Piccard Junior Inspects Under Water Performance -- Still wearing his mask and breathing apparatus, Jacques Piccard, son of Prof. Auguste, Climbs aboard an auxiliary craft after inspecting the bathysphere's under-water performance. It was curing one of his inspections that he discovered a serious gasoline leak which caused the 69-year-old Swiss born scientist to postpone his proposed dive to 4,000 meters. In the bathysphere, the gasoline only has a hydrostatic function while the two small propellers with which the "ship" is equipped, are driven by electric batteries. September 27, 1953. (Photo by United Press Photo).