The story of old Captain Conkling, and the Holyoke Dam from 'Careers of Danger and Daring' (1903) by Cleveland Moffett
A story known to every diver of the time, It seems there was a leak in this dam, and the water was rushing through with so strong a suction that it seemed near certain death for a diver to go near enough to stop the leak. Yet it was extremely important that the leak be stopped - in fact, the saving of the dam depended on it. So Captain Conkling, who was in charge of the job, induced one of his divers to go down, and reluctantly the man put on his suit, but insisted on having an extra rope, and a very strong one, tied around his waist.
“What’s that for?” asked Conkling.
“That’s to get my body out, if the life-line breaks,” said the diver.
“Go on and do your work,” replied Conkling, who had little use for sentiment.
It happened exactly as the diver feared. He was drawn into the suction of the hole, and when they tried to pull him up both hose and life-line parted, and the man was drowned, but they managed to rescue his body with the heavy line, just as he had planned.
Then Conkling called for another diver, but not a man responded. They said they weren’t that kind of fools.
“All right,” said the captain, in his businesslike way; “then I’ll go down myself and stop that hole.” And he called the men to dress him.
At this time, Captain Conkling was seventy-five years old, and had retired long since from active diving. But he was as strong as a horse still, and no man had ever questioned his courage. In vain they tried to dissuade him. “I’ll stop that hole,” said he, “and I don’t want any extra rope, either”. He kept his word. He went down, and he stopped the hole, but it was with his dead body, and to-day somewhere in the Holyoke Dam lie the bones of brave old Captain Conkling, encased in full diving-dress, helmet and hose and life-line, buried in that mass of masonry. No man ever dared to go down after his body.
