The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-01-25
AN AMATEUR DIVER.

cleveland Moffett in St. Methodist
It was rising tide the next afternoon, an n
the divers harvest time). when the crew
of the steam pump Dunderberg gathered
in dressing me: for no diver can dress
himself. The putting on diving suit
of rubber boots reaching up to the chin,
and provided with sleeves that clutch the
out the water Thus fncased, you feel
helpless and oppressed as a tightly stuffed
while the men put the gasket "a rubber
joint over your shoulders, and make it
copper collar Next you step in a pair Of
thirty-pound iron shoes, that are strapped
lead you to an iron ladder that reaches
down from rail to water You lift your
left foot, and feel around for the ladder
rungS- Then you bend forward on the
neck on the block This is to let The help
ers make fast around your waist the belt
5n5 IS 70 sk y9S preSsn{y WIN b5 b ITS nun
feel the lifeline moose hugging beneath
deck that VIII 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
prepares to screw it on The men watch
your face sharply; they have seen novices
weaken here
Want to leave any address ~ says
Captain Taylor, cheerfully.
admit in my own case that at this mo-
ment felt very real emotion. I watched
two lads at the air pump wheels as If they
were executioners, though both had kind
faces and one was sucking placidly at
clay pipe. / thought how good 1t was to
stay In the sunshine. and not go down
ssvVaft a minute" / 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
head and Jars against the collar. see
protecting
is screWing the helmet down tight. Now
he holds the face glass before my last
a sweetish warrnish breath enters the
helmet and hear the wheeze and groan
IF you get too much air pull once on
get enough, pull twice" I wonder how
am to know whether am getting too
much or not enough. but there is time
to ind out. have just a moment for
one deep breath from the outside, when
face-glass has shut it Off and now grimy
fingers are turning this glass IN its
fussing with hose and lifeline making
them fast to Tugs on the helmet-face, one
under my left arm and the lifeline under
my right. Then I hear a sharp tap upon
nal
and md I can, One step downward and
] feel tug at my trousers as the air
enter the water; foot by foot the water
level ascends to my waist. to my Shout
ders-to my head With a roar in my
ears and a fash Of silver bubbles. I sink
beneath the surface; reach the ladders
end, loose my hold on it, and sink. sink
through an anhber-colored region. slowly,
easily, and land safely thanks to Atkin-
sons 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 on the lifeline and answer
that all is we'll. indeed, am pleasantly
disappointed, thus far, in my sensa lions.
1T is true there is pressure in my ears.
but nothing Of consequence Ono doubt
deeper 1t would have been different) and
I feel rather a sense of exhilaration from
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. It
seems as If have no weight at all vet
the scales would give me close to 400
pounds.
The fact is. though did not know it,
my friends up above in the daylight were
pumping me down too much air (this in
their eager desire to give enough. and I
was in danger of becoming more buoyant
than is good for diver: in fact if the
clay pipe gentleman had turned his wheel
just shade faster should have Travelled
up in a rush-four hundred pounds and
all.