Under the Waves: Diving in Deep Waters

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER TWO.

  DESCRIBES A FIRST VISIT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

  When the diver received the encouraging pat on the head, as alreadyrelated, he descended the ladder to its lowest round. Here, being a fewfeet below the surface, the buoyancy of the water relieved him of muchof the oppression caused by the great weights with which he was loaded.He was in a semi-floating condition, hence the ladder, being no longernecessary, was made to terminate at that point. He let go his hold ofit and sank gently to the bottom, regulating his pace by a rope whichdescended from the foot of the ladder to the mud, on which in a fewseconds his leaden soles softly rested. A continuous stream ofair-bubbles from the safety-valve behind the helmet indicated to thoseabove that the pumps were doing their duty, and at the same time hid thediver entirely from their sight.

  Meanwhile the two men who acted as signalman and assistant stood nearthe head of the ladder, the first holding the life-line, the assistantthe coil of air-tubing. Their duty was to stand by and pay out or haulin tubing and line according as the diver's movements and necessitiesshould require. They were to attend also to his signals--some of whichwere transmitted by the line and some by the air-tube. These signalsvary among divers. With Baldwin and his party one pull on the_life-line_ meant "All right;" four pulls, "I'm coming up." One pull onthe air-pipe signified "Sufficient air;" two pulls, "More air." (pumpfaster.) Four pulls was an alarm, and signified "Haul me up." Theaspect of Rooney Machowl's face when endeavouring to understandBaldwin's explanation of these signals was a sight worth seeing!

  But to return to our diver. On reaching the bottom, Maxwell took a coilof small line which hung on his left arm, and attached one end of it toa stone or sinker which kept taut the ladder-line by which he haddescended. This was his clew to guide him back to the ladder. Not onlyis the light under water very dim--varying of course, according todepth, until total darkness ensues--but a diver's vision is muchweakened by the muddy state of the water at river-mouths and inharbours, so that he is usually obliged to depend more on feeling thanon sight. If he were to leave the foot of his ladder without theguiding-coil, it would be difficult if not impossible to find it again,and his only resource would be to signal "Haul me up," which would beundignified, to say the least of it! By means of this coil he canwander about at will--within the limits of his air-tube tether ofcourse,--and be certain to find his way back to the ladder-foot in thedarkest or muddiest water.

  Having fastened the line, the diver walked in the direction of the rockon which he had to operate, dropping gradually the coils of theguiding-line as he proceeded. His progress was very slow, for water isa dense medium, and man's form is not well adapted for walking in it--asevery bather knows who has attempted to walk when up to his neck in it.He soon found the object of his search, and went down on his kneesbeside the hole already driven into the rock. Even this process ofgoing on his knees was not so simple as it sounds, for the men abovewere sending down more air than could escape by the valve behind thehelmet, and thus were filling his dress to such an extent that he had atendency to rise off the ground despite his weights. To counteract thishe opened the valve in front, let out the superabundant air, got on hisknees, and was soon busy at work inserting the charge-tube into the holeand tamping it well home, taking care that the fine wire with which itcommunicated with the party in the barge should not be injured.

  While thus engaged he was watched, apparently with deep interest, by asmall crab, a shrimp, and several little fish of various kinds, all ofwhich we may add, seemed to have various degrees of curiosity. Oneparticular little fish, named a goby, and celebrated for its wide-awakenature and impudence, actually came to the front-glass of the helmet andlooked in. But the diver was too busy to pay attention to it. Nothingabashed, the goby went to each of the side-windows, but, receiving noencouragement, it made for a convenient ledge of the rock, where,resting its fore-fins on a barnacle, it turned its head a little on oneside and looked on in silence. Finding this rather tedious, after atime it went, with much of the spirit of a London street-boy, and,passing close to the shrimp, tweaked the end of one of its feelers,causing that volatile creature to vanish. It then made a demonstrationof attack on the crab, but that crustaceous worthy, sitting up on itshind-legs and expanding both claws with a very "come-on-if-you-dare"aspect, bid it defiance.

