The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-06

wool lined, are worn when the diver is work.
ing In polluted waters. And every diver
has knife, in watertight case, slung at
his waist
One Of the great advantages in the divers
dress of recent years is the introduction
OF the telephone into his helmet Formerly
the diver made his signals to those above
by means Of series OF tugs on his life line.
After. that there came the speaking tube,
but this required an extra tube in addition
to the air tube and the ordinary life line,
and was on this account Objectionable,
as the fewer lines and pipes diver has
to carry, the better. The loud sounding
telephone apparatus was, therefore,
great step in advance. The communicating
wires are imbedded in the life line; the
receiver is in the crown Of the helmet,
and the transmtter between one side glass
and the front When the diver wants to
speak to those at the surface, all he has
to do is to touch the button in his helmet
with his head, and this rings the bell above.
lamp fitted on the brass plate just above
the divers breast. This lamp is thirty.
two candle-power, and works on ball
and socket joint, 80 that the diver can
turn it in any direction. Self-contained
hand lamps are also made for him to carry.
and very large lamps up to 1000 candle
power to be suspended over his work,
The working hours of diver vary ac-
cording to the depth Of water, but the
usual time on harbor and dock work is two
shifts OF four hours each, with intervals
for rest and refreshment There was once
q diver with more than ordinary ingenuity
who attached baby's feeding bottle inside
his helmet, from which he refreshed him
self at intervals while under water, but,
needless to say. this was an exceptional
case.
The men often work for as long as six
hours at depth Of fifty to sixty feet Of
t Hs dep n the srsser tse dcu q
ing. At twenty feet the pressure per
square inch is az pounds; 1t increases at
feet fee Descended e Thirty-four fathoms, or
2o4 feet, which is the greatest depth any
diver has ever descended means pressure
OF Ss1l pounds on every square inch OF the
body The diver to reach this depth, was
james Hooper who was T Hon sSt cor Pr
R Piehi tiol% se south america: He only
remained at that depth for spells OF twenty
minutes, the pressure being 30 exhausting.
Alexander Lambert was one OF the most
courageous divers that ever Owed. When
the Spanish mail steamer Alphonso Al.
sank of Point Cando, Grand Canary. she
had on board GlOO 900 Of treasure. which lay
in room about leo feet below the surface
Lambert was one OF the three divers en-
ployed by the salvers. The treasure room
was in the run OF the ship. Unprece dented
difficulties had to be faced and But ut. i am the
magazine. The boxes Of gold were there
and e7O, 900 was recovered. Some time be-
fore, Lambert had triumphed in an equally
diAioult undertaking at the Severn tunnel
As the great tunnel neared completion the
works were flooded % SHt BY y se to Pmeetns
such an emergency a watertight door had
previously been fitted In the drainage tun-
mel. but when the water broke in, the work
mon fed and neglected to shut this door.
It was situated quarter OF mile from the
shaft, and the brave fellow, equipped in
bis diving dress, drag ging with him huge
length OF air tubing and encountermg
In his vay such obstacles as wheelbarrows
and tools left by the men, floating debris,
dc., crept that distance through marrow
passage full OF water and closed the door.
The Accomplishment OF this daring act
enabled the pumps to overcome the vol
urae OF water which was flooding the pit,
and the completion Of the tunnel was pro-
The Spanish diver Erostarbe carried
1891 which is notable in the records OF
his, English employers, In foggy weather
the steamer Skyro, with a valuable cargo
Including GO 900 worth OF bar silver, struck
a reef and sank in over thirty fathoms
OF water off Cape Finisterre. To recover
the first lot Of bars from the cabin In which
they were slowed 1t was necessary to blow
away the deck with dynamite, which the
diver did with great difficulty. owing to
the boisterous October weather and the
wild and exposed position Of the wreck.
Resuming In the summer, tho remainder OF
the silver was recovered by the plucky
Erostarbe, who had never, during the
operation, worked at a depth less than
III feet.
An English diver earns from G1 to E2
a day, but In the case OF special deep sea
salvage work, &c., the pay is good deal
more, and frequently percentage OF the
value % ere XII ob for
ample, Lambert made about "a 600. The
ordinary fee for diver, with his assistants
two men to work the air pump and an at
E5 a day. This Ia for ordinary
work, but further afeld the romance Of
treasure recovering ,, and pearling offers
sort was associated with the recovery by
divers a few years ago OF the beautiful
bronze statue OF Hermes, which. after
lying at the bottom OF the ionian Sea for
some 1000 years, was brought up in irag.
ments and restored by skilful French
artist.
Since tho introduction and perfection
OF the diving apparatus, large commerce
has sprung up In the sponge, coral and
amber fisheries. Formerly naked divers
only were employed, and only q small
quantity was as the , diver could
to collect, and then only In reach Of his
arms length. Now the diver remains
under water from one to four hours, ac-
cording to depth Of water, collecting in that
time what would have required at least
r rSneaS sponge fishery alone ' 800 sets Of
diving apparatus are employed.
The pearl fisheries have become OF great