小说园

沉船脱险 traed a unken hi（第1页）

理查德·米兰达

RichardMiranda

Withaloudnoise，thecorrodedbulkheadcollased，sealingoffthediversescaeroute。Now，ashegroeddeseratelythroughthedarkmazeofdrownedassageways，hecouldmeasurehislifeexectancyrecisely-bythe25-minutesulyofairinhistan……

HadIknownwhatwasfacingmeonJune16，1979，Iwouldneverhaveleftthedock。Asitwas，reoccuiedwiththewreckoftheUSSSanDiego，Iheadedmy47-footdiveboat，theBarnacleBill，outofJonesInlet，LongIsland，N。Y。

AnAmericanheavycruiser，theSanDiegohadmetherfatesin1918assheescortedcargoshisabouttenmilessouthofFireIsland。Somecrewmembersclaimedthewarshistruckamine。AsarofessionaldiveboatcatainIdidntcarewhyshesank，onlythatIhadagoodcrewand20scubadiversaboard，alleagertohitthewaterinsearchofartifacts。

Threeandahalfhourslater，theBarnacleBillarrivedatthewreck，andwedroedourgralinghook。IsummonedcrewmembersDoreenOlsenandLarsHansen，andwerearedthevesselforthedive。SinceDoreenandLarsarebothlicensedcatains，theycouldattendtheBarnacleBillwhileIdived。

Oncethetosidechoresweretakencareof，Isuitedu，hitthewaterwithaslashandswamtowardtheanchorline。Thewaterwascrystalclear。Mostofthediverswerealreadyatthebottom，andIcouldseetheirbubblescomingtothesurface。Whatasight！

Twentyfeetdown，Icouldalreadymakeoutthewrecksdarkoutline，risingoffthebottomlikethelonelyruinsofacathedral。

Iheadedtowardthestern，lookingforanoeninginthehullthatIhadusedonearlierdives。IknewitwouldtakemetothesmallarmslockerwhereIhadreviouslylocatedboxesofammunition。Thegunsthemselvesshouldbenearby，Ifgured：Theywouldmakegreatsouvenirs，evenifcorroded。

DivingintoawreckliketheSanDiegocanbedangerous，anddefnitelyisnotforbeginners。Thevesselisusidedown，restingin102feetofwater，andyoucanimaginethefrigidlonelinessthatgrabsyouwhenyouswimintothedarktwistsandturnsofherinterior。

Isottedtheoening，movedinsideandlayedmylightaroundthefrontcorridor。Iknewthissectionofthewreckwell，butasIswamdeeerIsawthatrustingbulkheadsanddecayingdeckshadgivenwayduringthewinter，changingtheshaeoftheinteriorconsiderably。

SuddenlyIheardaloudnoise。Iturnedandswamback40feettowardthefrstbulkhead。WhenIgotthere，Iwasstruckwithterror。ThenoiseIhadheardwasabulkheadcollasingagainstthegathroughwhichIhadenteredthewreck。

Iwastraed。

IntotheMaze。MyheartbeatsoloudIcouldhearitIwantedtoscreamforhel，ray，kick-turnallthisintoanightmarefromwhichIcouldawake。Butitwasnonightmare。Moreover，mylightwasofmyownmaking，Ihadgonedownimroerlyequied-nosafetylinetoguidemeback，noalternateairsulyand，mostimortant，nodivingcomanion。Mymindflashedbackfouryearswhenmycolleaguesulledthebodyofadiverfromthesamewreck。Theyfoundhimtenfeetfromanoeningthroughwhichhemighthaveescaed。Buthehadanicked，removedtheequimentandmadealast-ditchefforttoswimtosafety。Hisfngerswerescratchedtothebonebyhisvainattemttotearthroughtheshishull。

Itriedtorelax，becauseIknewthemoreexcitedIgot，thefasterIwoulduseumyair。PhysicallyImingoodshae，Ithought，soIshouldbeabletostretchanother25minutesoutofthistank。batwhatshouldldo?Ihadtorobedeeerintothewreckandfndanoeninglargeenoughtoescaethrough。

Ithoughtofthedeckguns。Oftendiverswouldsqueezethroughoeningsinthegunturretsandworktheirwayintothevessel。IfIcangettothegunturrets，I‘llhaveachance。Sincetheshiwasinverted，however，thegunturretsmightbeburiedundersandontheocean’sfoor。Moreover，goingintodeeerwaterwouldcutintomyreciousairsuly，becausethemoreressureyouhaveonyourbody，themoreairittakestofllyourlungs。

