The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-06-08

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 harder
and harder and that the air guagc
showed Al excess Of the required
amount, would not have been pulled
out in time.
".As it was, for more than year
could pinch my face, checks, chin or
forehead and pull tiny bits Of congest-
cd blood out of the skin.
"a brave fight for life was put up
by poor fellow named Woods, who
was drowned while working for the
Baxter Wrecking company on three
master sunk off west Thirty eighth
street. In some way Woods hose
and life line became cntanglcd, so he
could not signal, 1t was found after
ward that both strands were wound
about the huke Of an anchor. What
happens to many divers when in scri-
Gus trouble, happened to Woods. lie
lost his head. Had he remained per-
fectly still the chances are that re-
peatedly unanswered signals from
above would have brought help, and
he might have been freed of his predic-
enent.
"But in his fright he cried to cut
himself free, severing the life line in
the hope Of being able TO untangle the
hose. Not succeeding, he did the
most foolish thing he could under the
circumstances-he drew o jack knife
out of his oyeralls and began to slash
at his hose.
"On shore or in daylight he would
have had little trouble 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 same place for two
successive jabs, and he simply puno-
tured the hose in half dozen places,
rendering it useless and cutting of his
supply of air. Later he was brought
up by his own brother, and his face
and head were mutilated frightfully
by the terrific pressure which had
forced blood upward until his very
eyes were driven out.
"Up in the Baxter wrecking com
panys office they will show you that
same piece of slashed hose to this
day.
"What is the most disagreeable
work diver has to do? I suppose
bringing up dead bodies is about as
nasty business as any of US want.
1t isn't 30 bad when you know you
are going into wreck to save bodies;
then you are nerved or keyed up to
the situation. But when one finds
dead body unexpected, it is sometimes
enough to unnerve him.
IA dead body under water is light
as feather, and, like everything else.
appears two or three times its actual
size. Cropping in darkness I have
often graaped shoe, knowing it to be
attached to dead body, and yet the
entire weight did not seem more than
that OF the shoe itself. In finding
dead bodies one needs to know where
to look for them. During the 6rst
days after wreck, especially in cold
weather. bodies are apt to lie scatter
ed about on floors, where they have
fallen or whore the tides or current
take them, but after three days and
during warm weather they ascend 40
high as they can, and then we look for
them floating uudes the ceilings Of
submerged compartments.
did l ever have any scares With
ghosts?. No, but know o diver nam
ed christensen who had remarkable
experience. Christensen was hired to
search for the body Of Cuban mil.
lionaire planter who had gone down
with some 60 others in the Spanish
passenger ship Viscsya, sunk some !
years ago of Barnegat.
about this wreck, as in most
places Of the sound, it was possible to |
see l5 or 20 feet under water, some.
times out Of all question in the mud
bottomed, sewer-polluted waters of
the Hudson and the East rivers.
Christenden was the first diver on the
spot and the STst man TO go down.
On his way he passed dozens Of bodies
lying scattered about the deok Of the
vessel 10 all sorts of positions. One
after another he examined the unfor.
tunate things, trying to identify his
man and becoming more and more i'm.
as even the most hardened |
man will, with the gruesome spectacle !