Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1908-11-27

times THIS cdlllnS mas Deon uepTiNeu OF
much of the romanticism that surround
ed it in earlier days before the diving
suit was brought to its present state
of perfection, when sunken galleons in
tropical waters were an attraction for
the adventuresome. The diver usually
finds his labor nowadays in busy har-
bors where he is no longer under the
necessity of battling with sharks and
cuttlefish; but he still has to undergo
dangers enough to satisfy the most
daring spirit. Once attired in his suit
and below the surface Of the water he
is helpless and absolutely dependent
upon his fellow workers above at the
air pump. The slightest carelessness
on their part failure to read his sig
uals Alright, mistake in the supply
of air, and his life hangs by a thread.
Nevertheless, though loaded with al
most two hundred pounds of lead and
copper, with an air hose and life line
easily entangled dragging about after
him wherever he goes, and with his
iSuu lnNuStu III pOiuSlOuo anu iAh-
pcnetrable helmet, he goes about his
work with all the gaiety Of the butcher,
the baker, and the candlestick maker
in the old rhyme.
Indeed, divers have been known who
had such a distaste for work that after
making a descent they would pick out
soft spot in the river bed, or wher-
ever they happened to be, and lie down
foi a nap. Alone under the water, they
were safe from the prying gaze Of any
employer, and could dispose of their
time as they saw fit, until the invention
of an electric system Of signals.
If he wishes to sing or Joke over his
work, the diver must be his own audi
epce; for from the moment the heavy
helmet Is fastened to his shoulders
until 1t is taken off again, his loudest
shouting are inaudible to his comrades.
IF an accident occurs, he can only pull
AT his life line, and then wait while his
rescuers are at work, unable to offer
the slightest suggestion.
In 1904 a diver lost his life at the
Boonton, n. j., reservoir, and though
a single word spoken to his comrades
might have been his salvation. the he'll
met effectually prevented It's utterance.
IIe had been labOring under seventy
feet Of water to close the opening Of
a large intake pipe with a huge ball
Of wood and lead weighing several tons,
when In some manner his leg was
caught between the ball and the flange
of the pipe. The force eXerted on the
ball by the suction of water was so
great that the divers who came to the
rescue We're unable to overcome 1t, and
the unfortunate man could only lie
there on his back hopelessly waiting.
his life slowly ebbing away. For three
days he lay imprisoned, and during
that time until he died his only COM
munlcation with the outside world was
handshake with the divers when they
came down, or when they fitted into
the green hazlness above.
The sense of separation from human
companionship that forces itself upon
the diver in such a position is also
part Of the experience Of the aeronaut.
and is even more complete. The world
below him is only a miniature toy
world all familiar sounds have died
away, and he is in the midst of a great
silence. Round him are the uncon-
trollabe forces of nature, and there is
no hand to aid. He Is at the absolute
mercy of wind and weather, and can
trust only to his lucky stars. What ever
precautions he may take in the con-
struction of his balloon, his parachute,
or airship there are always a thou
sand sources Of unforeseen danger. Yet
the aerOnaut goes about his task with
the greatest equanimity imaginable,
denying that there is any danger. and
insisting that his profession is the
greatest Of spOrts.-Montreal Star.