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

If the breast rope and air pipe get turned round the shot rope, it may become impossible to get “pull” signals through, and the turns must be taken ouc from the boat as soon as they are noticed. Do not try to make signals on a slack rope ; pull up a foot or two till the diver can be just felt, and then make the signal gently but distinctly. A sudden or violent jerk may, by striking the helmet up against the diver’s head, cause him injury. Remember that a diver at work may sometimes be in such a position that he cannot answer your signals for several seconds, so allow him reasonable time before you repeat them. Holding the Breast Rope and Pipe.—In attending the pipe and rope, give the diver two or three feet of slack when he is at the bottom, but just feel the weight of the man from time to time to make sure that you have not got too much slack out. It is extremely embarrassing for a diver to find his pipe and rope too taut, so that his head is being continually pulled away from his work. As it is difficult for him (without the telephone) to make his attendants understand that they are holding him too tightly, special care must be taken to avoid this. Interpreting Signals.—Judgment must be used in interpreting signals, and the attendant must consider what they are most likely to refer to. Por instance, suppose a diver is going down, and you are his attendant, and hold the breast rope. \ou should know from the gauge when he gets close to the bottom, and if you get one pull about that time it means, of course, that he has reached the ground ; but if you were to get one pull while the gauge showed that the diver had not yet reached the bottom, the meaning would be “Hold on”; the diver has probably let go the shot rope, or for some other reason is unable to stop himself, and wants to be held by the pipe or breast rope. If you get two bells immediately after the diver has signalled that he has reached the bottom, the meaning would be that he wanted you to pull up the shot rope (which is probably too slack). When it was properly adjusted he would signal “ Hold on,” when you would turn it up. Two bells immediately after the diver has signalled that he is coming- up mean that he wants to be pulled up. Do this very gradually. If there was anything seri- ously wrong, the diver would have signalled to be hauled up by giving four pulls on his air pipe. On going down, the diver, before leaving the surface, will signal by waving his hand that he is ready to do so. The attendant answers this signal by one pull on the breast rope. The diver must not be allowed to go down the shot rope until he has made the above signal. 42