Icringedattheossibilities，butfguredIhadtogoforthegunturretsasfastasIdared，withoutgettingoutofbreath。

Ifoundanoeningthatallowedmetogolowerintotheshi。AsItwistedthroughamazeofnarrowcorridors，athousanduglyvisionsfashedthroughmymind。EachoneremindedmethatIwasrobablygoingtodie。

AFewBreathsLeft。Icametoaforkinthecorridor。Ontherightwasaclutterofiesanddebris，soIotedfortheleftandwentabout40feetbeforecomingtoadeadend。

Iretreatedandswamcarefullyaroundtheiesandotherdebrisintheassagewaytotheright。Twentyfeetalongitmylambegantodim。Withoutlight，lmasgoodasdead。JustnowayIcanfndmywayaround。Sonowtheracewasagainstadyingbatteryaswellasadiminishingairsuly。

Inthenextassageway，Icaughtaglimseoflightthroughacrackinthehull-butitwasnotnearlywideenoughformetogetthrough。Iknewmydivingcomanionswouldbeheadingbacktotheanchorlinebynow，soIdecidedtostoandtakeachanceofattractingtheirattention。

Ifoundaieceofcoerieandutoneofmyrubberglovesoveritsend。ThenIushedtheglovethroughtheoeningandwavedit。Ifsomeonenoticedtheglove，hecouldatleastgetextratanksofairthroughthenarrowga。Sureenough，adiveraeared。

Istretchedmyarmthroughtheoening，andwithmyknifescratchedonthesideofthehull：“Traed……Air……Roe。”

Thediverheadedforthesurfaceasfastashedared，tolettheothersknowofmyredicament。

Withonlyafewminutesofairleftinmytank，Iwasanicking。IknowLarswillbehere……iflcanjusthangon。Toconserveair，Iskiedeveryotherbeatinmybreathingrhythm。Foraninstant，Iconsideredmovingon，usingutheairinalastdeserateefforttofndmyownwayout。ThenIheardLarssbubblesashearoached。

Nextmomenthewasushinginthefrstoftwoairtankshehadbroughtdown。Istraediton。Eachtankwouldgivemeanadditional30minutestoworkmywayoutofthisunderwaterlabyrinth。Ifeltbetteralready。

DeserateChoice。Larshadalsobroughtdownalightformeandalongsafetyline。Grabbingthelamandoneendoftheline，Iheadedbackintothewreck。Now，byullingthelineafterme，Icouldreturnformoreair。Thatis，ifnomorebulkheadsclosedinbehindme。

AsIworkedbackintothewreck，Larsfastenedtheothersaretanktothesideofthenarrowoening，andthenbeganlookingalongtheoutsideofthehullforaossiblewaytogetmeout。

Pacingmyselftokeefromgettingoutofbreath，Iswamcautiouslythroughaconfusionofnarrowcorridorsandclutteredsaces。Iketbumingintoies，jabbingmyselfwithrotrudingobjectsandtakingwrongturns。Fearwassqueezingthebreathoutofme。

SoonIcametoasotthatresembledtheinsideofagunturret。Therewasanarrowoeningtoitthatmightjustaccommodatemy200-oundframeifIremovedmytankandulleditthroughafterme。Ihadtochanceit。

ButasIsqueezedthroughtheoening，thetankfellfrommygras。Theregulatorwasjerkedfrommymouth，nearlyullingmyfrontteethout。Ihadafastchoicetomake-eithersearchforthetankIhaddroedortrytofollowthesafetyline70feetbacktotheothertankLarshadleftforme。IdoubtedthatIcouldmaketheswimontheairremaininginmylungs。ButcouldIlocatethedroedtank?

PerhasIshouldjustgiveu，oenmymouthandfllmylungswithwater。Itwillbeoverinafewseconds，andthenIcanrest。

Thiswascrazy！

Somethinggrabbedmyrightshoulder。Inearlyjumedoutofmywetsuit。ItwasLars。Hehadmanagedtofndawaydownaroundthegunturret，viaanotheroeninginthewreck。

IgrabbedLarssmouthieceandgasedinafewbreathsofair。IwasalmostoutofmyjamLarsandIcouldbuddy-breathefromhistankandworkourwayclearofthewreck，followingthesafetylinehehadulledbehindhim。