HOW IT FEELS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1932, Page 15

HOW IT FEELS

. News .is to be expected of the recovery1 of the gold in the' sunken, liner Egypt, lost in the Bay of Biscay. It is merely' a matter- of time before one more' great feat of human.' ingenuity and ;endurance will 'have been accomplished,'writes Jack Heming in the "Daily Telegraph." • • , •• .;.•;

The success of the enterprise, as romantic as any hi fiction, has depended, entirely upon the work of the divers, who .with infinite patience and great fortitude have overcome thb odds iwhich Nature, has set against the venturer in the deep's. ' ' '. '. ;," '.

11? calls for courage of. a-very special brand, for-physique above the ordinary, and, judging by the divers I have Known, a characteristic mental outlook—a sort of optimistic fatalism. A diver's first descent is a curious experience. With your heavily-weighted feet in water you sink quickly, and'for a moment 'you feel certain that, the descent will be too fast for the paying out of the air-pipe. But as, with hand on the last rung of the ladder, you allow yourself to,submerge, you feel the buoyancy of the air-filled suit and headpiece taking the load, and you-regain confidence.,, ,'. . ~. ,

You grope above to make sure all is well with pipe and line;' feel in your belt to see that the iron-sheathed knife is there,.and, maybe, torch and case of tools; and then, after a last "OK" signal from those above, let go. . Tqu go down fairly fast for the first three or ; four fathoms; and'what with the feeling of. insecurity, .the deepening gloom, and an.eerie sense of utter isolation, yon have little time to appreciate any physical changes. But if: you allow yourself to drop too fast you soon feel the "squeeze," as divers call it, and must check the drop. | When at last you reach the bottom

DEEP WATER DIVINIS

you feel- helpless for a minute or so, as if you alone bore the weight of Sthe universe. But presently, when, niuscles are accustomed to the extra demands upon them and the system has become used to the condition's,' you can 'niove about freely, although slowly. "

The light below varies.ionsidetably with' the. geographical position.. In some ■places in the East daylight penetrates sufficiently for the diver ace at his greatest depth.' But ;b'en:eath most English waters :>there .is a fearsome 'gloom. ■■ ~; / ■ .. . ■

'Generally, the diver las little to fear if. there, is no interference' --with' his' lines, especially in Northern latitudes, ! bnt there are records of thrilling ad-i ventures in the Eastern world tinder the Bea. One aiveir suddenly' found himself .enveloped by thick, jelly-like seaweed, which. snapped his telephone cal)le and all Tjut earned away 'his airpipe. . He got free only after half ah hour's hacking with his knife, when he was on the point of, exhaustion.1 As he cut the ■ carious ; stuff away from his head, the weed appeared immediately to close up its wound; Another diver, was attacked by an octopus. The foul thing got. one huge tentacle . round., him . before ho: ,was aware of it—instinct alone can give warning, unless the danger, Jies dead ahead—and he was out of reach of his shot r bjie.. He. was able to free himself with his knife, but was almost caujrht again as he struggled with heart-break-ing slowness towards his line ■ ' _ Sharks form perhaps the greatest danger of all to. divers. Their attack is capricious, yet swift: and terrible. Telephone cable, air-tube, and' shotline might be severed with one snap of powerful jaws; the effect of an attack on the diver -"himself caa readily be visualised. ' ■