The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-24
DIVER ASSUMES
 TERRIBLE RISKS Is Constantly in Danger of Los
 ing Life HIS WORK IS GRUES0ME Treads Decks of sunken Ships While Dead Bodies Float AimIessy About Him and Often Has
 Narrow Escapes.
HIS WORK IS GRUESOME
From the New Tor. Times

wrecking headquarters scattred along West and South streets few casualties caused such a sensation as the frightful death of William Hoar, who became hopelessly pinned in the suction of a four-foot outlet pipe sixty-ive feet un- der the surface of the new reservoir at Boonton, N. Jp and whose almost titanic strength gave way only after twenty two hours of what must have been ex- cruciating mental and physical agony. Hoar was known throughout his profes- sion as an experienced diver and as man of extraordinary endurance.
 I've heard of good many blood curdling scares and fatal accidents and sqneaks that would turn your hair gray and I've had several narrow slaves my self, but poor Blls scrape discounts them all" said Captain Andrews, a vet eran diver employed by one of New York's best known wrecking companies
 One of the toughest accidents on rec ord happened to a diver who met Hoar's fate about six years ago down in a fifty foot mill dam at Holyoke. Mass. The dam had sprung a leak near the bottom of the lake. and cataract of water as big around as a beer keg shot through the masonry and threatened every mo- ment to enlarge the aperture and take the whole wall with 1t. The only hope to save the dam was to stop the leak by means of bags of Portland cement, and a diver was sent below to make a pre- liminary survey.
 He never as much signaled No sooner had he touched bottom than there came a quick, vicious tug that almost hurled the tender into the water; then all was still save the air bubbles which rose to the surface showing where the escape valve in the helmet was doing duty in releasing the used mp air pumped down through the hose to the man below
 Tn vain the tender signaled again and again, inquring whether all was well. There came no answering tug on the line. and when the combined strength of three men failed to budge the fellow un- derneath another diver was sent to in- vestigate. He found his mate doubled up chin and knees together. hopelessly wedged six feet deep into the aperture.
 Not a sign of life was left in the un- fortunate man, nor was it possible to budge the body which afterward was simply entombed by cementing up the hole.
 Narrow Slaves In Harbor.
 Right here in New York harbor we have about as many narrow slaves as comes to men in most parts of the coun- try. brig, the Chatfied Taylor had
  According to the laws of underwriters she had to be inspected before going back to sea.
 "The vessel was anchored over in the mud flats off Communipaw, and I put oT one of the coal docks, intending to walk out the hundred feet or so and examine her bottom. Everything seemed In per feet working order as I started. I could hear the regular, everlasting 'click-cliek- click of the triple-barreed air pump. and felt each gust of air as 1t came through the goose neck at the back of the helmet.
 Suddenly I started The clicks had ceased abruptly. Something had gone wrong. For an instant l stood stock still scarcely able to believe my ears. l felt q thrill shoot through me from heels to hair It was my first serious accident. and In moment had lost my head and was all excitement. I forgot even to signal to be hoisted by the life line. I dared not stand up in the current. which would have swept me off my feet and so I crawled back on hands and knees, fol- lowing the line and the hose, all the time feeling the air growing rarer and rarer and the pressure of water increasing as the air escaped out of the helmet.
 Saved by Hairs Breadth.
 My hands and legs and trunk seemed to be grasped as if in a wise, and blood was being pressed to my head until my nose began to bleed and l grew giddy and weak under the strain of fear and the scarcity of air What might have happened is not hard to tell But just as I was ready to give up felt a pull at the life line and felt myself dragged swiftly upward,
 "I was unconscious when pulled out and bleeding at the mouth and nose and ears My eyes had begun to start from 
 hospital my face black with clots Of blood that had been driven Up through the pores, and the whites of my eyes looking like burned holes in a woolen blanket
 What had gone wrong? The hose l used had been repaired and during the process some cement inside the tube had rolled itself Into a ball. along with dust and other foreign matter from the shops. When the air was started everything worked well, but after a time this ball was driven forward to the next coupling. where it lodged and stuffed the hose, cutting off all air. If the bumpers had not noticed that the air was forcing hard CT and harder and that the air guage showed an excess of the required amount l would not have been pulled out In time.
 As 1t was. for more t' year I could pinch my face ns, chin. or forehead. and pull tiny bits of congested blood out of the skin,
 "A brave fight for life was put up by poor fellow named Woods. who was drowned while owrking for the Baxter Wrecking company on a three-master sunk offWest Thrty-eighth street In some way Woods hose and lifeline be- came entangled so he could not signal It was found afterward that both strands were wound about the fiuke of an anchor. What happens to so many divers when In serious trouble. happened to Woods. He lost his head Had he re- mained perfectly still the chances are that repeatedly unanswered signals from above would have brought help, and he might have been freed of his predca- ment.
 Lost Ills Head; Cut Tube.
 But in his fright he tried to cut him self free severing the lifeline in the hope of being able to untangle the hose. Not succeeding he did the most foolish thing he could do under the circum- stances-he drew a jack knife out of his overalls and began to slash at his hose.
 "On shore or in daylight he would have had little trouble in cutting through the rubber in three or four successive slashes. But down in the darkness of the river bottom he could not keep his blade in the came place for two successive jabs, and he simply punctured the hose in half dozen places. rendering it use less and cutting off his supply of air. Later he was brought up by his own brother and his face and head were mu- tilated frightfully by the terrific pressure