Compressed Air Work And Diving 1909

THE LIFE LINE. 23 hung rouncl the neck on a rope in the same way as the back weight. The life line is then knotted securely rouncl the cliver’s waist and carried up under his right arm, and fastened by a piece of twine to an eye, or lug, on the shoulder of the breastplate. The belt is then girded on, and, lastly, the air pipe is screwecl into the inlet valve, brought up under the left arm, and treated in the same manner as the life line. Some professional clivers, instead of fastening the life line and air pipe to the eye- pieces, secure them to the brass bars protecting the two side Windows of the helmet. This plan is not, however, generally favoured, because a sudden pull on the life line by the attendant has more power to jerk the helmet back, and when the diver is in a stooping position, this may bring the helmet into painful contact with his face. When the helmet is fittecl with a telephone, the wires are frequently embedded in the centre of the life line. If this is the case, the life line is screwecl into the back of the helmet in a similar manner to the air pipe, before being passeel under the cliver’s arm. Sometimes, how- ever, the telephone wires are embedded in the air pipe, and then an ordinary life line is used. The cliver is now ready to make a descent. The pump attendants start pumping steadily, and the face- plate is screwecl in. Finally, as the diver is just abont to get submergeel, he closes the supplementary valve. In the case of an inexperienced cliver, the attendant should see that this is properly closecl before he goes under. Professional clivers generally have the face- plate put on at the last moment, but a beginner, who will feel very clumsy and uncomfortable at first in the unaccustomed dress and heavy weights, should prefer- ably have his face-plate put on before getting on to the