Compressed Air Work And Diving 1909

FLOODING OF THE SEVERN TUNNEL. 31 distance was too far for one diver to drag behincl him the length of air pipe required. The first attempt was made with three divers in the ordinary dress. These three went together as far as they could, dragging their air pipes behincl them. Then one stoppeel, and the other two went on, the man who remained behincl helping them by pulling forward their air pipes. Then another man stopped, and the leading diver, Lambert, went on alone, but at last he could get no further, and had to return. Mr Walker, the contractor, then telegraphed for Mr Fleuss, having heard of his apparatus, and 011 8th Novem- ber 1880, Lambert, after a few preliminary dives to get accustomed to the dress, made his first attempt. On this occasion he got as far as the cloor, and pullecl up one rail. He then returned, and his faikire in this first attempt can be well understood when we remember his unaccustomed apparatus ; and those who have ever had a divinsf dress on know how after even a short exposure in water the hands become quite numb with the eolel together with the stoppage of proper circulation by the tight wrist-bands. However, on ioth November, Lambert made his second attempt, and successfully shut clown the flap valve, pullecl up the remaining tram rail, closed the cloor, and o-ave the sluice valve the number of turns he had been O instructed, and returned after having been absent one hour twenty minutes. The pumping was then starteel, and although it tool< mueh longer than had been anticipated, the water was at leng'th low enough to enable the valves to be reachecl. It was then seen why so mueh pumping had been required. 1 he sluice valve had a. left-handeel thi end, and this having been forgotten when Lambert was given his instructions, he had opened the valve instcad of