Empress of Ireland - Wiki error?

[wardric]

By "rupture" you mean the air hose was torn? If so, if the non-return valve on the helmet was not functioning (assuming there was one) there would have been a fatal case of suit squeeze.

That was 1914. I dont have a clue. I just read the article in the 1914 newspaper. There were no details, just suppositions.

 

[wardric]

This story dealt with the death of commercial hard hat diver, Edward Cossaboom. He slipped off the hull at about 80 fsw and descended to about 140 fsw before the tender realized what was happening and added enough air to his suit to compensate for the increased water pressure...So he went from 3.4 to 5.2 ata in an instant. This is the account on pp 46-47 of "Dark Descent" by Kevin McMurray. "But the pressure differential was too sudden and too great. It sent blood flooding into his heart and lungs, quickly exploding these organs...By the time he reached the bottom, the invading sea pressure had stripped the flesh from his bones. His skin and organs were pile-driven into...his copper diving helmet...The crew later reported that all that remained...was a jellyfish with a copper mantle and dangling canvas tentacles."
Good bedtime reading aye...

Yep, that's it. I guess McMurray did a good research on it. It's nice to see a realistic explanation, since in 1914, journalists and people in general didn't know much about those "crazy divers". I look forward to read this book, having dived this wreck last summer. 14 Minutes is also a good book that deals more with the tragedy itself.

 

[H2Andy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Empress_of_Ireland

I was just reading up on the Empress of Ireland on Wikipedia.. and I came across this phrase regarding the early salvage divers:

i think that incident was with a hard-hat diver, with surface-supplied air.

he fell too deep before the air pressure on the compressor could be adjusted, (this was before they had the automatic reverse valves ... or whatever they are called) and he got squeezed to death into his helmet

If so, if the non-return valve on the helmet was not functioning (assuming there was one) there would have been a fatal case of suit squeeze.

diving hard-hats didn't have the non-return valves in 1914. they were introduced shortly thereafter. it's odd, because non-return valves had been around since the mid 1700's (with a diving bell), but i guess they couldn't make it small enough for a while?

but i do recall reading somewhere of a suit with a non-return valve in the mid 1800's.... so... dang need to do research

 

[H2Andy]

oops oops

 

[wardric]

he was a hard-hat diver, with surface-supplied air but the ones that found him (from Essex) were hard hat divers with no surface air supply (according to 1914 newspapers again).

 

[divemaster_jim]

Yep, that's it. I guess McMurray did a good research on it. It's nice to see a realistic explanation, since in 1914, journalists and people in general didn't know much about those "crazy divers". I look forward to read this book, having dived this wreck last summer. 14 Minutes is also a good book that deals more with the tragedy itself.

Hey Wardric,
Do you know who the author for 14 minutes is?

 

[wardric]

Hey Wardric,
Do you know who the author for 14 minutes is?

His name is James Croall. The original title is Fourteen Minutes: The Last Voyage of the Empress of Ireland

 

[divemaster_jim]

Thank you,
Got me another book to read!:monkeydan

 

[wardric]

I like the way it's written. Many survivors testimonies, good unbiased analysis. Very sad tragedy.

 

[rawls]

Thanks DMJ...Was going to ask wardric the same question

Thanks wardric for the info...