The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-10-19
MORE WORK FOR
 DEEP SEA DIVER
His the Job to Clear Mysteries of Graveyards of
 Seven Seas.
IS DANGEROUS AND DIFFICULT
Must Survey Ships Sunk by Subma. rines, Mines and Shells in the Last Three Years 150
 Feet Is the Limit.

With the Grand FIeet-Submarines mines and gunfire in the last three years have added more victims to the graveyards of the seven seas than in 1 any other period of the worlds his 1 tory. It will remain for the diver to clear up the mysteries that surround r,any of them. Even now the duties of these men, so little brought to pub lie attention, is one of the most ex- acting of the war.
 1 have had an opportunity of talk. | ing with a diver who has had wide ex. Ierience, and who, when I saw him, 1 had only shortly before completed the piece of work, and one illustrative of the hardships of the profession. He had found the wreck, but fully a mile ! and half from where the vessel had ! foundered. A strong current had swept 1t that distance.
 twill 1t be possible to go down to the Lusitania?" I asked him, recall l ing the discussion in American marine 1 quarters as to the possibility of sav- 1 ing the vessel
 "I believe the water is too deet where she went down for any diver ! to reach her." was his answer. of l course there have been many notable 1 diving feats in recent years and new ! applicances are always being expert mented with, though there seems noth- ! ing at present which would warrant 1 the belief. that diver could go down 1 to the great liner. It is possible to work at depth of 150 feet, but no | further"
 Crab Got Two Fingers. ! He told me of one of the most re. cent of his diving exploits.
 'T was sitting on the blade of 8 ! ships propeller irving to release a ! cable which it had fouled as she went l down. As I finally got the cable free l the propeller began to move and 1 pitched me off. It revolved several 1 times. I thought my number was up, as believed the blades would cut my 1 air communications, and it was impoS- sible to get to the top. The water was very deep. It didn't though, and my only trouble was in regaining my feet
 
 footing once you have lost 1t. Some times you come up legs first. It was a narrow squeak"
 One of the navy divers recently lost two fingers when nipped by crab which, he said, measured fully two feet across it's back. There are many stories about divers which they them selves cast suspicion on. but this was not one of them. The fingers were gone when the man came to the sur i face in an exhausted condition. 1 But working in the cold seas. where much of the diving of the navy now 1 goes on, there are no such menaceS as the octopus of tropical waters.
 Much Work for Divers.
 While many craft now lying in com. paratiyely shallow water may be patched up and raised when the war is over, it is certain that divers will prin- cjpally be engaged in ascertaining the whereabouts of wrecks, the causes which led to their destruction, and the | repairs necessary to attempt any re covery of the vessels. The profession has been largely augmented during the HtIt Sitdl hfa i surveying ships, particularly if they lie in northern seas. where the water is very cold and where they are at a depth of from 125 to 150 feet. At the 150-foot depth the pressure is SO great that before divers are brought to the surface they must finger in sort of twilight zone" at a depth of 120 feet or slightly less, so their lungs can get in proper shape before they can be brought to the top.
 One case of the sort which has jusl been brOught to my attention is that of diver who had gone down to fasten cable to an anchor which had been lost in water more than 120 feet deep. It was very cold and his hands became so nunbed that he was unable to 'carry on," and had to be brought to the surface. He was rubbed ant brought back to good condition agaiI
 and once more was lowered to tht
 twilight zone" where his lungs could
 go through the process which has beer found absolutely essential in bringing !. their cells back to normal condition
 It has been found that where treated otherwise the diver becomes easil!
 subject to tuberculosis.