  Meanwhile the charge was laid, and Maxwell rose to return to the worldabove. Feeling a certain uncomfortable hotness in the air he breathed,and observing that his legs were remarkably thin, and that his dress wasclasped somewhat too lovingly about his person, he became aware of thefact that, having neglected to reclose the front-valve, his supply ofair was now insufficient. He therefore shut the valve and began to wendhis way back to the ladder. By the time he reached it the air in hisdress had swelled him out to aldermanic dimensions, so that he pulledhimself up the ladder-rope, hand over hand, with the utmost ease--havingpreviously given four pulls on his life-line to signal "coming up." Afew seconds more and his head was seen to emerge from the surface, likesome goggle-eyed monster of the briny deep.

  A comrade at once advanced and unscrewed his front-glass, and then, butnot till then, did the men at the pumps cease their labours.

  "All right," said Maxwell, stepping over the side and seating himself onhis plank.

  "Stand by," said Baldwin.

  The two satellites did not require that order, for they were alreadystanding by with a small electrical machine. The wire before mentionedas being connected with the charge of powder, now safely lodged in thehole at the bottom of the sea, was connected with the electricalmachine, and a few vigorous turns of its handle were given, while everyeye was turned expectantly on the surface of the sea.

  That magic spark which now circles round the world, annihilating timeand space, was evolved; it flashed down the wire; the ocean could notput it out; the dry powder received it; the massive rock burst intofragments; a decided shock was felt on board the barge, and a turmoil ofgas-bubbles and dead or dying fish came to the surface, in the midst ofwhich turmoil the shrimp, the crab, and the goby doubtless came to anuntimely end.

  Thus was cleared out of the way an obstruction which had from timeimmemorial been a serious inconvenience to that port; and thus everyyear serious inconveniences and obstructions that most people know verylittle about are cleared out of the way by our bold, steady, and daringdivers, through the wisdom and the wonderful appliances of our submarineengineers.

  "Now then, Rooney, come an' we'll dress you," said Baldwin. "As you'regoin' to be a professional diver it's right that you should have thefirst chance and set a good example to Mister Berrington here, who'sonly what we may call an amateur."

  "Faix, I'd rather that Mister Berrington shud go first," said Rooney,who, as he spoke, however, stripped himself of his coat, vest, andtrousers preparatory to putting on the costume.

  "I'll be glad to go first, Rooney, if you're afraid," said Edgar.

  Rooney's annoyance at being thought afraid was increased to indignationby a contemptuous guffaw from Maxwell.

  Flushing deeply and casting a glance of anger at Maxwell, the youngIrishman crushed down his feelings and said--

  "Sure, I'm only jokin'. Put on the dress Mister Baldwin av ye plaze."

  A diver, like a too high-bred lady, cannot well dress himself. Herequires two assistants. Rooney Machowl sat down on the plank besideMaxwell, who was busy taking off his dress, and acted according toorders.

  First of all they brought him a thick guernsey shirt, a pair of drawersand pair of _inside_ stockings, which he put on and fastened securely.Sometimes a "crinoline" to afford protection to the stomach in deepwater is put on, but on the present occasion it was omitted, the waterbeing shallow. Then Baldwin put on him a "shoulder-pad" to bear theweight of the helmet, etcetera, and prevent chafing.

  "If it was cold, Rooney," said his instructor, "I'd put two guernseysand pairs of drawers and stockin's on you, but, as it's warm, one set'lldo. Moreover, if you was goin'
deep you'd have the option of stuffin'your ears with cotton soaked in oil, to relieve the pressure; some doan' some don't. I never do myself. It's said to relieve the pressureof air on the ears, but my ears are strong. Anyway you won't want it inthis water.--Now for the dress, boys."

  The two assistants--with mouths expanded from ear to ear--here advancedwith the strong india-rubber garment whose legs, feet, body, and armsare, as we have already said, all in one piece. Pushing his feet in atthe upper opening, Rooney writhed, thrust, and wriggled himself into it,being ably assisted by his attendants, who held open the sleeves for himand expanded the tight elastic cuffs, and, catching the dress at theneck, hitched it upwards so powerfully as almost to lift their patientoff his legs. Next, came a pair of _outside_ stockings and canvasoveralls or short trousers, both of which were meant to preserve thedress-proper from injury. Having been got into all these things, Rooneywas allowed to sit down while his attendants each put on and buckled aboot with leaden soles--each boot weighing about twenty pounds.

