The San Francisco call., 1905-03-05

pleasure OF advancing Iarge sums OK
money, sometimes the entire years
earnings, and he very often is forced
to raise his salary a little. for whoever
offers the highest advances and the
highest wages secures the divers ser
vices, quite as a matter Of course.
The position OF the tender is really
one OF great responsibility. for the
divers life frequently depends upon
the care and vigilance exercised by
him. While the diver Is on the bot
tom he must keep al his wits about
him. Not one must go wool gather
ing, for he has three important things
which demand careful and unremit-
tins attentiOn-the life line. the air
pipe and the plummer line. a thin
rope used for signaling The vessel
is usually allowed 70 drift To be sure
the anchor is wn, but its fiukes are
so adjusted that the speed OF the drift
IS controlled As the diver slowly
travels the sea-bed. he picks up what
shells he sees and places them in a
network bag which is attached 70 his
dress for that purpose. When full he
sends the bag 10 the surface in re-
sponse 70 a signal communicated BY
means or the signal line When II IS
emptied, down it goes again only 10
be redlIed with another load
The oyster is clever as can be, but
not quite as clever as a keen eyed
diver. As you know, il is blind, but
instinct tells 1t that some sort OF a
commoJ1on IS in progress and that a
mighty foe is near at hand So away in
the mud it huddles. hiding itself from
the enemy, and all that is seen Is a
little rough disturbed place in the mud
and few bubbles that escaped while
the oyster was busy closing and bolt
Ing Its doors But being still does no
good IN this case, for the teu-taIe dis
turoance is there and the oyster is
rudely snatched from its comfortable
home and bundled forthwith on 70
London to make pearl buttons with
selves
In comparatively shallow water the
diver IS in clover. for he can remain
down continuously. only coming M for
meals. but in the deep water IL is ouita
another story For instance. in twenty
or twenty-five fathoms he remains
down not longer than six or eight
minutes at stretch Occasionally
wnen he chances 10 find a bed OF oys
tiers ne remains a little longer for fear
ne VIII be unable 70 locate IL again.
.,,I. nsaIly eFery time some bad re-
SUITS are sure to follow. A rheumatic
cramp will catch and double him I'm
IN the most terrific pain or the blood
VIII rush violently to his head apd -
VIII su1er stroke OF paralysis then
and there eHSH
In the early days OF the ind,strv
when all shell was obtained Nv r,,5s
DIVERS, the shark reigned supreme ana
even to-day he makes his presence -
comfortably felt sometimes.
Every diver Is provided with a Iaroa
uasser with which 10 protect himself
IN case or an emergency. brt evav, 49,
Is not always sufficient and The 5iI-a-
is lost 0 the olNer
shortly before sailed for hone .
Irieno or mine rowed over and asLrad
bsd 4 ais Mould loan him a diver as his
nao disappeared AT first I thougbf
ne was Joking, but when / went a6oe-5
ms Vessei saw that II was a grewsorn.
cerIainty. In response to a terkv sir-
hdi, the aver was hauled up. As tba
men worked they thought he sserns5
sIanseIy light and a great fear he
gan 70 break in upon them. Wbsr
the top OF the water waS L
only the helmet and the corslet vTer.
visible and to this day no one trv.-,-s
Wnat happened TO the man tho1,s.s
we naturally supposed a shark bad
neen one too many for him. And do
diver to go down and fnvestfosts9 NJ.
70 save me. He wasn't afraid ~ tbs
snark, Dut ne was afraid OF the gho~t
and no amount OF threats or p~oroisss
conid outweigh his superstftions.
Diving operations are conducta1 a.
varying depths OF water. from = e., =,
fatnoms to as great a depth as ths
diver is capable OF attaining. To cow
teract the pressure Of the water s,,fs
c1ent air must always be retained =,
the dress to keep IL distended ara
away rom the body The pressure OF
until the limit Is reached at vvY,4cb ~.
diver must choose between being ~-,e-
located by the tremendous air nressrr.
OF being crushed by the great nrsssr-s
OF the water. A depth OF twentv-fIvs
Ia.noms @ IS OFTEN attained. but only
WIZ great risk The amount OF air
pumped into the dress Is always nrac-
tically the same. but the helmet is f,sr-
niShed with valve by which the dIva-
Is enabled TO control the amount 70 r.
retained within the dress, any excess
being allowed 70 escape. In this way.
you see, ne IS able to please himself to
a greater or less degree.
To novice a descent IN tha dfvtrv
dress Is a peculiar but not unpleasane
experience. AS he Is lowered fnto ths
water sense OF utter helpIassnas~
oVercomes him. and he begins 70 vvon
oer II q = VIII ever see the light OF day
again About this time he remembers
his instructions and tries to balance
himself, and when he reaches the
oceans floor he finds II lust All he can
do to preserve a footing. owing 10 fba
wonderful buoyancy of the Uafer
When at last IL is possible to maintain
an upright position. without constant
ears has to be contended with. Rut
in specializing about IL and wondering
If all Is as 1t should be the eyes natur-
ally look through the thick face glass
and the sight instantly rivets the at
tention.
Gorgeously tinted corals stretch
their branches toward the surface
while delicately colored seaweeds
sway gently in the clear green waters
Clusters Of fan-shaped marine growths
some vermilion. others orange. green
or purple-sprtng from tall stems ana
from fairy bowers. from which ono
rather expects to see a beautiful
mermaid emerge. Myriads OF strangely
shaped shells lie about the feet and
shoals Of brilliantly colored fish dart
in every direction. In the distance.
dimly seen. misty shapes, enlarged to
an enormous size by the magnifvins
qualities Of the water. invite furthar
inspection. but the strong sweep or the
tide whispers that occasionally IL Ia
f0liV fO he WfSQ Tha WhOIa fu 1fr~o -.