To streamline this labour-intensive process, he began constructing a submarine specifically designed to aid in oyster collection.
Traditionally,pearl diving relied entirely on human diversoperating without breathing equipment.
Work typically occurred during low tide, which allowed access to deeper parts of the seabed.
However, the diving window was short, lasting only two to three hours.
Within this limited timeframe, divers made an exhausting 12 to 15 trips to the seabed.
The pursuit of pearls and shells was not only gruelling but also perilous.
However, theHunleysank shortly after the attack, likely due to the shockwave from its own torpedo.
KroehlsSub Marine Explorerwas 36 feet long and 10 feet in diameter, and weighed 80 tons.
To dive, a steam tender filled the high-pressure chamber with compressed air up to 200 psi.
For propulsion, theExplorerused a hand-cranked propeller capable of generating speeds of up to four knots.
However, the venture was not without its perils.
Local accounts suggested that these deaths followed after prolonged dives to depths exceeding 100 feet and then quickly resurfacing.
If the diver surfaces too quickly, the rapid decrease in pressure prevents the nitrogen from diffusing out gradually.
Instead, it forms bubbles within the body, leading to a variety of symptoms.
However, later experiments revealed symptoms resembling what would eventually be recognized as decompression sickness.
Caisson disease proved to be a major hazard in engineering feats of the 19th century.
By the late 19th century, the scientific understanding of decompression sickness had advanced significantly.
A modern diving table.
Without Kroehls leadership or the financial resources to sustain operations, the Pacific Pearl Company abandoned the venture.
The crew returned to New York, leaving theSub Marine Explorerbeached and idle.
However, deep dives proved fatal for many workers, who fell ill or died.
Wreck of the Sub Marine Explorer at low tide, 2006.
