The San Francisco call., 1906-10-09
DRESSING A DIVER
REQUIRES CARE.
Every Detail in the Work
of Preparation Given the
Closest Attention by Valet
DEATH ALWAYS NEAR

The divers is the only occupation un-
der the sun in which tin can is a
toilet requisite. The can in question is
not an ornamental object such as a Sill
Yer backed hairbrush is or a set of
manicure instruments, but the divers
valet needs 1t in his business as much
as any fop needs either Of the silver
instruments
The operation OF dressing a diver re-
quires a good deal of time, for the div
er's life depends on Just how carefully
each of the several things is done, and
no one sacrifices thoroughness to speed
The diver always has a comfortable
place TO sit on before he begins re-
moving his shoes, after which he draws
on long pair of heavy wooden stockings
over the legs of his trousers. Over these
again he pulls on another pair OF trous-
ers and then he draws on the lower
part of his diving suit proper. After
that is done he is in the hands of his
valet, who is also the man who tends
the airpipe and signal rope after the
diver has descended to the bottom OF
the sea. One OF the curiosities of this
operation is the immobility OF the man
who is being dressed. He sits perfect
ly still with his hands clasped between
his knees, rarely speaking. his eyes
fixed on some distant point as IL he were
absorbed in considering some weighty
problem.
SLIPPING ON THE CUIRASS.
Meanwhile the valet has been draw
ing the rubber suit up on the divers
arms and part way up over his chest
and then he slips down over his head
the steel cuirass that keeps the pres
sure of the water away from his chest
and also serves to support the weight
of the copper helmet on his shoulders.
At this point in the operation the tin
can comes into use and the valet takes
II from the brass thumbscrews that
confine the upper edges of the diving
suit between the cuirass and the four
steel bands that are fastened outside
of it,
Then the valet puts a black silk skull
cap on the divers head and the diver
waddles over to the head of the ladder
after a pair of heavy rubber bands are
slipped over the rubber cuffs of the
suit, for the diver works with bare
hands.
Then come the final touches of the
costume, which are always made as
near the head of the ladder as possible,
for these operations consist Of putting
on the weighted shoes, the weighted
breast belt and the copper helmet
READY FOR THE SIGNAL.
The diver slips his feet into the shoes
of castiron and his valet and another
helper buckle them around his instep.
Then he bends down, resting his arms
on the head of the ladder. while the
belt, on which are fastened great thick
squares OF lead is buckled around his
breast and across his shoulders.
The signal cord is fastened to the
breastplate with leather thongs and
then the signal is given to the man at
the airpump to work lively" which
means that he is to send the wheel
around at q much faster pace than he
does when the diver is at work, this be-
ing done to get a good current of air
passing through the pipe. Least time
of all does 1t take to put the helmet on,
for it is dropped into place, and after
a half turn the things IS done.
Down goes the grotesque figure be-
low the surface OF the water. up from
the helmet comes a constant stream of
air bubbles, and II the diver is not
working at too great depth you can
presently hear the click of his tools
ringing away at work.-Chicago Chron-
icle.