Year: 1868

Among the many interesting things
which the visitor to the rapidly progress
ing railroad bridge will see, is the i'm
proved process by which men can work
under water by a method which has taken
the place of the former diving bell So
far as anything like bell is concerned the
operator carries it upon his head. The
need for such labor is to level the rip rap
rock which fills the spaces between the
piles, and around them, just above the
bottom of the river, to make perfect sub
structure for the piers after the piles have
been sawed off one or two feet above the
bottom.


The contract for this work was taken by
Mr.. Perry, who has in his service for the
under water work, Mr.. Quinn and Mr..
King. We were at the place of one of the
piers yesterday, and waited few minutes
to see Mr.. Quinn come up after four
hours submersion and hard work at the
bottom of the river. On the edge of
the fiat boat stood Mr.. King with a
rope in one hand and an India rubber
tube in the other, both extended out
into the water and let out or drawn in
to correspond with the motions of the
man below, or to yield to, or counteract
the srong current of the river, as
rapid near the bottom as it was eighteen
feet above at the surface The rope was to
communicate understood signals-the tube
to convey proper and uniform supply of
air to the sub-aqueous man. Down stream
large bubbles of air were almost con-
stantly rising to the surface, air which Mr..
Quinn had no longer any use for, or sur
plus applied by a very ingeniously con
structed air pump by which three pistons
were so adjusted upon a crooked revolving
shaft that one of them was constantly and
quickly forcing nearly a gallon of air
within the submarine armor in which the
operator was dressed.


A signal was given to ask if all was
"right" Responsive twitches of the rope
meant "all right" Soon after the signal
was given for dinner time" Then slowly
crawled Mr.. Quinn to ladder suspended
from the boat to the bottom of the river
The bubbles are seen further up stream
the rope and tube are gradually pulled in
the top of the ladder tFembles and he is
coming up slowly with his arnor-dress of
more than hundred pounds heavier than
the weight Of his body. Out of the turbid
water emerges a frightful head with a
great square eye as large as a hand, in
front, ard similar one on either side, but
without hair, or mouth, or eyes, or any re-
semhlance to the "human face divine y
Human hands are seen on the ladder-an
unwieldy outline of human body is seen
beneath the great head, nearly two feet in
diameter. His assistants thumb a few
screws and take off the copper helmet, re
vealing the gOOd-loOking English face Of
Mr.. Quinn. Relieved of sixty pound
weights on his breast and back, and shoes
with leaden soles of thirty pounds each
IL
clothing is removed, and there he sits, ol
stands, proper sized man in dry, ordi
nary clothing, only his naked hands hav
ing been wet.


So strong is the current of the rivel
/ these saltwater men can scarcely stan6
| against the force of the current, though
borne down by armor and weights to the
amount of 275 pounds. This weight il
partly requisite on account Of the amount
| of air inclosed, for breathing purposes
within the encasing armor. Except {
| slightly painful sensation from the pres
sure of condensed atmosphere in the ears
/ on the first practice of under water work
they say that no other inconvenience
arises from temporary residence in Nep
tunes dominions, OF, as we live ON fresl
water shore, we should say the realms o
the Nymphs, Maids OF Potamids


Inc SUB river men occasionally place |


hand upon tish, which naturally leave
that neighborhood, instanter, but whithe


he goes the diver cannot tell for in tn


dark water Of this river, at that depth. h


cannot even distinguish the rome .or m
| white air tube more than six inches from


his face. All his work of leveling and adj
justing square rods of loose rock must b


done by the sense of feeling, battling witt


the current upon his hands and knees.


Such are among the wonderful matter


of science and skill going on within


mile or two of our city, and yet not on


in hundred knows the tenth part Of tn


interesting things connected with the worl
of the great railroad bridge which is 500


10 span the river and be as great bent


fit to Dubuque as il Ia an honor 10 thos


who projected and 10 those who are build
ing II t-DVbuglN TIass