DIVE TO HAPPINESS

Shannon News, 16 October 1928, Page 4

DIVE TO HAPPINESS

- A SUBMARINE WEDDING. When John Allen and Gladys Moore decided to have a "submarine wedding" and an undersea neither dreamed of the perils in store for them, says, a London writer. The ceremony'-, on board the submarine Dauntless, owned by young Allen’s father and built expressly for him, was witnessed by a crowd of spectators. Soon afterward came tho captain’s orders to go below deck, and the submarine was quckly submerged and gliding toward the open sea. The hone.vmooners’ cruise was planned to take them to the mysterious Caribbean Sea. For the benefit of the bride, heavy plate-glass observation "bull’s-eyes’’ had been built in the steel sides of the vessel, enabling her to view the strange ocean vegetation and queer fishes. "My first experience in looking through a periscope was one I shall never forget.’’ declared Mrs. Allen. "I was frightened at first. It w'as as if we -were on the edge of the world. 1 was impressed by the queer, goggleeyed fishes t-ha,t pressed their noses close to the bull’s-eyes as the submarine raided their homes in the deep. "We passed through field after field of gorgeous marine flowers and sponge beds. When wc entered the Caribbean, the submarine scenery was awe-inspiring. Wo had a searchlight, which cast its dazzling rays far ahead into tlio'water, enabling me to get a splendid view of the uncanny monsters. On the seventh day we saw, directly in the path oi: our searchlight, the gro- • tesque hulk of a galleon, green with sea mould. We rose to the surface, anu our divers drew lots to see -which one should be first to descend and investigate. "John and I watched the chosen one as he was carefully lowered into 'tlu;

sea. Half an hour later he came up to report that he had cut his way through into the wreck. He told of skeletons he had seen in the galleon, grisly reminders of that ancient tragedy of tlu: sea. In order to give each diver a . chance,, they took turns in making a sxfrvey of the w r rcck. It was a pleasant surprise when the fourth came up with a small brass-bound chest. "Removing his dripping helmet, tho d.ver prised open the cover and ran his lingers through the old Spanish coins inside. < A small fortune in gold doubloons lay before us, and right away we christened it our wedding gift from Neptune. But we were still to experience the crowning thrill. As we submerged again to view the wreck for the last time, something went wrong with our engine. We came to a dead stop, and then descended with a thud to the ocean’s floor. But my fears wove groundless, and it wasn’t long before we rose to the surface. "Just off Cape Hatteras we encountered a hurricane and had to submerge. In due time the storm was over and we were homeward bound. We are safe at home now, and I shall always treasure among my most precious possessions the souvenirs of our honeymoon excursion."