Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-04

surface lowered a heavily weighted
covering. Attached to the hatch thus
lowered was a ton or more OF pig iron.
and as the ponderous covering settled
into its appointed place it damned Mo-
rams air hose and life line in a viselike
grip.
So great was the pressure upon them
the life line was all but severed and
the air was completely shut off in the
hose.
All this meant speedy death to the
diver unless the hatch were at once
removed. He was utterly unable to
signal to his attendants at the surface,
since his pulls at the life line could eX-
tend only to the hatch. His one hope
of life lay in the other diver. He must
find him and find him quickly.
He CROPPED his way aft in the dark
ened hold, and as he stumbled along
he wondered if he had slack line
enough to enable him to reach his COM
panion.
Every second was precious, too pre-
cious to rush blindly about the hold.
He proceeded cautiously, scanning ev-
cry inch of the tween decks compart-
ment. He had gone perhaps thirty feet
when he was suddenly brought to a
standstill. He had literally got to the
end of his rope. His breath was COM
ing in gaspS, for nearly one minute of
the few he might expect to live had al
ready expired.
AS he stood there, caught like a rat
in Il trap, he felt that life at the most
could last but one or two minutes.
Somewhere in the hold with him was
fellow being who might save him,
but how reach him?
He could not move n hand or foot to
save himself. There could be no help
from the surface, because up there
they knew nothing of his horrible pre-
dicament, and he was powerless to no.
tify them.
He stood thus for perhaps ten sec
Dnds, every one of which was an eter-
nifty. Then his eyes CHANGED to fall
upon an object on the deck stretched
out in an obscure corner. From where
he stood it looked like the leg of a man.
Eagerly straining forward. Moran
threw himself on his face and reached
for the object. Had he had two inches
less of rope he could not have done it,
but as it was he grasped the heel Of
his companions iron soled boot and
gave mighty tug.
The other diver happened to be lying
on his side doing a piece of work he
could get at in no other way. He has
tily scrambled over to Moran and, plac-
ing his helmet against the others,
asked what the trouble was. BY thus
placing their copper helmets together
divers are able to talk freely with each
other in any depth of water.
Moran told his friend that his hose
was jammed by the hatch and that he
was getting no air whatever. The 9th
er's communication with the surface
was of course unimpaired, and he i'm
mediately signaled to have the hatch
removed. He then drew his knife and
stood ready to cut MOran's life line and
air hose in case the hatch was not re
moved quick enough to afford relief.
1t was a moment of dramatic horror.
Moran told his companion that he
could perhaps live two more minutes
on the air already in his helmet. The
two agreed that they would wait one
minute for the removal of the hatch.
If at the end of that time relief did nor
come, the other diver was to sever Mo-
rams kfe line and hose and start with
him to the surface.
1t was n slender chance for Moran,
but it was the only one he had. With
the cutting of the air hose the water