Evening star., 1928-06-10
BY C. MORAN.

- - EAOAh4Ns
A N organization of deep-Sea divers
~ who win endeavor to wrest from
"A King Neptune the innernost
A 4 secrets Of the sea viii 60 into
training July | at the Wash
Mgton Navy Yard. These divers will
be taught the technique of undersea
Nork at depths heretofore considered
Enpracttcable In salvage operations.
Following intensive training they viii
be stationed at strategic base points,
ready for any maritime emergency or
To assist in Uncle Sans deep-sea re-
search activities.
Incredible as IL may seem, the pupils
will be- sent to depths Of 200 feet or
morekar q tank which is less than 20
zesah eep. This Is achieved by filling
.ank with water and then intro
Ting great air pressure. the combined
ehect Of which is 70 create conditions
comparable with those in the open sea.
Stimulating undersea conditions, depth
Of 555 feet has been reached by Navy
diver in the experimental tank, but
for oniy half a minute.
The equipment includes also "a
tom decomposition chamber known as
the iron doctor" for use In the re-
coFery Of pupils who may become III
under high pressure. and In which syn
tfetac helsum-oxygen atmospheres are
used. Whereas several hours are usu-
ally required to deccmpress safely and
bring back TO the surface diver who
has worked Is TO 20 minutes at q depth
OF $50 feet. the Use Of synthetic atTnoS-
pfere cuts the decomposition period TO
One-tllird the time required for air.
Navy engineers for years have been
endeayoring TO perfect methods which
viii enable divers 70 go down In the sea
10 greater depths and 20 remain longer
time on sea bottom. Divers often WORK
at depths greater than $50 feet. but
very few at 200 feet, Occasionally, IN
great emergencies, the Navy divers have
achieved greater depths, but only Tor
Intellectual PERIODS OF TINE ann a. @ sreas
personal risk How. however, the scope
OF the Nays salvage work can be
greatly expanded.
Chief Gunner G. L. TibbalS, In charge
Of the Nays heiiuT1 experiments lof
breathing purposes In connection win
deeu-sea diving, was the first man TO
Use synthetic atmosphere IN diving
operations. The results were 80 salts
factory that Tibbals and seven other
experienced divers were detailed 10 par
tlcipzte Ia further experiments, wnicn
skaowed that instead Of an hour on the
bottom at i35-f0ot depth, nearly two
hours can be spent, or that work may
b. carried on by diver for an hour
III depth Of more than 200 feet. Chief
Gunner w r. Loughman mas WORKED
at . depth Of 50s feet,
THE instructors and other operators
At the Washington Navy Yard
T,een-gea Diving School have partici-
mated In practically every Government
salya@e la recent years, The synthetic
atmosphere experiments had 10 be twice
teFnuorzTfIy dsEcontinued 70 allow the
personnel 10 participate In salvage work
or the s., n Lakeland, a vessel which
saEk III about 200 feet of water In Lake
Michigan, and the II. E. q, g-5i, which
yaS Yannleo and sunk.
9eIium atmosphere played an impor~
tAnt part IN saiyaging the E~5i by ac~
eelefatlng the recovery 0f divers who
GeYel0ped bends"
Tandsnaen may not he generally aware
Of the intense rivalry for possession Of
tsle signal bell 0f sunksD craft which
~ eslet0naarIiy INDUCED In by deep-ssa
divers. In the ca&e Of the bell 0f the
E-5l, u2ost unusual game Of suktaa-
Ysne hide and Seek Was participated IN
BY the divers engaged.
~ became matter of personal pride
with some Of sas 10 keep the bell out
III iEE WAJ CE AIsE JEHlHAlLFE ~ bfN
men" says Chief T0rpedoman Smith
TODAY the bell would be IN a given
sD0t. tomorrow some entsfprIsing diyeT
happening upon ~ hiding place, might
STOW IL away In an entirely new place
frofn which IL might be salysGed by q
third party.
AS ts9e original thief of tne bell /
was ofDen haTd~pfeEse1 70 keep 0ne
guess afleAd u the others IN discover
Ing new hiding places, The day came
wfgea deemed IL wise 70 attempt 10
bring the nliieh~s0Bgi1t~after bell " the
esufa1e. had hidden It for two of
three days pfioF 10 this IN the engine
room, place ffequentsd by few, but
iaese were my most formidable conDeti~
aoYg. The trail Was becoming decided
ty hot, ! knew ti5at soon tome one would
he sure 10 stumble upon the treasure
fT0ye ard ruin my chances Ut being
the lucky man and, considering every
thing, thought it advisable ~ bring
fhe 'lo0t1 Dp before II should De 'fe~
stolen ftp'p me
In d.. @@s@r diving Two divers usual
~ work together on each given place
OF work. II 80 happened thai one
'afoYning ! WAS working with kadie, a
STteTaD tinasFees nlsn We were en-
Gsge0 gI9H risa2 and tiekiish bit ei