The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1911-06-16
deep SEA DIVERS.
Death Always HoyerS Round
Them While They Toll.
PERILS THEY HAVE TO FACE.

he RWful pressure OF water ana AIT
That May Bury or Burst Them-The
Helmet Telephone Wonderful Aid
In Work and In Times Of Danger.
1t is surprising to learn how many
Uses there are for divers. The navy,
of course. employs many 10 set sub
marine mines and torpedoeS and to at
tend to investigations Of the condition
of ships bottoms. Bridge construction
companies use them, as do those who
build dams. waterworks and reser-
voirs. WaterwOrks in large cities keep
diver On their staff constantly.
Nrecking companies need their serv-
ices, and the profession Of underriver
tunneIing makes many demands on the
time and skill Of the man in armor.
Since Smeaton In 1T79 designed
pump to supply air to the diving bell
little real Improvement in the art has
been made. save in detail of helmet
and clothes. until the invention Of the
telephone. The greatest advance ever
made in the art. divers will tell you, Is
the combination Of the telephone with
the diving suit. Before It's advent div
ers had to depend entirely upon pulls
on the life line for communication
with the surface and upon signs 10
each other when under water If two
wished to communicate Today the
modern diving helmet Is equipped with
n telephone, and the diver can not only
hear what is said to him from the sur
face, advise those in charge or his
pump as to whether the air is "com-
ing right" or not, but he can communl-
cate to a brother diver and hear the
instructions sent to him from the sur
face, all of which facilities are OF great
assistance in the work.
At first thought 1t may not seem so
difficult a thing, this going down under
water and breathing air sent In from
n pump by a tube. But the physical
drawbacks to the work are enormous.
For every ten feet a diver descends he
sustains an additional pressure Of four
and a half pounds over every square
inch of his body. What this means
may be better understood when con-
sidering the greatest depth ever made
by diver-204 feet. His body at that
depth sustained a pressure Of eighty
eight and half pounds to the square
nch over and above the fifteen pounds
always sustained when in the air.
Divers must descend very slowly,
swallowing as they go; otherwise they
may bleed at the nose and ears and
even lose consciousness. And they
must ascend even more slowly than
they descend. particularly when com.
Ing from great depths; otherwise they
may literally burst from internal air |
pressure. At the least too sudden q !
rise may cause an attack of that ter
rble disease known to tunnel workers
called caisson disease. or the bends, in
which air gets into the tissues under
pressure and causes the most extreme
torture.
The diver. getting ready to descend,
clothes himself in very heavy under
wear of guernsey or flannel. the draw
ers well secured to prevent slipping,
and adds a pair Of heavy woolen socks.
If the water be cold two such suits
may be worn. If the depth to be ne
gotiated is great cotton soaked with
oil is put in the ears or a heavy woolen
cap pulled down over them Shoulder
II I-n a. gswI.A
the helmet, are next tied on. after
which the diver wrggles into his
heavy suit Of rubber and canvas. Next