The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-08-27
HELPlESSNESS OF DIVER
WHEN UNDER WATER

Es
quarter inch thick suit consisting of tha-
best rubber moulded between two layers
OF heavy canvas and terminating i'm
copper breast and shoulder plate 10
which is screwed the ponderous % pound
helmet. provided with circular face plates
In front at either side and at the back
with goose neck" for the attachment
Of the air hose
Each foot Of the daring adventurer IT,
fastened 10 a 20 pound iron sandal. and
about his waist are buckled a hundred
pound leaden belt and a life line. once
inside this armor. so heavy and stun and
clumsy that strong man barely staggers
across deck I'm II, the diver appears for
all the world as II he were inside huge
man shaped balloon. And I'm this awkward
outht hampering every free movement
dependent upon a hundred and one favor
able conditions the diver braves the un-
known dangers lurking far below.
From the instant the helmet is screwed
down and the helper grasps the life line
and lowers the diver hand over hand, the
; click click click Of the pumps bringing
fresh afr and the hiss Of the escape valve
carrying away the used up air sound I'm
the divers ears. The "click-click- click"
becomes part OF his subconscious self.
He Is listening for IL always, ever: not
a click escapes him. lie starts vio-
lently at the slightest irregularity OF the
sound
He listens :or Il so intently that 10 save
his soul he cannot count correctly one
hundred bricks into a bucket. taking
them one at time. II is the speech. the
one speech. the speech of the pumps
VIC arc concerned"
The diver hears the acceleration OF the
"click- click click" the pumps work
faster with his descent where he needs
more air TO counteract the increasing
water pressure. The "click click click
tells him he is going deeper. So does the
fast fading light. So does the water
pressure which collapses the suit against
him tight as skin save beneath the he'll
met and breast-plate where his lungs
require freedom. As his feet strike bot
tom the helpless man becomes even more
helpless than before. He is as IL cut
off from the world above him.
His sole means Of speech consists OF a
few sentences communicated by tugging
or shaking hose or life line. His one
ing out or taking I'm hose and line and
ever feeling" the man below as a fish
erman feels a fish.
And now the very laws OF nature
seem turned against his helplessness.
Despite the lS0 or 2o0 pounds OF armor
under which he staggers in daylight, he
practically all semblance of that most
fundamental element of physical
strength gravity. So nearly equal Is
the balance between air and lead and
a man on the moon, he can make fabu-
lous Jumps by giving the slightest spring.
For all practical purposes he Is power
less as a man suspended In swing, ana
his muscles and sinews Of steel become
useless almost like those OF an S-year-o old
child So helpless Is he that he may not
stand erect without being swept from his
feet by the drag Of current or tide
against hose and life line. II he wants 10
progress he must lean forward at an an
gle OF a. degrees or he must crawl on
his hands and knees, digging his fingers
into the muck, gigantic human mud
fish. 80
comparatively harmless. Oftenest he Is
in such mitch darkness that he cannot
twice hit I'm the same place. IL ne uses
shovei he may not shove the blade into
the mud lest ne go backward like CRAB,
but must SCOOP the blade full with MS
hands at the risk OF cutting ana tear
inc them against broken glass, tin cans
and other rubbage. -.
Even his senses the diver may not
trust TO warn him below water. lie smells
rotbing except the stenchcS sucked IN
NV the humps above; these and the odor
~ rubber from the hose and the smells
~ Tho machine oil used on the cylinders
clicking air 10 him. a..
His ear he may trust only In part LOT,
~ loud enough. sounds come TO him
through the escape valve-under water
noises. You might fire the l6-inch sandy
HOOK gun over his head ana ne would
not know a except for the quake OF the
mud under his feet But he can hear an
under water explosion three miles away
he can hear the pumping anu anu s,anlp,iiiis p,,,iiss
of submarine drills more man mlls
away: ne can hear the grating Hr1u
grinding OF splintered spars and timbers
moving I'm the grasp Of current or ude.