CONFLICT IN A DIVING-BELL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 689, 10 February 1881, Page 2

CONFLICT IN A DIVING-BELL.

"A rather good hint for novelists .of the Jules Verne type,' 1 observes the Globe, " was provided recently hy an incident which occurred on the Seine near Choisy-le-Roi.. The river is here about to he crossed by the new strategical railway to he des'ined to run through the; environs of Paris and connect: tho outlyin'.' forts, and workmen are boing busily engaged sinki'iis- the foundations of the new bridge. Am'onyst the men enrolled for service, are a number nf ill -"conditioned vagabond of Italian nationality, and it w;is a hand of these last which ensued in the escapade in question. Five nf them were ssnt down in a diving-bell underfhe command of an inspector of works, who, after a wjule, fnyiid it necessary to object strongly to the manner in which his subordinates did their work.. These men, however, instead of attending to the observations made to them,'took ft into their heads to resent all such advice,, and bethinkingthemselves that the 'inie'and nlncewero favorable, suddenly formed a desi»n of miking away with Hie obnoxious inspector/ They, attacked, ingly-.wjth their knives, but met: with a strenuous ;'r.as'istance, and appiTetitly showed a§ much cowardice ns could well be expected from any five men; even in a diving bell. The inspector, having d%

comfitodtoem'-inVtheir first onset, managed tb'make goodlhis escape from the scene bf cohfliot, and setting hold of the. chain atMchedto tlie bell, climbed up it, to-the?surfacerof the water,iwhefe he Bho'iited : forasßistancdi and was rsoongratified by thVsightof a boat pullitlff off to his aid.- On getting to the shore he. .jilriwp my«r t"'i wwts thefiYeiin,Buc.y cessful desper'adoes'.'as they came.outfrom' the bell when it jmsjiajijed up. .They:.. had, probably, been counting upon-the-certain death of their intended vjptira, and congratulating themselves ;upM}hav,f ing got rid of him without the mm% of more violent proceeding*; and,they were, ...therefore, somewhat surprised 'to the policeman' at his back. •As for the Inspector the masterly liiannner in, wjjwh he effected a. difficult' retreating movement, and turned the "tables upon, hisi ad- , versanes, seems to show tliat the' oontrac* tors 'knew.'pfetty.well what"they were, about when they appointed him; to .super-, intend works of a strategics] nature. ..