The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-03-02
An Engine-Room Story

An Engine-Room Story.
Continued.
"At length we were ready for sea
having taken on board q small cargo
and also some gold on it's way to tht
States. We had beautiful weather dowI
the coast, and for some time nothing
unusual occurred. Macpherson and
kept watch and watch alternately, oul
new chief of course taking none: in
deed, he came very seldom into the en-
ginc-rOom at all; and, when he did, hi
interfered with nobody. He would just
glance ut the gauges, open fire-dool
and look in, and feel the heat of the
cOndensers; but he would make no re-
mark, unless there was a little escape oi
steam, or anything of that sort which 0
child ght notice. He seldom found
fault with anybody; and very often, in.
deed almost every night, he sent down
grog to the stokers and trimmers Oh
watch, so that they began to consider
him a sort of sea-angel, and to wish that
they could always nave him for chief
Our captain, too, appeared to think
more of his wife than of the ship, and
also seemed to me to be drinking pretty
much; aud Macpherson soon found that
he might take his little drop when he
liked, having nobody to find fault with
him, except myself, who was his sub
ordinate. So, altogether, discipline be-
came very lax, and, except for the
mates, we were quite happy family at
sea. l could not help fancying, how
ever, that it was all too good TO last;
and so it turned out.
1--WE had got we'll down the coast, and
j know we were not far Oft the land,
when one night-a fine night it was, but
very dark-it was my watch below from
midnight to four in the morning. When
| say, my watch below you know, sir,
| do not mean my watch below, in the
engine-roOm, but my turn to be off du-
ty. Macpherson and l occupied as a
sleeping cabin one of the deck-hOuses
abaft the paddle-wheel, in which were
two hunks, one over the other, one his
and the other mine. At eight BELLS
twelve o'clock, you know-I called him,
and he turned out as usual, and went
to take charge of the engine-roOm;
whilst turned into my bunk and tried
to go to sleep. Now to sleep close be-
hind paddle-bOx, with the wheel but
q foot or two from your head, is, for
those unaccustomed to it, and some
times even for those who are used to it,
rather difficult operation, especially
when the ship is rolling. There is a
creak and buzz, as your side rises
with the roll; and q roar, and bang,
and shock, and splutter as your
wheel is in its turn half-buried in the
sea; with continual tremble and shake
never ceasing for moment, which, al
together, render sleeping in such po'
sition an art only to be acquired by
long practice; and, as have said, not
always to be depended on even then.
can sleep as well as most people; and
am not at all a particular man in such
matters; but on the night in question
although there was not much sea on,
soon found that any attempt to get q
sleep in my bunk was hopeless. / could
not afford to throw away my few hours
in thinking about it; so, turning out
again, without much delay, ! went be,
low to the engine-roOm, and crept into
snug little spot between the starboard
cylinder and the forward bulkhead OF
the engine-room, which had several
times before, on our outward voyage
used for similar purpose. l must de-
scribe the engine-roOm to you. 1t was
very much like this one: the engines
were side-levers like these; and the
stoke-hole, with its fire-doOrs, was ad'
Joining the engine-room, without any
separation between. The cylinders
we're forward, about four feet from the
bulkhead, and the boilers and stoke.
hole were aft. There was platform
Just like this, at the level of the tops oi
the cylinders, on each side Of the en-
gine-room, and across the forward part
of it, close to the bulkhead; with lad
ders ut the after-ends of the two side
platforms leading down to the stoke
hole; and another ut the middle OF the
part that went across, by which you
descended to narrow passage between
the engines, where the starting-handles
&c, were placed: ut the same part OF
the platform was the ladder which com
munieated with the deck.
"You will see from this that there was
at the forward end Of the engine-rOom
having the cylinders and ends of the
engines on, one side of it, the bulkhead
on the other, and the cross platform fol
a roof, O space about forty feet wide
and in length the whole width of the
ship. The port side of this space was
filled with tallow-casks, oil-cans, &C.
! for which there was not room in thu
store-closet; but on the starboard side
thesn was nice, snug little spot, kept
tolasably cool, though SO near the cyl
inders, by the draught OF air from the
deck, and through some holes in the
bulkhead, from the fore-hold. Thi:
snugsery was approached by narrow
passage on the starboard side of the
ship,Sfor the ladders and the deck
pump prevented your getting in from
between the engines, and the donkey
engine was in the way on the port side
and you had to make rush to get in
where you did, without duckins
| from the waste-water pipe through the
ships side, which was very leaky, sc
that there was generally q torrent ol
water falling down from it. But once
in, with bag of cotton wiPings for
I bed, and my Jacket rolled up for q pill
low, l could generally calculate on 3
comfortable snooze, without disturb
I ance from the wheels or anything else
/ am obliged to be 30 particular in my
description, or you would never under
stand what I have to relate. In this IA
vorite spot Of mine, then, you will I'M
derstand that i lay down, and in . very
few minutes was fast asleep.
| "I had not slept very long, when
tswoke with Q start, and with an uneasy
i consciousness that there was something
! unusual in the working Of tho engines
III leant on my elbow and listened. They
/ were going much moro slowly than usu