Year: 1876

making me very Duoyant, ana, doing all th
feeling and searching with my toes. I re
quired to be held firmly down on the bot
tom. Then, again, the surf would pull OF
the water hose so az, sometimes, to pull m
completely out of the hole. On


DBsCRNDING INTO THE SAND


to the depth of ten or twelve feet, 1 reached
the contents of the steamers coal bunkers
bar and psntry-broken glass and dishes
iron rods, boiler plates and thousand and
one things buried together. AS every thinq
had to be examined with the feet, the hole
not being large enough to stoop down M
besides, the top Of my dress and hanlsi
being full of air, therefore buoTant, there
was not sufficient strength ia my back to
force the head down in such an upward cur
rent of water. On reaching tbs bed of coal
ana broken glass. the water sent everything
whizzing and whirlirg in all directions with
such velocity as to cut the hands and feet.
Sometimes loose gold pieces would hy into
my hands, and often l would bring up bot
ties OF wine ard liquor tied to my dress.
Sometimes piece of coal large 40 mT
body would be loosened, which would take
TO the surface to get rid of. In making ex-
aminations with the feet, If anything was
found containing square corners, q long
steel hook, which 1 carried tied to my dress,
was forced down beside it. If it should
prove TO be box OF gold, would come 80
the surface of the sand and signal for set Of
long steel-spring hooks, which L had in
vented for the purpose, to'be sent to me-
Then the surf-boat would be sent in as near
me as possible, and the books would be
thrown towards me until L felt them strike
my helmet. Then would descend again,
with the hooks in one hand, and the other
manipulating the hose 10 cut my way down
to s5e box. After finding it. and springing
the hooks down on it, | would signal to The
tn Ou li-a hx-
drawing the nozzle up gradually, letting the
sand settle under the box as fast as the beat
lifted, it was brought TO within two or three
feet of the surface of the sand without great
trouble. But just there would come the tug
OF war. The boat could not lift it out of the
hole because it lay too far of. / would be
about


KNEE DEEP IN THE SAND


just where the breakers would bie eak over
me. One would hurl me down head in
shore and perhaps jerk the wafer hose out,
of my hands. Then the sand would close
around my legs .antly more firmly than
wise. Then, alter reaching the nozzle and
righting myself, to have the same thing re-
pested until becoming exhausted with these
efforts under such load, would lay on
my back until rested, with both legs fas-
tened in the sand to the knees. L would
item shove the nozzle down between my





and perhaps raise the box few inches. At
last, after from one or two hours work of
that kind, the box would be landed and a
signal sent to stop the ieam pump. After
making an examination to see that all was
right, would signal for the surf boat to
haul up, and the box would disappear in
the diIection OF the boat, with q Godspeed
and hearty goodbye from me. 1 oncs found
a box o. loose gold bars, or bullion, and
succeeded in saving part of it by cutting
holes In the legs of my dress and dropping
the bars in. On coming out of the hold
| signaled for a small canvas bag, which
reached me in due season on the life line,
but had quite serious time in putting the
bars into the bag. The Mexican divers
would come down and hold on to my dress,
two or three at at1me, and try to take the
bars away from me. would simply hold
on until they would have TO leave to get air.
But wnen one let go another was there to
take his place. L finally became enraged
and punched one of them with the nozzle,
making round, circular wound on his ribs.
He gave me violent kick as he LETT me and
/ was soon hauled up. After this all work
stab any diver that went under the water
belonging to our expedition. We remained
idle few days, but getting unhappy over
such state oil affairs proposed working by
night. Johnson would not consent. i,
however, persuaded portion of the crew to
volunteer a trial of one night; so we went
TO work thus in the dark, confident of sue
cess and recovered two boxes.


THE FIRST DIVE


came up somewhat exhausted, and went
on board the small vessel, took a lunch and
rested a couple of hours. Then made an
other dive, and recovered one more box,
which proved night work a great success,
and ever siterward anything was possible
to the crew that would undertake. We
worked eight or ten nights, or until the Mexi-
cans left, and then resumed work by day.
One night when came uD the men told me
a huge devil fish had came along and was
setting down upon me, when an oar was
thrown, striking him on the back, causing
him to leave. 1 felt thankful to that
oar for nothing could have saved
me from being sliced up had he once got his
arms around me. 1 recovered Capt. Hud-
sons dumb bells and atterward presented
them to him, and also some mutilated Or
egon state bonds, some photographs and an
elegant ivory card case, which have now in
nv possession. i often came out of the sand
with the feet OF the dress all worn out by
paving and digging in the Goals and sand
with my toes. My feet became SO sore and
badly cut to almost cripple me. Ny nails
became worn so thin by the sand asto bleed
from being touched, and my hands and feet
were constantly swollen to twice their natu-





clothes from the holes in. the
feet Both knees were chafed
| raw. My shoulders, from which so
much weight was suspended, were always as
raw as piece OF beef, and bled freely when
emerged from the water. used to rub
them with bslsam. occasionally met
other divers in the sand, and once W ashed
one of them out. The poor fellow was al
most gone when they nauled him up. Such
accidents frighten men and ntit them ioI
such work. L saw those divers, day after
| day, after getting down into the sand tsl
enough to be out Of the surf and undertow
simply sit in their holes two or three hours
then come up ana tell how tired they were
None of them caIfsed more than hall weight
enough TO work with, providing they were
willing to work. They simply whiled away
their time for the pay. Doubtless there art
I many places where money can be recovered
| by the use of water if il was more generall,
understood.


| ha roport 0f the rf1e6iaal 6opart