Submarine Appliances And Their Uses
Deep Sea Diving, &c., &c.

When the attendant is satisfied that all is correct, and that the diver understands the signals, he orders the pump to be hove round and screws up the front glass securely; this done, he takes hold of the life-line and pats the top of the helmet, which is the signal for the diver to descend. The ladder should always be used when going out of and coming into the boat, and the shot-rope to descend and ascend by. Attendance.—Each diver while under water requires an attendant to hold the breast-rope and air pipe. The post of attendant is a very responsible one. From the time the diver gets on the ladder to go down till he comes up again, the attendant must concentrate his mind on his charge, and never let his attention wander. The breast-rope and air pipe must be held clear of the gunwale and moderately taut, so that the movements of the diver can be felt, and a rough idea formed of what he is doing. But care should be taken not to have them so taut as to inconvenience the diver. The attendant should frequently glance at the pressure gauge of the pump to ascertain any changes in depth, and he must always know whereabouts the bubbles arc coming up and the directions in which they are moving. Where there is much rise and fall of tide he must see that the shot-rope is lowered, so as to keep the shot on the bottom, or hauled in to keep it taut, as the case may be. When the diver is working on a ship’s bottom or other place from which he might fall, the attendant must be on the alert to catch him with the breast-rope (signal line) and pipe should this happen, and should the breast-rope be paid out for any reason, such as sending down another rope or a slate, he must see that the air pipe is kept well taut in case of a similar accident. It is better, however, to use a separate rope for send- ing down articles to the diver. When two or more divers are down together, the attendants should do all they can to prevent them from getting foul of each other, watching the two sets of bubbles and warning the men by pre-arranged signal or by telephone, if need be. Pressure Gauges.—Great attention must be paid to the pump gauges. Should they fall quickly, it shows that either the diver is coming up, or that something is wrong with the apparatus ; the signal should be at once made to the diver asking if he is all right. If he replies that he is coming up, the pipe and breast-rope must be gathered in smartly. Should, however, the diver signal back “ All right,” and the gauges still con- tinue to fall, something must be wrong with the apparatus, and the diver must be at once called up. If the gauges rise quickly, it shows that the diver has fallen; ask the diver if he is all right. If he signals “All right,” he has recovered himself; if no reply is received, lie. must at once be hauled to the surface, but not too rapidly. 39