Evening star., 1934-06-24

Of q sunken vessel, with the aid of electric
torches which cut steel underwater. 1t is like
stumbling about In dark forest--this drag
ging behind him of several ropes among shrubs
and rocks And each rope and hose means
breath and blood to him Each line is his life,
and each one must be kept free from kinks or
entanglements with the wreck
The surface OF the human body comprises
an area Of 1000 square inches For every foot
the diver descends below the waters surface
the pressure on each square inch of his body
amounts to about half a pounds weight. At
100 feet, load of AS pounds presses on each
square inch Of his body. This amounts to a
total weight of $4,000 pounds-45 tons dis
tributed his entire body! But try to
imagine the weight pressing down and all
around him at 200 feet-178,00O pounds
Each slight movement exhausts him. He
feels like the queer dreams most of us expert
ence, struggling to move when some danger
threatened yet unable to freely despite
titanic efforts to escape. He signals for more
air. AS the sweetish odor fills his helmet and
he hears the throbbing of the pumps, he dis
covers his telephone connections have been
loosened. The line is dead
He discovers his suit swelling into balloon
shape. He is rising. despite his weight Of
almost 400 pounds. Before he can recover
from his surprise he is shooting to the surface.
With strange pains and aches leaping through
his body, he realizes he is getting too much air.
Then he battles to signal via the lifeline, his
hand reaches upward, only to dangle beside
his side in the next moment. He is uncon-
scious.
A S THOUGH propelled from a gun. his body
is blown" out of the water and few
feet into the air. The frightened sailors stare
in amazement. Hastily officer RECEIVERS his
wits and barks commands. The quiet balloon
like monster is hoisted onto the deck in record
time and rushed below.
They have good reason for their haste.
When divers ascend or descend swiftly from
depths In excess of As or so feet the tremendous
pressure on their bodies forces air into the
tissues and blood stream. The nitrogen gas
present in the air dissolves there harmlessly,
if the pressure is gradually reduced from the
body. 1t takes about four hours for a diver
to ascend from depth of 200 feet after work.
ing there for one hour. And our diver has shot
out of the water in four minutes! Bubbles Of
nitrogen gas have formed in his veins and
arteries, causing cramps and unconscousness.
He is rushed into the decomposition chamber,
accompanied by a doctor. Like huge gray
iron barrel this rescue device lies on its side
waiting to save another life. The vault-hke
door is slammed shut. A kissing of air. shoot
ing into the chamber from madly- -groaning air
compressers. Looking through glass porthole
in the drums side, sees an inner compare
ment illuminated by electric lamps. On q
cot lies the partly-clad diver, his eyes closed.
The doctor is in another sealed compartment,
ready to leap to the divers aid with special
instruments and stimulants. The pressure
gauge the outside of the decomposition
chamber registers the equivalent of the water
pressure at the 200-foot level The stricken
mans comrades watch the needle CULVER The
tension is greater because the silence is only
broken by the sobbing of the air and the
throbbing of the compressors. Slowly the
pressure inside the chamber is decreased.
After several tense hours, during which the
diver hovers between life and death. the doctor
is signaled to go to the mans side and dis
cover his condition.
Expertly trained for these cases, the doctor
works over the still figure and his efforts are
soon rewarded by a flicker Of the divers eye
lashes. In another few minutes the man can
speak, and somewhat later the diver is per-
mitted to emerge from the iron barrel If his
condition warrants he must enter the sick
bay" until restored to full health.
But the Navys divers are composed of strong
and brave "stuff'-for they are soon engaged
in rescuing, perhaps, the trapped men I'm
sunken submarines, oblivious to their own
horrible proximity to dives into the eternal
depths. L