The Tupelo journal., 1917-02-09
A DIVERS
STORY
By HOWARD c. EAc

Inere are TWO SITUATIONS either or
which is calculated. when one is in 1t.
to chill ones blood. One is up in the
air, the other under water.
have never been up in the air. but
l have been under water many times.
| am, or. rather, | was, a professional
diver. l didn't adopt the calling be-
cause | considered it dangerous, for
when properly done diving in armor is
0 dangerous. The same may be said
of aviation. | became a diver in order
to make a living. l ceased to be a
diver after receiving a shock under
water.
| was hired to go down to examine
a yacht that had been overturned and
sunk in a gale with a view to learning
where the chains Were to go under her
to lift her. | was told that the owner
was a scientific man. a great student.
an investigates. He had invented Il
number of scientific devices that had
made him Il great reputation. The
wrecking company told me that he was
determined to so down with me, rath-
" 10 ehe sSHsdtt0h ~ blcathtals aHdef
water than lef beAlg OF service
When we stood en- the w~recking boat
putting On the divers Uniform [ east.
q GLANCE at my diving companion. on
whose head they were about to put
the helmet, Why did not then and
there refuse to 80 Gown with him
DON'T know. suppose il WIS a dis
10 AA-
ike TO DO something unpleasant SIN
guar that I Should have been wiling
to RISK a horrible death rather than DO.
something eifn}easant However,
presume i is the same feeling that
eonpels i nian 10 expose himself III
battle TO certain death because be is
expected to 10 so
AR. Cheney, say diving companion,
went down by one ladder. By an
other some twenty feet distant from
his. Ihe water was clear. and the
sun was shining upon it, 50 that
could see about me to a comparatively
long distance | kept an eye on M
Cheney. who struck the yacht at the
bowsI amidships. She had settled on
her keel, and her n4asts We're nearly
perpendicular. was about to drop
over the side to hunt for a place 70
get a support under her when my at
tention was attracted to Mr., Cheney.
He had mounted the gunwale and
stood with one hand en- the r~atlines.
Tnen he began 10 20 up hand oyer
hand. He stopped a short distance
from the surface and began to drop.
Siding his hand along the upright
ropes.
Ihls was certainly not making in
v~estigations. 1t seemed to me that
he was amusing himself as d child
might do going up and down. being
nearly balanced by the density of the
water. Not liking his actions. | stood
where | was. and when he had gone
up and down a few times he let him.
selI down on the Geek and came to-
ward me,
.Ae*e y q proDapiaty OF needing one.
a. any '@te' ! hau Que III = pochet IN
10y utelas SUIT ana MT. oheney haa
- one re was
49, SHY 'hioush 4
49, ~ - in4an "as "onue
10 mo T. 80 49, - -
cava mo nnsh I ~ 49, e.
maao . ar,h 60 a. -
tussle that followed / lost + and be
grasnod Il
would not have haliavaa that On
much strength and agility could no
utilized under water. NV antagonist
got his arms around NV BODY and.
pulling his knife from his belt. cut the
rope connecting my waist with the
men above, Then he began to dance
about on the deck. evidently delighted
that be could juRp 50 high and come
Gown so gently.
was some thirty feet under water.
with neither LIE nor signal line, at the
mercy OF 4 nlaaman for his actions
confirmed thar ghtter In his eye a
L