Diving Experiment II: more about the Orchard brothers, 1833
From the Star of June 28, 1833. Another description of their trial of their innovative diving suit.
See also the Comet's description of this underwater trial, Experiment with diving dress and Diving Experiments III; the Orchard brothers make progress.
The diving experiment which failed a short time since was repeated on Tuesday last (June 25th) with complete success. One of the projectors, a person by the name of ORCHARD, being dressed in an apparatus of his own construction, through which a continual stream of air could be passed by means of two pipes connected with the dress, from one of which the air was constantly expelled by a pump, descended about noon between the pier heads, in the presence of several hundred spectators who lined both piers, the quays, and an immense number of boats. He remained at a depth of from 16 to 20 feet under water, for several minutes at a time, and, standing on the last step of a ladder attached to the stern of a barge, was towed from the pier about half way to Castle Cornet. He experienced no other inconvenience than what resulted from extreme cold and the pressure of the water, probably more from the latter than the former. This pressure, it must be remembered, is nearly one pound per square inch for every two feet depth, but as, like th atmospheric pressure, it is exerted in every direction, it bears equally on every part of the body, and therefore does not become absolutley unbearable except at a considerable depth of water.
The apparatus alluded to is similar in principle to the one invented by Mr. DEANE, with which he undertakes submarine excursions near Portsmouth; but, in justice to our hardy and industrious projectors, we must state that their apparatus was invented and made by themselves, without their knowing that they had been preceded by any person. In its present state it answers well enough for an experiment; but, for want of means, the proprietors are not capable of deriving any permanent benefit from their ingenuity and courage. They are simple mechanics, who work hard fo rtheir daily bread, and have employed thier leisure hours most laudably in it s construction; but it is not absolutely air-tight, and consequently not safe. The helmet, or head piece, should be of metal, the body-dress of waterproof cloth, and the tubes for the conveyance of the air to and from the diver, should be perfectly air-tight; all these indispensible requisites might be obtained at a trifling expense, but the projectors have not the means of defraying it without the assistance of the public. We therefore hope that a small subscription will be set on foot to enable them to procure the means of deriving advantage from their labours, by rescuing some of the sunken treasures which are suspected to be lying useless near our shores.