The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21

stretched to grip the first thing that
might appear. Down he went for nearly
eighty feet and then he saw shadowy
outline and grabbed It. He tried to get
over 1t but could not. and after clinging
to IL for a while let go and dropped
down still further. where he hung with
out being able to touch a thing
In the meantime four men at the
pump had worked hard to keep up the
necessary air pressure and still no sig
nal came from below. Fortunately. when
these workers were about played out
with their quick paced task. there were
just four other fresh men to take over
the work of speeding the cranks OF the
pump. Presently a signal was jerked
on the life line and the diver notified the
people at the surface that he wanted to
come up He had been down more than
half an hour.
When they got him on the deck Of the
tender and lifted his helmet his first
exclamation was God knows where
I've been. I grlpped something in going
down, but could not make heads or tails
OF 1t. and then I let go and dropped Gee
whiz! but wasn't II black down there!
just hung there and could not touch a
thing"
The quick eye Of his boss, however.
saw the red paint on the front of the
divers dress, and a shrewd guess sug-
gested the bottom OF the Empress of
Ireland and she bilge keel as the par
ticular point where the div r had first
caught. Next the Nova Scotlan was
sent down far enough away from his
first place OF descent TO strike at a point
near the upper deck. provided the bllge
had been his initial point of contact.
The bosss idea proved to be correct.
Then beyond doubt 1t was proved that
the sunken liner lay over on her side.
and 1t was equally clear that the mail
room and the strong room could not ba
reached through any of the regular
structural openings and passageways.
The problem promptly resolved itself
into devising another line Of approach.
and It has now been determined to reach
the goal by means of openings To be cut
IN the hull plating and in the succeeding
steel bulkheads that intervene. Now IL
Is one thing TO cut holes in plating when
accessible above water. but It is a very
different and a much more difficult un-
, dertaking to do the same thing when
/ the steel lies many feet below a rivers
; surface.
: After the diver has reached the up
turned hull OF the Empress OF Ireland
only the lesser part of his undertaking
is accomplished. Patiently. hole by hole,
J he must drill perforations around a cir
/ Gle big enough for him to pass through
freely and large enough likewise for the
bags Of mail and the boxes Of bullion to
be hoisted out afterward.
, With the opening cut In the skin OF
the ship, then this operation must be
} repeated at each of the intervening
J bulkheads. Of which there are four.
[ While there is now available an cleo
? trically driven submarine drill, still the
Y diver cannot bore many holes at each
submergence. for the longest time avail
!. able IL q scant hour at the most during
, the slack between aides. At this rate
the salvors estimate that It will take
, anywhere from Ave to six weeks to COM
plete the work planned.
Difficult as the recovery OF the mail
and the bullion Is likely to prove. there
, 10 harder work ahead OF the salyors In
, the retaining of the bodies. Therefore
, Il is possible that the salvors will en-
|, ploy an apparatus but little known
commercially over here. This is the
. diving bell. In principle IL is a counter
, part Of an Inverted tumbler submerged
. and filled with compressed air. the air
= pressure exactly oalancing that OF the
envelopins water. Diving bells made Of
: steel and big enough 10 hold several
ENTHUSIASTICALLY submarine caissons-
, make II possible to do quickly tasks that
would be dragged along for weeks where
divers alone are employed.
The difference of procedure is easily
explained. The diving bell Is structure
!, OF heavy steel and has ballast, tank.
. into which water can be let in order
to make II certain that the bell viii
sink when completely filled with all
=. under suitable pressure. Into this bot
= tom.ess chamber go the workmen, stand
Ing or sitting upon narrow platforms
. and thus they reach the bottom without
= recourse to diving dress and, accord
a ingly. have the utmost freedom o
= movement. They are not hampered b,
r life lines and air hose nor weighted
y down by great leaden soled shoes.
The diving bell 10 lighted by electric
n lily and connected by telephone with thu
K people At the surface. The steel com
4 partment has shelves for holding I
: variety OF TOOLS and so equipped tn