Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-04-23
Expert Diver, Then Worlds
Record Holder, Explains
Diving Feats

way the New York Evening Sun quotes
Stephen J. Drellishak. just before Drel.
lishak left the Brooklyn yard to come
to Hawaii as an expert diver on the
F4 salvage job.
AS already published here, Drelli-
shak is a bridegroom. He married
Miss Alice E. Humphrey of New York
two hours before the divers party left
for San Francisco and Honolulu.
Just about the same time the Eve,
ming Sun reporter interviewed Drelli-
shak. Here is the Sun story:
It's all in the days work.
Think of sinking nonchalantly into
so fathoms of water That's all in the
days work, according to Chief Gun
ner's Mate Stephen J. Drellishak, rec
ord holder in deep-sea diving, who
with five others started at midnight
for Honolulu to help raise the sunken
submarine F-4 from the bottom of Ho.
nolulu harbor.
Drellishak's record includes diving
PA feet to the bed of Long Island
Sound, off Race Rock, on November
3, 1914, and remaining under water
one hour and half: That was all in
the days work of experimenting for
the government under the direction OF
Chief Gunner George d. Stillson, who
is in command of the diving crew of
five and a surgeon, now speeding to
the Pacific coast. The chief gunner
himself is an expert. and with the
others of the expedition he has per.
formed feats almost as great as the
record holder.
There is some question regarding
the championship in deep sea diving.
Drellishak will not say he is the cham.
pion. Chief Gunners' Mates Prank
Crilly, William F. Loughman and Fire.
dolin c. l.. Nelson, his companions,
cannot decide who is champion. Pass.
ed Surgeon G. w. r. French remains
neutral. The champion deep sea diver
is the one who dived farthest. Drel
hshak did this. But what's in cham.
pionship? Its all in the days work
of on 5ooo-Mile Trip.
The order issued yesterday by Sec |
rotary Daniels set the crew of stocky |
divers working in hasty preparation
for their 5000-mile trip. The chief |
gunner was the busiest man in the
Brooklyn navy yard; Dre1lishak the
most shy. But his mates discovered |
him after search Of several hours. |
skinny" Loughman is probably get. |
ting his" at the hands of the powerful |
Drellishak today, for the champion laid |
all the blame on him.
Il don't like the limelight-it doesn't
agree with me-" he said, walking up
and down in the parlor of his home |
Some people like that kind of thing
but
Drellishak, who is 80 years old, en-
listed in the navy Ii years ago from
Cleveland, o. For five years he has
been a diver, doing all his work on
the Atlantic coast. He is blond, 5
feet inches tall, weighs $50 pounds,
and objects seriously to being inter I
viewed.
Its all in the days work." he re-
marked, thrusting his hands into his
pockets. LAS for that record in the
Race, it might have been any one OF |
us. 1t just happened to be my trick at |
going down. Been doing that nearly
right along since then-all in a days
work-Tm not the only one that went
deep; every one connected with the
work has done it."
But you will admit that you were I
the man who reached the lowest
depth?"
Insists He's No Champion.
Yes, but that doesn't make me any
for all of us made the same
depth since then" ~
Then after walking nervously back
and forth several times Drellishak de-
cided to forestall questions and finish
the days work by telling his own
story.
This going down into the sea is no
more dangerous than any other call.
ing. There is no question about doing
1t, If man is physically able and has
a good, cool head. OF course, If you'll
go down under the old methods there's
a whole lot Of danger on account of
the. nitrogen bubbles forming in your
blood and stopping circulation. But
with the new equipment it doesn't
bother me any. .>-"
The F-4, as understand it, can't
be down below 300 feet. 1t will be a
particular job, of course, and the big
gest one we've taken, but it's only on
account of the prominence given
the F-4 that it sounds SO big. We're
ready to go down any time. A man
will only do so much-he can't do any
more.
We'll go down, look over the sit.
uation and size up the way she's lay.
ing. Then we'll run a light line under
her la diver can't do much hauling,
you know, send it up and keep add
ing heavier line until it's timeIso Sc
cure her so she won't slip out of the
chains. They'll probably use the pom.
toon method of lifting her up. / think
we'll get her up, and then the bodies
will be recovered. And that's all
there is to it. guess we'll be back
here in a month or So"
Anxious to Get Away.
,Drellishak picked up his hat and
coat, and said:
Pm going to get away from here
before anybody else comes after me-
He was as bashful as his chief was
busy. Stillson is a brisk and active
man, some ten pounds heavier than
his record-holding subaltern, and he