Litchfield enquirer., 1856-07-31
Fire! Fire !!

1 Steamboats do catch fire sometimes. We have had two or three dreadful corroboratons of the unpleasant fact of late We came near being an unconscious victim, once of such Q calamity.
 No matter when it was--it is not long ago, however-and no matter which is the boat though we saw her yesterday, at the wharf looking as innocent as an infant. We had de parted for a neghboring city. Provided with all the daily papers, we had taken comfort able seat on the upper deck to enjoy the weather and the scenery. While thus engaged, the master of the boat, with whom we were &C., quainted, seated himself by our side, and for an hour kept hs deeply interested with his hu- morous narratives, his droll historiettes, and bis comic comments.
 We soon observed, however, that his face began to grow serious and that he often paused in his happiest flood of repartee to cast look of embarrassment at the boat and at the water We thought that we were making rather tardy progress; but we knew las pru- dcnce, and so calmly submitted to his judgment In short time his uneasiness became too ap- parent, aud, excusing himself, he left us, and hurried up to the pilot; we curiously followed him. MT. Blank, what's the matter with the boat z" was his abrupt inquiry.
 Cant say sir. Bill was on a spree yester- day. Perhaps he's asleep!
 The individual called Bill, we found, was the engineer. Down went the little captain to the engine room. We were not far behind him.
 What sight encountered his petrfed gaze His eyes dilated until the balls almost leaped from their bursting sockets There lay the engineer on the floor fast asleep! A trench dous fire roared under the red-hot boiler, and not three inches of water inside of it
 We comprchendcd enough of the scene to feel that we were all on the verge of destruction. We saw at Q glance that alarm would only hasten our impending fate. What was to be done? Pump water into the boiler Why, it would collapse in an instant We could only watch our little captain.
 The moment he beheld the inmnence of the danger, he became as cool and as calm as an icicle. lie rv..ccatcd to his state-room. He was not absent five minutes, put it seemed, in our pent-up ago.y of apprehension, like an hour. We could not leave the engine room-- We expected every moment to hear the terrific explosion that would end our days on earth but we were fascinated as with spell, to the spot. We conld but look on the blazing fur uuCc uuu lue sictpuiS tuaH ut US SioWliS ITOHt.
 When the captain returned he had loaded pistol in each hand. He pointed both to the head of the unconscious slumberer, and then, with violent kick rendered him suddenly wide awake
 Draw that fire v said he noddng at the grate, around the wooden work of which the smoke already began to curl from the intense heat,
 
 "0reat God !" exclaimed the engineer, springlng up, it W Ill be certain death"
 :" "Soit will be without, in ten seconds" sternly replied the captain, placing the muzze of one pistol at the temple of the aifrglted man.
 He said W more, but throwing up the fur mace doors, rapidly commenced to draw the coals from b>ncath the boiler
 "One moment more determines our fate v hoarscly whispered our little captain, as he bcckoned to us to bcgonc.
 We hastclied to place ourselves as far astern us we could get. Five minutes more passed that seemed about like nh eternity Then we saw the hose carefully handed down-the fire buckets passed along--the pumps put in motion
 The captain next came on deck and hailed a passing vessel. It came to- The steamboat had stopped by this time and explaining that the machinery was out of order. he passed us all ou board the ether vessel, and showed off, We got back to New York beftre night, and not passenger had imbibed the faintest idea of the reat cause of their detention
 The next day we met the captain, and grasp. ing our taud he said with solemn earnestness -" God forbid that we should ever pass through such a scene again l"