  "A purty pair of dancin' pumps!" remarked Rooney, turning out his toes,while Baldwin put on his breast-plate, after having drawn up the innercollar of the dress and tied it round his neck with a piece of spareyarn.

  The breast-plate was made of tinned copper. It covered part of theback, breast, and shoulders of the diver, and had a circular neck, towhich the helmet was to be ultimately screwed. It rested on the _inner_collar of the dress, and the _outer_ collar--of stout india-rubber--wasdrawn over it. In this outer collar were twelve holes, corresponding totwelve screws round the edge of the breast-plate. When these holes hadbeen fitted over their respective screws, a breast-plate-band, in fourpieces, was placed over them and screwed tight by means of nuts--thusrendering the connection between the dress and the breast-plateperfectly water-tight. It now only remained to screw the helmet to thecircular neck of the breast-plate. Previously, however, a woollennight-cap was drawn over the poor man's head, well down on his ears, andRooney looked--as indeed he afterwards admitted that he felt--as if hewere going to be hanged. He thought, however, of the proverb, that aman who is born to be drowned never can be hanged, and somehow feltcomforted.

  The diving helmet is made of tinned copper, and much too large for thelargest human head, in order that the wearer may have room to move hishead freely about inside of it. It should not touch the head in anypart, but is fixed rigidly to the breast-plate, resting on theshoulders, and does not partake of the motions of the head. In it arethree round openings filled with the thickest plate-glass and protectedby brass bars or guards; also an outlet-valve to allow the foul air toescape; a short metal tube with an inlet-valve, to which the air-pump isscrewed; and a regulating cock for getting rid of excess of air. Thearrangement is such, that the fresh air enters, and is spread over thefront of the diver's face, while the foul escapes at the back of hishead. By a clever contrivance--a segmental screw--the helmet can befixed to its neck with one-eighth of a turn, instead of having to betwisted round several times. To various hooks and studs on the helmetand breast-plate are hung two leaden masses weighing about forty poundseach.

  These weights having been attached, and a waist-belt with a knife in itput round Rooney's waist, along with the life-line, the air-tube wasaffixed, and he was asked by Baldwin how he felt.

  "A trifle heavy," replied the pupil, through the front hole of thehelmet, which was not yet closed.

  "That feeling will go off entirely when you're under water," saidBaldwin. "Now, remember, if you want more air, just give two pulls onthe air-pipe--an' don't pull as if you was tryin' to haul down thebarge; we'll be sure to feel you. Be gentle and quiet, whatever ye do.Gettin' flurried never does any good whatever. D'ee hear?"

  "Yis, sur," answered Rooney, and his voice sounded metallic and hollow,even to those outside--much more so to himself!

  "Well, then, if we give you too much air, you've only got to open thefront-valve--so, and, when you're easy, shut it. When you get down tothe bottom, give one--only one--pull on the life-line, which means `Allright,' and I'll give one pull in reply. We must always reply to eachother, d'ee see? because if you don't answer, of course we'll thinkyou've been suffocated, or entangled at the bottom among wreckage andwhat-not, or been took with a fit, an' we'll haul you up, as hard as wecan; so you'll have to be particular. D'ee understand?"

  Again the learner replied "Yis, sur," but less confidently than before,for Baldwin's cautions, although meant to have an encouraging effect,proved rather to be alarming.

  "Now," continued the teacher, leading his pupil to the side of thebarge, "be sure to go down slow, and come up slow. Whatever you do, doit slow, for if you do it fast--especially in comin' up--you'll come togrief. If a man comes up too fast from deep water, the condensed airinside of him is apt to swell him out, and the brain bein' relieved toosuddenly from the pressure, there's a rush of blood to it, and a singin'in the ears, and a pain in the head, with other unpleasant symptoms.Why," continued Baldwin, growing energetic, "I've actually known a mankilled outright by bein' pulled up too quick from a depth of twentyfathoms. So mark my words, lad, and take it easy. If you get nervous,just stop a bit an' amuse yourself with thinkin' over what I've toldyou, and then go on with your descent."

  At this point Rooney's heart almost failed him, but, catching sight ofMaxwell's half-amused, half-contemptuous face, he stepped resolutely onthe ladder, and began to descend in haste.

