Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-05-27
SAVED HIMSELF.
Diver Fought on Horrible Fate B,
Unaided Strength and Courage.


Threatened with suffocation be-
meath seven fathoms of water, at the
bottom Of the slip beside Pier No. s,
when an 800 pound rail crashed across
the slender pipes that supplied him
with air, Diver Henry Peterson strug-
gled grimly against impending death
and when almost exhausted managed
to free himself. Sunk in ooze and be-
yond any hope of assistance he fought
off a horrible fate by his unaided
strength and courage.
Above his companions labored fran
tically, working the pumps that sup
ply the DEMONSTRATING element. Some
where beneath them. far beyond their
reach. an issue was being fought out
in which they could have no part. The
news of the inexplicable, sinister bat
tie sped along the water front. Hun
dreds of people assembled at the
scene, impotent to render aid and only
uncertainty conscious as to the nature
of the struggle being waged below,
in the issue of which the life of man
was involved.
Exhausted, Peterson reached the
surface. He collapsed and was COM
pViiCu " rest lOT SOIuC lsIiCs AbSh az
again went down into the murky
derhs. the applause of hundreds OF
spectators in his ears.
Peterson was at work recovering
$50 tons of steel rails lost off one of
the washington Stevedoring Com
panys scows The rails were por-
ton Of consignment brought from
the United Kingdom by the Blue Fun
mel liner Titan on her last voyage to
this port. After they had been I'M
loaded from the Titan's hole the scow
capsized during the night and dumped
TAI of them. each weighing approx
mately 800 pounds. into the bay.
Captain Harry Finch & Son have
used one of the Neptune Salvage Com
panys scows in recovering the rails.
The scow has a stationary engine and
derrick for hauling the rails from the
water as soon as the diver has hooked
them.
and the work of raising the rails has
been proceeding at the rate of not
more than so to 60 rails each day.
Peterson hooked the cable to rail
AS the engine drew the line taut pre-
paratory to lifting it to the scow a
rope attached to the derrick boom gave
way. The boom, freed from restraint
swerved directly across the scow and
dropped the S00-pound rail into the wa
ter at the point where Diver Peterson
was working.
The raft fell athwart the divers
body, pinning the tubes which supply
him with air. Realizing his fearful
predicament and seeing death from
suffocation beneath the water staring
him in the face, Peterson, with rare
presence of mind. got down in the ooze
| and started to disentangle the breath
ing tube from benath the rail.
Giving frantic signals to those on
the sow above that he was in immi-
nent peril, Peterson struggled to
loosen the thin piping. Meanwhile,
the half dozen men on the scow, fear
ful that a tragedy was being enacted
below, did all in their power to help
Peterson. The men at the pumps kept
up supply of air, but could not as
certain from bubbles rising to the sur
face whether the life-giving element
reached the diver.
When Peterson was almost exhaust
ed he managed to disentangle the air
pipe. He crawled up the ladder and
was helped to the scow by Henry
Finch, Jr, and several of the men. He
sank limp against the rungs of the
ladder. by which he had assembled.
The accident was the second mis-
| hap that has occurred during the salv-
ing operations, though no life was en-
dangered by the first. At the begin
| ming of the week. machinery of the
stationary engine went amiss and OPP
| erations were suspended the greater
part of a day.-Seattle CWash.) Cor
| N. Y. Herald.