Page:Walker (1888) The Severn Tunnel.djvu/104

Rh for a distance of 500 feet, where one remained to pull forward the hose and feed it to the leading diver.

The leading man, in whom I had thorough confidence, was named Lambert.

He started on his perilous journey armed with only a short iron bar, and carefully groped his way in total darkness over the débris which strewed the bottom of the heading, past upturned skips, tools, and lumps of rock, which had been left in the panic of 1879, until he reached within 100 feet from the door, when he found it was impossible to drag the air-hose after him, as it rose to the top of the heading and its friction against the rock and the head-trees offered greater resistance than he could overcome. He, however, would not give up without an effort, and he pluckily sat down and drew some of the hose to him and then started on again, but after one or two vain efforts he found it impossible to proceed, and was obliged to return to the shaft defeated.

About this time I had heard of a diving-dress, patented by a Mr. Fleuss, by the use of which the diver was able to dispense entirely with the use of the air-hose, by carrying in a knapsack on his back a supply of compressed oxygen gas, which he was enabled to feed to his helmet as required.

After Lambert’s failure to reach the door on the 3rd November, I telegraphed for Fleuss to bring his patent dress and try if he could do the work.