The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-05-17
deep SEA DIVERS.
Death Always HoVers Round
Them While They foil.
pERlLs THEY HAVE TO FACE.
The Awful Pressure Of Water and Air
That May Bury or Burst Thsm--Ths
Helmet Telephone Wonderful Aid
In Work and In Times Of Danger.


nses there are for divers. The navy,
of course. employs many to 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. wnterwOrks and reser-
voirs. WaterworlSs in large cities keep
diver on their staff constantly.
wrecking companies need their serv-
ices. and the profession OF uuderriver
tunneling makes many demands on the
time and skill OF the man In armor.
Since Smeaton ia 1TT9 designed a
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 its advent div
ers had to depend entirely upon pulls
on the life line for communication
with the surfuce hnd upon signs 10
each other when under water II two
wished to communicate. Today the
modern diving helmet is equipped with
telephone. and the diver can not only
hear what Is said to him from the sur.
face. ndvise those In charge OF his
pump ~ to whether the mir is com
ing right" or not. but he can communi.
cate 10 brother diver and hear the
Instructions sent 10 him from the sur
face. all OF which facilities are of great
assistance IN the work.
At first thought It may not seem 80
difficult thing. this going down under
water and breathing air sent In from
a pump by tube. Hut the physical
drawbacks to the work are enormous.
For every ten feet diver descends he
sustains an additional pressure or four
and half pounds over every square
inch OF his body. What this means
may be better understood when con.
sdering the greatest depth ever made
by diver-204 feet His body Mt thnt
depth sustained pressure OF eighty.
eight and half pounds TO the square
inch 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 aud ears and
even lose consciousness And they
must ascend even more slowly than
they descend. particularly when con-
ing from great depths; otherwise they
may literally burst from internal air
pressure. At the least. too sudden a
rise may cause an attack OF that ter.
rible 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 undei
wear Of guernsey or flannel. the draw.
ers well secured TO prevent slipping,
and adds pair OF heavy wooden socks
II the water be cold two such suits
may be worn. II the depth TO be ne,
gotisted is great cotton soaked with
oil is put in the ears or heavy woolep
cap pulled down over them. Shoulder
pads. II worn TO take the weight on
the helmet. are next tied on. after
which the diver wrigges into his
heavy suit OF rubber and canvas. Next
come the inner collar and the breast.
| plate, which are secured with clamps
TO the rubber dress. the utmost cara
being taken In this operation not 10
tear or pinch the rubber Finally tina
shoes are fitted ON and the rubbee
gloves clamped TO rings In the sleeves
The helmet is the laststo 80 on ana
never before the valves and telephon,
have been tested. The attendanus vita |
to pump as the helmet is clampe,I
home. The helmet IL attached 10 Ihi
pump with a rubber tube. which Il
canvas and wire protected No diver
descends. after the helmet is put on,
until he has tested the outfit and found
that his air supply Is stitncient aud
the pump working properly.
He is supplied wib life line. with
which he can signal should his tele
phone get out OF order and by which
he may he drawn to the surface should
he become helpless for any reason. He
must take great care when walking
about on the bottom not TO foul his
life line or his air tube and for this
reason must always retrace his steps
exactly to his starting poiat II he has
gone into wreck or about any oh
structions. For the same reason two
divers working together must be care
ful not to cross each others path.
Sometimes the life line may become
so entaneled IN wreckage that II must
be cut. aud then there Is danger OF tho
diver not nndine liis way back TO his
boat or float, especially n the bottom
is muddy and fOnls the Seeing" Hut
the greatest danger OF an. OF course. IL
that the tube he cut or the diver faint
In either case he Is IN desperate
straits. II the mnn handli1g the life
line feels" anything wrong he will
haul the diver up willy niliy and re
gardless Of the severe breeding at nose
and ears which win result from too
rapid rise TO the surface. hut II the
diver be inside 4 wreck or if his life
line gets tangled In wfeckage such
hauling wonld do no good. II is in sit
uatiohs like these thnt the slender con
nectlug link OF telephone wire means