The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-10-09
THE DEEP SEA DIVER
PeriIs Against Which the Modern
Expert Must Guard.
PROTECTING HIS AIR TUBE.
This is His Chief Care While Delving
In the Debris Of Sunken Wrecks.
Tragic Debut Of John Day, a Clever
but Ignorant Old Timer.

the bridge since, In the month Of June,
IVA John Day made his fatal debut
as n diver in Plymouth sound. Day,
a clever but ignorant millwright, had
laid numerous wagers that, confined In
a water tight box and provided with
candle, food and drink, he would re-
main submerged at any depth for
twelve hours. His plan was that the
box should be fastened by screws
from withn-to vessel subsequently
sunk and that when the allotted time
had elapsed he should withdraw the
screws and rise TO the surface. His
mad scheme was actually put into eX-
ecution on June %, and Day, as might
have been expected, lost his life. Not
the least extraordinary part Of the af-
fair Is that, while he was warned how
the pressure OF the water would affect
his box and greatly increased its
strength I'm consequence, no one seems
to have so much as limited at the dan
ger Of his death from want Of air.
The diver who goes down today to
salve the contents OF sunken wreck,
recover dropped torpedo or execute
some submarine erection or repairs has
better knowledge of the necessary
risks he runs and the precautions by
which he may avoid all needless dan
ger at his work than had poor Day.
Science mindful OF the great Increase
OF pressure brought about by every
foot that he descends beneath the sur
fDnn IN ia u1
ly down the stepladder that hangs
from the ships side or the dock wall
and TO pause frequently as he does so,
that he may grow accustomed TO the
increase by degrees. by this means
man 1T for the work. sound of heart
and free froIu npopletlc tendencies
passes with little Inconvenience from
the moderate pressure Of eight pounds
per square inch, which surrounds him
at depth of twenty feet, TO that OF
siXty-tivc pounds. which he must sus-
tain after descending 100 feet-the
greatest depth ut which his work can
be considered safe.
Once landed at the bottom Of the sea
the diver has host of things to bear
solod boots, copper helmet ana often
treble set of underclothIng below his
diving suit OF twill and rubber, the
tendency to rise is yet SO great that his
powers Of action are very limited. He
can lift comparatively heavy weight
with ease; the attempt TO pull down
some trlilng piece of wreckage from
I,1 tnI l. 1
feet Readers of Robert Louis Steven
son Will remember how when, dressed
I'm full deep sea costume, he accom-
panied n diver To his work the novel
list was able TO hop with ease upon the
summit OF n rock some six feet high.
But descend again he could not. Ills
companion hauled him off head down
ward and propped him on his feet 'lilic
an intoxicated sparrow" Even for
such an apparently simple piece of
work as drilling hole I'm rock or
portion OF n wreck the diver will per
haps need 10 prop himself against
stone or make himself secure 10y lash
ings TO the object upon which he
works.
The great danger against which the
diver must be ever on his guard Is that
of getting his air tube entangled I'm the
debris Of wreck-no difficult matter
rs he crceps in and out of cabin, engine
room and hold. among q broken and
distorted mass of wood and iron. He
may have been moving I'm one direc-
tion, all unconscious that he is being
helped by "A strong current, until he
presently attempts To turn and finds IL
vain. 1t Is not the deep sea diver only
who runs this risk. Some years since Il
diver was at work In twenty feet Of
water repairing some dock gates. His
Job finished. he gave the signal TO the
boat above 10 close the gates that he
might sec IL all worked we'll The rush
OF many tons Of water rs the heavy
gates swung to swept him between and
through them. In n flash he realized
that his air pipe would be caught
between the massive doors and at
the same moment saw his only chance
for life. He thrust his heavy hammer
head between the closing gates, and
this kept his pipe free tin he could
signal for them 20 be reopcned.
The old method OF communication
between the diver and shls helpers at
the surface was Ivy means OF tugs upon
the line but nowadays the telephone
or perhaps a speaking tube accompa-
MES the air pipe ut his side And.
though many divers still work In the
comparative darkness. beth oil and
electricity VIII shed their light upon
the scene if need arise.
Sharks are visitors with whom I'm
certain waters the deep sea diver has
10 count. But the shark Is not always
SO dangerous morning caller rs
might bc thought. \ diver at work
I'm the cabin OF sunkcu ship saw. to
his dismay. shark swim slowly I'm.
The diver had no suitable weapon Of
defense Mt hand. and flight seemed
the only chance for life-aud poor
one at that Meanwhile the shark