The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-12-13
ONLY GIRL DIVER.
She i Making Her Fortune in Waters
Of tho Great Lakes.


Of tho Great Lakes.
Miss Francis baker Of Detroit. Mich,
enjoys chs distinction o. being the only
giFl diver on tho Great Lakes. II not Ia
the world, Miss BAKER Is n years Of
ase, aud has laid up a comfortable &c,
count BY following her hazardous calling.
Tier nfsl professional work waa when
she raised $1,000 worth Of copper from
the ship w II, Stevens. which sank IN
80 feet Of water In Lake Erie several
years ago. Miss Bakers father. Capt, II.
W. Baker was a captain 81 divers. and
from The fret time she was allowed to
80 down to the river alone she used to
watch her fathers wrecking ship leave
the dock and long 20 70 with him The
ambition TO he diver matufed IN her
a. she grew older, and she deplorcd the
fate which bad condemned her TO be a
girl.
AZ last her desire % become a diver
oyercame the objections 81 her friends
and she began making wrecking trips
With her father aud soon became hIs IN
separablr companion. She made q study
% every part Of the machinery connected
IL any way with diving. aud Ia time
learned 20 command the wrecking boat
with great skill and assurance Her ilfst
deseeut was in Lake Huron, where n Me
wooden barge had gone down. aud before
The wreeking steamer had reached tho
4Uaf .Eara ia f..9.a Ia e...tt ~. 49,.
er spoke 10 Miss bakcr. rcgrrtiing The
loss Of diamond ring which was IN the
cabin.
Miss Baker Immediately offered 20 re.
cover i for him, a. she had been plan,
ming for some time "a make her first de.
scent upon the first favorable opportun.
ny. When everything was made ready
for her 20 descend. her own father man
ned the compressed air apparatus. which
meant life o. death 10 her. a. she calmly
walked down she ships ladder and with.
ont moments hesitation disappeared
under the water
IN describing the sensations 81 the
initial trip, she said the feeling al the
outset was a. II some great creature
with a thousand arms was pressing her
gently bat firmly on al sides, and A. II
IN few minutes her breath would be cut
of entirely. but she was far from fright.
ened and continued her deseenf until the
shadows Of the sunken barge loomcd up
before her. She had a strange feeling Of
buoyancy, and the 20 pounds OF lead
attached 70 her feet seemed 20 heavier
than leather soles a. she followed her
companion 10 the falls Of the sunkcn ship
and with his aid climbed over them.
Al this point she experienced severe
pains in her head and felt a II her nesc
was going 10 bleed, but; still nndaunted,
she reached the cabin 81 the barge, where
she entered. and with the aid Of the
electric light Mt her belt sought ont the
corner Of the cabin which contained
small stand upon which was the tiny
box containing the much desired dia.
mond ring.
In her haste TO reach II she stumbled
and fell. and for the moment was con.
sumed by terrible fear, as the pressure
OF the water together with breathing
the compressed air had now become al
most empowering; but she quickly re-
gained her self control, ard with the box
in her land returned to the deck Of the
wrecker.
As reward for this exploit. Miss
Baker was presented the diamond ring
she had recovered, and Il is now in her
possession.
The ring marked the beginning Of her
fortune. as she had proved that she could
live under water, and TO be able to do
this means that a person Is worth any
where from $50 10 5000 day to a
wreeking company. As 30 out OF every
100 men who descend into the waters OF
the lakes will In few minutes begin to
suffer from bleeding at the nose. head
splitting pains and snFocation, that is
why all good divers from one end otsthe |
Great Lakes 20 the other may be counted
on ones fingers aud toes.
Miss Baker now began following up
her adventure with practical work, and |
she early discovered the fact that she
was fitted for a captain Of divers instead
OF diver alone. as the locating Of the
lost copper ship which has been searched
for for years has proven.-Exchange.