Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-04-13
A DIVER HELD FAST
Prisoner Down Seventy-two
Feet In Jersey Reservoir.
LEG PINNED DOWN BIZ TONS OF LEAD
Hope of Rescue Given DID by Coma
rades OF Submarine Worker For
Water supply Company at
RoOntou. N. II.

BOONTON, N. J., April 13.--Pinned
down by his foot by two tons of lead
in the darkness and silence of seventy
two feet Of water at the bottom of the
big reservoir Of the Jersey City Water
Supply company at this place, diver
has lain since 2 o'clock Monday after
noon. At intervals during his impris-
onment he has signaled to the men at
the air pumps on the shore of the reser-
voir, letting them know that he was
still alive. The movements of the sig
nal line have become weak and irregu-
lar, and it seemed to the men at the
surface that the unfortunate man had
weakened and might even be signaling
in his death struggle.
Forty men, including two expert SUBJ
marine divers, have been working try
ing to rescue the imprisoned man.
That he was still alive at noon was
known by repeated signals that came
up the life. and signal lines. In the
hope OF releasing the man from his
predicament before he collapses from
exhaustion or starVes to death his part
ners are working with might and MAIN
Thus far there has been no interfer-
ence with the Imprisoned mans air
supply. Gangs Of four relieve one an
other at the pumps and keep up reg
ular pressure, All through the night
the rescue gangs remained on duty,
and more divers were sent for from
New York.
The reservoir where the man is in
Gagged beneath sixty feet of water
is near here. 1t is owned by the Jer-
sey City Water Supply company, and
a conduit leading to that city is being
constructed. Last week it was found
that one of the valves did not work.
To shut off the water in the conduit
so that the valve might be fixed huge
wooden ball, weighted with lead, was
sunk, with the idea that it would fill
the opening to the conduit. 1t did SO
partially, but seemed to fail to work
properly. 1t was to put this ball in
place that the diver was sent down.
This was at 2 O'Clock Monday after
noon. At 5 he signaled Trouble"
Another man with whom he had been
working went down to find out what
was the matter. He found his mate
caught by one leg between the huge
ball and the mouth of the conduit, and
every effort made to free the impris-
oned man was of no avail.
Since then attempts have been made
repeatedly to move the ball, the divers
working in relays, but in vain. From
time to time the man in his living tomb
would signal to those at the air pumps
for more or less air. as he needed it.
His signals became fainter and fainter
and at 11:55 yesterday ceased alto
gether.
In addition to the extra divers sent
for the man who went down to help
his partner have continued work right
along One became so exhausted that
he had to be taken ashore. Ordinarily
a diver will work only for an hour and
a half in more than twenty fathoms of
water, but this one in efforts to save
his partner went down repeatedly and
spent the greater part of twenty-four
hours below the surface.
DIR. ]. I. Taylor, who has been at
the scene day and night, believes the
imprisoned diver is dead.
The imprisoned diver is William
Hoar of One Hundred and Sixth street
and Third avenue, New York. He is
unmarried and has no relatives here,
SO far as is known. He was employed
by the j.. S. Burdick Submarine COM
pany. He was sent to the werks and
was caught in his death trap on his
third descent in an attempt to stop the
pipe.
Before he went down on his fatal trip
to the bottom of the reservoir the diver
reported that the job was perilous
one and that the suction at the mouth
of the pipe was strong enough to sweep
a man of his feet.
While they worked the rescuing div
ers below the surface OF the water
were able to look at the face OF their
doomed comrade and see the hopeless
look in his face as he felt his strength
ebbing beneath the pangs Of hunger
and the strain of suspense waiting for
the death that he felt was certain, as
through the glass Of his helmet he
watched the heroic efforts that the res
cuers were making to save him and
saw every effort fail
AS best they could the doomed man
and the determined rescuers communi-
Gated with one another by hand grasps
and looks. No more could be done,
and to the rescuers the task was heart
breaking. What it must have been to
the man lying in the darkness awaiting
his end can only be surmised.
Expert divers express the opinion
that it could not be possible for Hoar,
sturdy and powerful as he was. to
Withstand the terrible strain under
which he has been SO long. 1t is be-
lieved that his wonderful constitution
enabled him to hold out until noon, as
it seemed that he signalcd feebly up to
that time.
Men are still watching at the lift
line, but there has been no signal from
below.
The Divers periIous position has kept
the entire community in a fever of ex-
element and interest. The grassy,
gloping sides of the great basin which
forms the reservoir were covered with
men and women watching the RATS