William Walker (diver)

William Walker

William Walker , MVO , (* 1869 in Newington, Surrey , England, † 1918 ) was the most experienced diver of the British company Siebe Gorman . Its use from April 1906 to September 1911 contributed to the restoration of the stability of Winchester Cathedral .

The church threatened to sink into the subsurface of peat and groundwater . To secure the foundations , the groundwater had to be lowered and the walls reinforced. Since the foundation walls threatened to give way in the event of uncontrolled pumping, they had to be supported, otherwise the church would have collapsed immediately.

Bust at Winchester Cathedral for William Walker

Therefore, around 235 pits up to 6 m deep were excavated along the southern and eastern foundation walls. Assisted by his signalman William West, Walker dived into these pits under the foundation of the church with a helmet diving device . There he removed the peat layer and underlayed the walls with small sacks of cement , which were finally opened, tied off and thus formed a stable support. Then the groundwater was pumped out and bricklayers were able to carry out the actual renovation work. Walker worked up to six hours a day in absolute darkness, since the water, mixed with suspended particles, was completely impervious to light and completely blocked out the view.

A total of around 25,000 bags of cement, 115,000 blocks of cement and 900,000 bricks were used in the operation.

For his work, Walker was made a Member of The Royal Victorian Order (MVO). William Walker died along with his wife at the Spanish flu - Epidemic of the year 1918th

A bust on Winchester Cathedral commemorates Walker and his dedication, which earned him the name "the man who saved Winchester Cathedral with both of his hands" .

literature

• Ian T. Henderson and John Crook, The Winchester Diver: The Saving of a Great Cathedral (Crawley: Henderson & Stirk, 1984), ISBN 0-9506549-81