  "Hold on!" roared Baldwin, laying hold of the life-line. "Why, manalive, you're off without the front-glass!"

  "Och! Whirra! So I am," said Rooney, pausing.

  "Pump away, lads," cried Baldwin, looking back at his assistants.

  "Whist! What's that?" asked the pupil excitedly, as a hissing soundbuzzed round his head.

  "Why, that's the air coming in. Now then, I'll screw on the glass. Areyou all right?"

  "All right," replied Rooney, telling, as he said himself afterwards,"one of the biggist lies he iver towld in his life!"

  The glass was screwed on, and the learner was effectually cut off fromall connection with the outer air, save through the slight medium of anindia-rubber pipe.

  Having thus screwed him up--or in--Baldwin gave him the patronising paton the helmet, as a signal for him to descend, but Rooney stood tightlyfixed to the ladder, and motionless.

  Again Baldwin patted his head encouragingly, but still Rooney stood asmotionless as one of the iron-clad warriors in the Tower of London. Thefact was, his courage had totally failed him. He was ashamed to comeup, and could not by any effort of will force himself to go down.

  "Why, what's wrong?" demanded Baldwin, looking in at the glass, which,however, was so clouded with the inmate's breath that he could only beseen dimly. It was evident that Rooney was speaking in an excitedvoice, but no sound was audible through that impervious mass of metaland glass. Baldwin was therefore about to unscrew the mouth-glass, whenaccident brought about what Rooney's will could not accomplish. Inattempting to move, the poor pupil missed his hold, or slipped somehow,and fell into the sea with a sounding splash.

  "Let him go, boys--gently, or he'll break everything. A dip'll do himno harm," cried Baldwin to the alarmed assistants.

  The men let the life-line and air-tube slip, until the rushing descentwas somewhat abated, and then, checking the involuntary diver, theyhauled him slowly to the surface, where his arms and open palms wentswaying wildly round until they came in contact with the ladder, onwhich they fastened with a grip that was sufficient to have squeezed thelife out of a gorilla.

  In a few seconds he ascended a step, and his head emerged, then anotherstep, and Baldwin was able to unscrew the glass.

  The first word that the poor man uttered through his porthole was "Och!"the next, "Musha!"

  A burst of laughter from his friends above somewhat reassured him, andagain the tinge of contempt in Maxwell's voice reinfused courage anddesperate resolve.

  "Why, man, what was your haste?" said Baldwin.

  "Su
re the rounds o' yer ladder was slippy," answered Rooney, with someindignation. "Didn't ye see, I lost me howld? Come, putt on the glassan' I'll try again. Never say die was a motto of me owld father, an' itwas the only legacy he left me.--I'm ready, sur."

  It is right here to remark that something of the pupil's return ofcourage and resolution was due to his quick perception. He had time toreflect that he really had been at, or near, the bottom of the sea--atall events over head and ears in water--for several minutes withoutbeing drowned, even without being moistened, and his faith in thediving-dress, though still weak, had dawned sufficiently to assertitself as a power.

  "Ha! My lad, you'll do. You'll make a diver yet," said Baldwin, whenabout to readjust the glass. "I forgot to tell you that when yourbreath clouds the front-glass, you've only got to bend your head down,and wipe it off with your night-cap. Now, then, down you go once more."

  This time the pat on the head was followed by a descending motion. Themailed figure was feeling with its right foot for the next round of theladder. Then slowly--very slowly--the left foot was let down, while thetwo hands held on with a tenacity that caused all the muscles and sinewsto stand out rigidly. Then one hand was loosened, and caught nervouslyat a lower round--then the other hand followed, and thus by degrees thepupil went under the surface, when his helmet appeared like a largeround ball of light enveloped in the milky-way of air-bubbles that rosefrom it.

  "You'd better give the signal to ask if all's right," said Edgar, whofelt a little anxious.

  "Do so," said Baldwin, nodding to the assistant.

  The man obeyed, but no answering signal was returned.

  According to rule they should instantly have hauled the diver up, butBaldwin bade them delay a moment.

  "I'm quite sure there's nothing wrong," he said, stooping over the sideof the barge, and gazing into the water, "it's only another touch ofnervousness.--Ah! I see him, holdin' on like a barnacle to the ladder,afraid to let go. He'll soon tire of kickin' there--that's it: there hegoes down the rope like the best of us."

