. You
mt your feet somehow over the side, right
1901, LETT foot and feel around for the
ladder rungs. Then you bend forward on
t sne ueck' race down. as man would lay
ms neck on the block. This Is to let the
neipers make fast around your waist the
peit mat is to sink you presently with it's
hundred pounds of lead. Under this belt
you feel the lifeline moose hugging below
your arms, stout rope trailing along the
deck that will follow you to the bottom,
and haul you back again safely let us
hope. Beside it trails the precious black
hose that brings you air.
Now Atkinson himself lifts the copper
helmet with its three goggle-eyes. and
prepares to screw it on The men watch
your lace sharply: they have seen novices
weaken here.
Want to leave any address," says Cap
tain Taylor, cheerfuly.
/ admit in my own case that at this mo-
ment l felt very real emotion. | water ed
TWO lads at the air-pump wheels as if they
We're eXecutioners, though both had kind
no clr,alsf ola, IL,
clay pipe. l thought how good it was to
stay in the sunshine. and not go down I'M
der muddy river in a diving suit
Wait a minute l cried out and went
over the signals again-three slow jerks on
the lifeline to come up, and SO on
Now the helmet settles down over my
mead and Jars against the collar. | see a
mans hands through the round glasses
criss-crossed over with protecting wires:
he Is screwing the helmet down tight Now
he holds the face-glass before my last little
open window. Go ahead wild de pump"
calls queer voice. and forthwith a sweet
1sh warmish breath enters the helmet and
| hear the wheeze and groan of the cylin-
ders.
If you get too much air. pull once on the
hose somebody calls; 'if you don't get
enough, pull twice" l wonder how / am to
know whether l am getting too much or
not enough, but there is no time to find out.
L have just moment for one deep breath
from the outside, when there is no more
outside for me; the face-glass has shut IL
off, and now grimy fingers are turning this
glass In its threads, turning it hard, and
hands are fussing with hose and lifeline
NJ akng them fast to Tugs on the helmet
face, one on each side, so that the hose
drops away under my left arm, and the
lifeline under my right. Then l hear a
sharp tap upon my big copper crown, and
so learn l must start down; for the tap
is the signal
I pause a moment to see il l can breathe
and find l can. One step downward and l
feel tug at my trousers the air-feed
pumps them out. Step by step / enter the
water; foot by foot the water level ascends
to my waist to my shoulders-to my head.
W TIN roar in my ears and flash of sill
yer bubbles, l sink beneath the surface;
reach the ladders end loose my hold on it,
anG SINK sink through an amber-colored
region, slowly, easily and land safely
thanks to AtkinSon'S careful handling) on
the barge's deck just outside her combings
and can reach one heavy foot over the
depth of her hold, where tons Of coal await
rescue. A jerk comes the lifeline and
answer that all Is we'll; indeed. l am
disappointed. thus far, in my
1t Is true there is a pressure
IN my ears, but nothing of consequence mo
doubt deeper it would have been differently,
and l feel rather a sense of exhilaration
rom my air-supply than any Inconvenience.
At every breath the whole suit heaves and
settles with the lift and fall Of my lungs.
carry my armor easily. 1t seems as If
nave no weight at all, yet the scales would
give me close to four hundred pounds
The fact is. though l did not know 1t, my
friends up above in the daylight were
pumping me down too much air (this In
heir eager desire to give enough. and I
vas in danger Of becoming more buoyant
han is good for a diver; in fact if the
'lay-pipe gentleman had turned his wheel
ust a shade faster l should have Travelled
Up In rush-four hundred pounds and all.