The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-03-08

more Of it than you'd perhaps imagine
I remember once on the Ohio when We
were working at some old st0mps or
the bottom that had been giving con.
siderable bother to navigation; was
down putting a chain around a big pine
snag. when an old darby padded out
to our tug with pawpaws and apples ir
his bateau to sell to the men; we had
quite a gang on the job. Well, pretty
soon he caught sight of my tender
gazing down into the water and holding
the hose and line and Immediately
wanted to know what he was fishing
for The tender who was Irish
promptly answered that he was fishing
for the devil. Just at that moment
signaled to be drawn up. and when my
helmet came above the water with a
hiss Of escaping air. the first thing
saw was old Uncle Ned standing
straight up in his boat, his eyes fairly
sticking out of his head. He yelled:
MY Lawd, he's caught him. too!' and
went overheard like a bullfrog. He
never stopped swimming till he struck
the Kentucky shore.
beauties to BE Seen.
Another thing happened when we
were saving what odds and ends we
could from the Maine. You must re-
member that the after end of the ship
was almost completely submerged, and
there was no woodwork above water.
When knocking about for something
to send up, l came across a large cop
per life buoy, such as can be seen
hanging at the stern of all our war
ships. AS it had an iron cage. or
guard. over it had to force it down,
If 1t was to be released and float up to
the surface. 1t appeared as though 1
were standing In great crystal globe.
Over my head was a dome of silver.
which shaded off into a pale, then
deeper and deeper into a dark marine
blue. where the edge Of the dome
seemed to gather in toward my feet
and rest on the bed of the ocean.
The bottom, though in reality per-
ward in all directions from me, and so
completed the globe All about me-
as If painted on the outside of it. were
cea plants and sponges. In an emerald
and saffron background; and studdins
and ename!ing it were thousands OF
yellow, red and bright green flowers
and berries. Sea urchins, with their
black spines and creamy shells, lay
scattered about among the thick
ugly crabs scuttled here and there, OF
peered at me from beneath the stones
Fish Of every queer shape and gorge.
Gus color darted in through one side Of
my globe and out through the other.
where they hung staring at me from
the shadow, like great hobgobltns ana
specters. 1t was the strangest and
most beautiful submarine picture
have ever beheld.
mo doubt such sights would be mucn
commoner If we had a better light y
work in; but for the most part we move
in shifting twilight. Often. especially
in the case of operations In the interior
of wrecks, we are in total darkness.
forcing us to depend altogether on our
sense Of touch and our general knowledge
of the plan and construction of the ship.
The wreck Of the Maine was, with that
OF the Viscaya, one of the rare examples
where the contrary was the case. could
see to read ordinary print In the cap
tains cabin, and 1t wasn't necessary to
stand under the hatchway to do It. either.
Up forward, where most Of the damage
was done, there was deposit of finely
powdered white coral, which, on the least
disturbance Of the water would rise up IN
a cloud, SO that / could not see anything
foot from my face. But by keeping
perfectly still for five or ten minutes the
dust would settle. and then could take
In my surroundings with comparative
ease.
Wrecks Arc Not Attractive.
mo wreck is pretty thing. I have
seen some that we had to blow to pieces
with dynamite and l. thought at the time
they made as bad sights as any well
could be. But after I saw the Maine.
well. may never see such another! Let
me try to tell you what it was like: it
may stand for the worst. as the view near
the Viscaya may stand for the best. of
what we see. sEverywhere there was
terrible evidence Of the power Of the ex-
plosive used. The vessel was simply torn
in two amidships. The steel forward decks
were turned completely over, as II they
were the leaves Of book. Part OF the
port side curved over the bow like a
mighty shaving rolled from some great
carpenters plane. Side plates were
ripped through like paper, and ponderous
steel beams had been snapped OF like
bits of glass. The forward turret, with
its ten-inch guns, Weighing in all nearly
two hundred tons. had been torn from
Its fastening. and hurled no one knows
whittier, for 1t has never been found. In
one place mans body was waved slow
" back and forth, the feet uppermost, the
head caught under an iron rod. Parts
Of other bodies lay about everywhere. It
was one awful nightmare.
And may say here that I had been
working almost no time before was con-
WINGED the explosion came from the out
side-and I got my evidence pretty
straight, too We recovered all her gun
&C ton in good condition. Most Of the
copper tanks which had contained her
forward supply OF powder were found
crushed In by an external force. A large
portion of the port side Of her bottom was
completely gone at point far from her
main magazines. Had It been blown
d0WnuArd I cerfa tnlyy Sh have $50,
It. But all this is an old story. and
must not go over 1t again"
Age-Ssdness.
New York Press: "And did vo,,
pocket your pride?" we asked 49,