  In another moment the life-line and air-pipe ceased to run out, and thenthe assistant gave one pull on the line. Immediately there came back_one pull_--all right.

  "_That's_ all right," repeated Baldwin; "now the ice is fairly broken,and we'll soon see how he's going to get on."

  In order that we too may see that more comfortably, you and I, reader,will again go under water and watch him. We will also listen to him,for Rooney has a convenient habit of talking to himself, and neitherwater nor helmet can prevent _us_ from overhearing.

  True to his instructions, the pupil proceeded to fasten his clew-line tothe stone at the foot of the ladder-rope, and attempted to kneel.

  "Well, well," he said, "did ye iver! What would me mother say if sheheard I couldn't git on my knees whin I tried to?"

  Rooney began this remark aloud, but the sound of his own voice was sohorribly loud and unnaturally near that he finished off in a whisper,and continued his observations in that confidential tone.

  "Och! Is it dancin' yer goin' to do, Rooney?--in the day-time too!" hewhispered, as his feet slowly left the bottom. "Howld on, man!"

  He made a futile effort to stoop and grasp the mud, then, bethinkinghimself of Baldwin's instructions, he remembered that too much air had atendency to bring him to the surface, and that opening the front-valvewas the remedy. He was not much too soon in recollecting this, for,besides rising, he was beginning to feel a singing in his head and adisagreeable pressure on the ears, caused by the ever-increasing densityof the air. The moment the valve was fully opened, a rush out of airoccurred which immediately sank him again, and he had now no difficultyin getting on his knees.

  "There's little enough light down here, anyhow," he muttered, as hefumbled about the stone sinker in a vain attempt to fasten his line toit, "sure the windy must be dirty."

  The thought reminded him of Baldwin's teaching. He bent forward hishead and wiped the glass with his night-cap, but without much advantage,for the dimness was caused by the muddiness of the water.

  Just then he began to experience uncomfortable sensations; he felt atendency to gasp for air, and became very hot, while his garmentsclasped his limbs very tightly. He had, like Maxwell, forgotten toreclose the breast-valve, but, unlike the more experienced diver, he hadfailed to discover his omission. He became flurried and anxious, andgetting, more and more confused, fumbled nervously at his helmet toascertain that all was right there. In so doing he opened the littleregulating cock, which served to form an additional outlet to foul air.This of course made matters worse. The pressure of air in the dress wasbarely sufficient to prevent the water from entering by the breast-valveand regulating cock. Perspiration burst out on his forehead. Henaturally raised his hand to wipe it away, but was prevented by thehelmet.

  Rooney possessed an active mind. His thoughts flew fast. This checkinduced the following ideas--

  "What if I shud want to scratch me head or blow me nose? Or what if anearwig shud chance to have got inside this iron pot, and take a fancy togo into my ear?"

  His right ear became itchy at the bare idea. He made a desperate blowat it, and skinned his knuckles, while a hitherto unconceived intensityof desire to scratch his head and blow his nose took violent possessionof him.

  Just then a dead cat, that had been flung into the harbour the nightbefore, and had not been immersed long enough to rise to the surface,floated past with the tide, and its sightless eyeballs and ghastly rowof teeth glared and glistened on him, as it surged against hisfront-glass. A slight spirt of water came through the regulating cockat the same instant, as if the dead cat had spit in his face.

  "Hooroo! Haul up!" shouted Rooney, following the order with a yell thatsounded like the concentrated voice of infuriated Ireland. At the sametime he seized the life-line and air-tube, and tugged at both, not fourtimes, but nigh forty times four, and never ceased to tug until he foundhimself gasping on the deck of the barge with his helmet off and hiscomrades laughing round him.

  "It's not a bad beginning," said Baldwin, as he assisted his pupil tounrobe; "you'll make a good diver in course o' time."

  Baldwin was right in this prophecy, for in a few months Rooney Machowlbecame one of the best and coolest divers on his staff.

  We need not try the reader's patience with an account of Edgar'sdescent, which immediately followed that of the Irishman. Let itsuffice to say that he too accomplished, with credit and with lessdemonstration, his first descent to the bottom of the sea.