Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-04
GIRL TELLS EXPERIENCE
IN WALKING SEAS FLOOR
New Invention Permits Humans to
Tread Ocean Bottom and
Keep Dry.
MEANS sALvAGING OF WEALTH
Compressed Air Keeps Water Away,
While Fish and Crabs Are Spcarcd.
Simon Lake Originator OF New
Device.
ny RUTH DYERS.

Device.
RY RUTH DYEItS.
BRIDGEPORT, CONN, August 81 am
the first girl who ever walked tho floor
of the sea without a divers suit Down
on the bottom OF Long Island sound
the Incredible thing happened today.
In my bare feet. with Il pair of overalls
rolled up to my knees. | stepped on, Of
81 salvaging submarine with that wizard
Of the underscas. Simon Lake, its in
vcntor. and Sauntcrcd at viii over the
smooth. cool bed of the sea. .
1t was just noon when we started
down beneath the waves. The entrance
way yawned black and forbidding as
started 10 descend. Mr.. Lake showed
me how TO catch foothOid in the
opcning OF the tube. which swung in
between two jutting sides of the mother
ship.
Keep your head down. Fritzic boy"
some one sang out as dropped out
of sight. You'll get an awful bump
if you don't"
But ! was too excited to notice. \
cold. damp wave Of air hit me, and
suddenly looking over my shoulder. l
SAW the stairway slipping back from
the place where 1 stood, dark and cool
right into the sea. Above my head
the hot sun poured blaze Of light
that stopped abruptly just where the
tube dropped into the ocean.
Goes Down to Floor.
You'd better back down those
stairs. Mr. Lukes voice was rcassur-
ing. The men We're right about keep
'hE your mead down. It's low here"
slowly my hand slipped along the
railing on either side as I crept into
the darkness back Of me. No one spoke
Tor Few minutes. | think Just a
hrst ii came to us who went down in
the submarine that this thing that we
were doing was an epoch making event
here in our regular work a day clothes
we were LITERALLY climbing down 10
the moor OF the sea as nonchalantly
as we would climb down from a hav
loft
The railing stopped abruptly and
steel ribbings stcadied our clutchinE
myers The stairs sloped steeply now
ana the meta! as we touched It was
colo. damp and clammy to the touch.
An electric light hidden away at in
tervais revealed great drops Of water
covering everything
Now YOU are down." Mr. Lake called
out unexpectedly. Stop a minute and
look" $3.50
Enters Diving Chamber.
mi, round IN hole Just big enough to ad-
ended abruptly against the wall Of The
Supina rine. On the right "A little room
Vas hlico with machinery. On the left
NJ Lake crouched on his heels, laugh
ing at my amazement.
eha nh,s Is IT. the entranse to the diving
Down narrow passageway, through
z a. aoor Of cast iron or steel, down a
tuaiy in the diving compartment. We
as ,ny boat boa. passed over our heads * x
me oniS one thing caught and nM'e held
It was ali around i me- me- Over ~.
unaer me-everywhere. The beauty.
ahu mystery OF II brought something
peace out through a narrow slit or
glass about foot from the floor
e cease ssf the nav waves green gray,
under the surface of the seaGit Vas
SO perfectly, normal forgot to be
AFRAID. suddenly "A door banged
Compressed Air Used
Some one hammered 1t into n,ace
Before was fully aware that we We're
smut tight in the diving compartment
ps air IF III the nar4oM cha
per Louder and shriller il screamed
~, mn my 49,, ears while, While everything around
smoked me and beat against my ear
drums until they ached. Great drops
OF SMaser stood out on my forehead
swallow; then it won't hurt YOUR
ears, Mr. Lake cautioned
,eephone 'n and en orderG fbfepped to the
OF air stopped. Another '''' engi Iiesr
S on",bais doWn' raised the bottom OF
tioor-and there was the ncsa a,..len.
"ater came in. We were twentv-two
a ,e"t Under the sea. half the diving
ana not, drop came in The pressur,,
OF air absolutely balanced the prcssur..
MI. Lake; fishing spear in his
mand. leaned over the opening. Look"
Was all he said.
and and there before us unrolled the
magic pageant OF the sea As We
PASSED slowly over the bed of th,
S ocean n. only a foot above the sands
bewildered eyes There were crabs
own there. huddled in sleepy iittis
i apger sb Ely e Sysiers; clinging 70
something dart past; the water roIinI
md was still.
Spears Fish md Crabs.
y nose founders stay on the notion.
hidden nj non On the sand" MIR. Lake explain,
III get the next one" ms
And he did. There was a short. sharp
denlgy si Sen; = Wee mound mound OF sand sud
and MIR. Lake triumphantly held 1,n
wriggling. Hopping fish
!ShlnS--new STYLE" yrnturad
Just slip up on the fish. catch the,i.
~ their tails and take them home for
way he as sr1eda o aSjec What's the
crabs crabs too. Watch me get that EEL
Up he came fighting with all his
Jaws Strusgiins desperately TO get
away. There were other fish we didn't
back OF everything there was ia
WONDER OF the clean, cleaning sands
~ looked as If they had been SWEPT
ana garnished for our coming.
ioidinG TO the sides of the boat W,
Walked over their shining coJ.ness
ior blocks. No human foot had ever
stepped on those Tiny shells bedds.I
loosely in the firm clean ocean he'd
me, me man behind me. walking alon.
WIN me said nothing of all this-buf
J. listened TO him with wonder not nm
mixed with awe. lie had congtlered
me sea IN such Il simple way. Down
the centuries men have dream
co as simon Lake dreamed years ago
oi recovering treasure hidden under fb.
waves. They tried and failed Thc
ocean kept It's secrets guarded we'll
Walked Aion,- y.,.t,x.