With Williamson Beneath the Sea

J. E. Williamson takes his wife and infant daughter Sylvia, the "little captain," to Nassau on a research expedition for the Field Museum of Chicago. Using the "Williamson tube system," which was developed by Williamson's father Charles, the researchers descend from the ship to their photospere, a round submarine-like enclosure, which has banks of lights to illuminate the surrounding ocean. The tube, large enough for a man to crawl through, connects to the ship, and through it the Williamsons receive air and communicate with those above. While the little captain enjoys the view, her father and mother make sketches of the underwater life and signal to divers which specimens to collect for shipment back to Chicago. Williamson shoots the first color film ever photographed beneath the sea, then begins orchestrating the collecting of huge samples of coral. The native divers, including lead divers Cinderella and Ward, are in constant danger from sharks, but skillfully outwit them as they retrieve the coral. Other sharks are captured and plaster casts are made of them, so that the Chicago scientists can make models of the ferocious creatures for their displays. Williamson describes other varieties of fish, and as soon as their specimens are collected and on their way to Chicago, the ship heads to the "Graveyard of Lost Ships" to search for sunken treasure. Some of the divers use full diving suits with air packs, while other use life lines, as they begin their quest. They overcome obstacles such as quicksand, a moray eel and the improper mixture of chemicals in their air packs, only to find themselves in grave danger when a giant octopus appears. The octopus grabs one of the boatmen, but the divers rush to his rescue, and after a brief battle with the huge beast, the man is free and the octopus dies. Williamson then signals his crew to aid another diver, who is overcome by the chemicals and caught in quicksand. After he is rescued, the crew sets sail for home while Williamson contemplates the divers' love for the mysteries and dangers of the deep.