Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-08-27


what diver looks like in his work.
ing dress with his polished metal
helmit, spherical in shape, fitted
with great glass eye-holes and
screwed securely on to the shoul-
ders of his air-tight suit, which fin
ishes off with pair of heavy leaden-
soled boots. Some may have seen
one of these odd-loolling, cumbrous
figures disappearing over the side
of a barge, and then perchance
have watched the men on board
busy working the air-pump, which
enables the diver to breathe at the
bottom of the sea. The casual OBJ
server, however, is apt to forget
that the latter must be a highly
trained craftsman in addition to be-
ing a skilful diver. Were it other.
wise, his ability to dive would be Of
little use in the majority of cases
in which his services are requisi-
toned. He is often called upon in
cases of wrecks to make most i'm
portant reports regarding the FEAST
bility, or otherwise, of salvage oper-
ations, and must in such instances
be possessed of sound judgment.
His work is of a most arduous ma
ture, if one remembers the condi-
tions in which it is perforce carried
on. His electric lamp is all he has
to see by in the darkness of the
green waters, which impede his
every movement, and according 20
circumstances he has to overcome
the most formidable obstacles.
Naturally the principal difficulties
are the air supply and the pressure
of the water which at great depths
is enormous. Great patience, too, is
required, as a storm may arise,
which, in addition to interrupting,
may undo work already performed
by burying it under the sand. It
may be a question of salving valua-
BILE treasure to reach which the
thick steel plates of a ship have to
be laboriously cut through, the
force of each blow of the hammer
under water being diminished by
more than half. Extreme care, too,
is necessary to avoid any jagged
edge of metal coming in contact
with the air-pipe or lifeline, which
might of course have disastrous re-
re Il oil 70
warily, as a false step may lead to
his getting a foot wedged between
two heavy boxes forming part of the
cargo which he is working on. Cases
have been known, too, of men so
occupied receiving unwelcome at
tentions from such sea monsters as
octopus or sharks. Naked divers are
occasionally sent down, and have
been known to stay under water as
long as two minutes at time, but
even this is of course insufficient for
doing much useful work. The writ
er has seen one so employed for To-
eating a wreck that was lying at a
depth of three or four fathoms.
Divers are also sometimes provided
with portable supply of compressed
oxygen, and an arrangement where
by the air that has been breathed,
is purified by being passed through
a solution of caustic soda. Such an
renders them independent
for the time being of communication
with the outer world. They also in
some cases descend in diving bells,
which although discarded for
time, have again come into favor for
experimenting certain classes of
work.
The diving bell has no bottom,
but is otherwise entirely closed, con
sequently as it is lowered absolutely
perpendicularly the air within can
not escape any more than it would
from a tumbler plunged upside down
into a basin of water. The air is,
however, renewed by means of pipe |
and the stale air expelled through g
valve.
These bells, which vary in type, |
are very useful in submarine build
ing operations, being fitted with win
dows which enable the occupants 70
observe all that goes forward and |
with a telephone which insures con-
slant communication with the men
above. Minute directions are thus
given as the great blocks of stone
are carefully lowered into position,
and nothing need be left to chance.
kind of bell is fitted with a
shaft from its roof to above the
the water line in which a ladder en-
lbles the men to pass up and down,
The telephone is also now used by
divers working individually without
A bell. In fact, many improvements
have been introduced of latter years.
--o-