Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1891 — PERILS OF DIVERS. [ARTICLE]

PERILS OF DIVERS.

NEW YORKERS WHO MAKE THEIR LIVING UNDER WATER. A Diver’s Fierce Fight With a Big Shark —Story of the Frigate Hussar and its Sunken Treasure. Of expert submarine divers there are not more than a score in and near New York city. At least that is what one of the helnicteit fraternity said yesterday, but ho added that there are "3COUSO” divors without number, and when asked what “soouso ” meant stated that it was a term used to designate a man wlto would work for $3 a day, who would do considerable talking prior to going below the surface and very little work after lie dropped out of sight. Divers like John Chittenden. James Hicks, Henry Kinlin and John Haggerty are artisans as well. They can work at the mason’s trade, can do a neat bit of carpentering or turn their hands to mining. And all this is necessary, for they ure nothing more nor loss than submarine mechanics, and tho solidity of many a structure depends upon tho care of the man who goes below the water’s surface and luvs the stones on the bed of the sea; whilo sunken vessels cannot he raised until holes are patched and seams stopped up. For being a jaek-of-all-trudcs under the water these men receive from $25 to SSO a day when at work. Thomas Hand, lliciiard Hullett and Thomas Bell were divers of the old school who went, down in bells and did their work between breathing spells. When two or more of tho fraternity are together they always tell stories about tho adventures of their predecessors, and tho tale most often referred to is Richard Hullott's fight with a shark. These old-tim-ers say tiie adventure Ims never been chronicled in printer's ink, although known to them all. Hullett at the time was working on a deep-water wreck and oarried a very sharp saw below with him. While being gontly lowered in his bell one day ho saw a black object, beneath him that grew rapidly in sizo and in a second rose to his side. It was a shark and it hud boon caught in the bell. Frightened at the confinement, tho marine monster struggled to escape, and a blow of its tail knocked Hullett from liis resting-place. Man and fish wore then struggling in the water, both held fast in u narrow compartment, und one rubbing ugainst tho other. Hallett, so the story goCH, seized the shark by a fin and held on, although the animal plunged around and around. As long as lie could maintain liis grip the shark oould not get at him, and holding on like grim death with his left, the diver plunged liis fine-tooth saw with his right into and up and down the animal’s body until the water was dyed crimson, llow long tlio terrible struggle lasted Hullett. could never tell; ho remembered signaling to “pull up,” and the next thing hi' know he was lying at home in hod with liis badly lacerated hand bandaged. Those who hoisted the diving-bell say that tho shark and Hallett. both covered with blood and both apparently dead, rollod out together, and that liallett’s hand was still tightly clusped about tln* fin.

Roliert 8. Russell bus been earning liis bread and butter by expeditions below the surface ever since he was ten yenrs of age, except for a period of three months, when lie tried liis hand as a reporter, and nearly starved, he says, until lie abandoned the pencil and again donned the armor. Russell run away from home in tlie year 1854, boarded a wrecking vessel, and the year 18511 finds him one of tlie most export divers on the coast. “Speaking of fairyland,” said Bussell, “the only pluco it ever existed is below the surface. You people who never went down below tlie waves don’t know whut you have missed. In clear water on a brightduy beautiful prismatic colors are thrown on rocks ami stones, long pendants of seaweed droop more gracefully tliuu tho branches of any weeping willow, und between their folds, with sparkling scalos, our friends the fishes glide in and out. There they are at home, and there is us much difference between a fish below tlie surface and tho poor, gasping crouturo in the Wat, as there is between the bird sailing far above our heads and the game bunging in a butcher's shop.” Russell was usked if he lmd met with any adventures. Ho suid that lie bad not except on two occusions, when lie was lot down into deep water and no air came to.him because tlie tube had become obstructed with pieces of paper. He couldn't describe the sensation, becuuse there was none. He was yasensihle each time, and tho last time it was throe days before he recovered. “ Like many another diver,” lie continued, “ 1 have had my spell at work on the old Hussur. Bomo persons do not believe that any portion of the old frigate lies near the foot of 138th street, hut 1 have wandered around on the bottom in that locality too often and poked uwny at l the water-logged ribs too many times not to know tiiat portions of tho wreck do j lie at the point named. Of course there have beon inuny stories told about this wreck, and much that has beon published is rubbish, but I hove been familiar with her history over since I bognn to dive, and I I am going to Icll tlie Recorder something that is known to only two or three —something that may result at no distant (lute in auother effort to secure tho lost treasure. It is history that tlie Hus- j sar had about £2, (MX),000 in gold on board j and that slio was sailing for the port of j New York near tlie close of the Revo- j lutionary War with money to pay tlie troops. While in Hell Gate she struck j Pot Rock and commenced to leak. Her : pilot was a negro named Bounty, and, by I the way, descendants of this same Bounty | live neur Port Morris to-day, and a cave : is named aft*‘r their ancestor. When Bounty learned tiiat tlie frigate was fill- j ing rapidly lie jumped overboard und j swam ashore. “The Hussar drifted along with the tide and finally went down. There is nothing to show that a larger sum than | £2O was ever taken from that locality, j although within the past forty years dozens of companies have worked at the spot. It is sandy bottom there, and, as the ship’s timbeis are partly sunken, it stands to reason that a box filled with gold would be buried. Therefore the only way to work below the wreck is to sink a bell or platform beneath the sand. A Philadelphia company tried it with cylinders, splicing on u new section as fast as one disappeared, and if they bad j had enongh money they could have bored through to Chinn, but their funds gave out after one summer. “Prior to the suspension of work, He rm m Maliford was sent to England to search the Admiralty records. Upon his return lie statod tiiat the reports showed that the gold never went down in the Hussur. After the frigate began to fill a .barge was lowered and tho boxes of treasure were placed on board. There was a heavy tiuo running, and the weight of the gold, combined with the rushing

waters, caused the smaller boat to capsize and she went down long before the Hussar sank, and at some distance from the spot where the frigate finally disappeared. Mr. Russell then branched off upon other subjects and told chilling stories about diving in mid-winter. Ho said that it was not an unusual occurrence for divers to have their fingers frozen and that he had met with such misfortunes twice. “We dress os warm as the Esquimaux at such a timo,” said he, “and our diving nrmor has to bo muoh larger than in summer in order to go over the clothing. I have two suits of underclothing made out of flannel blankets, and wear them both in very cold weather; also two pairs of mittens under my rubber gloves. The quickest work divors have to do is when preparing mines in the winter time. Dynamite, as is known, freezes very quickly, and when frozen is usoless. On a cold day the diver takes his stick of explosive, which is as carefully wrapped up as he is, and hastens to the bottom. There lie lias about ten seconds in which to placo the chnrfjo and be pulled up before the mino is tired.” “How deep have you been, Mr. Russell ? ” "Once I was at a depth of 122 feet,” ho replied, “but I would not hesitate togo down 140 foot if tlie occasion demanded. No, Ido not foel badly when, so fur down. My only sensation ih tiiat of stiffness; indeed, 1 am just like i* board, and it is difficult to raise an arm' ora toot.* “Can you see for any great distance when you are below ? ” "That depends entirely upon the condition of tlie water and whether tlie sun< is shining brightly or not. I have been in places where I oould soo a distance of 3(M) yards, but the ufdor in New York Bay is thick, and ono can soldom decipher any tiling u foot away.”—[New York Recorder.