The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1875-03-03
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A BLOW UP.
A MISSISSIPPI ENGINEERs DREAM.

HeorSc Washington had occasion,
before starting out Of New Orleans
to mond the boilers Of his boat, and
fcr the first time he discovered the
worthless material out of which
they wore manufactured. Tho iron
was almost rs brittle rs pewter. On
the passage up, of course, after this
discovery, tho engineer watched
every movement of his engines with
suspicion; he kept the water in the
boiler at exactly proper stage, the
valves all clear, and the pressure
moderate. When he went off watch
to obtain sleep, and resigned tho
care Of the engine to his assist
ant, he always cautioned him to OBJ
serve everything closely, for that
the boilers were not to be trusted.
One night, when about leaving
the engine, he noticed that his as
slstant appeared very slccpy-un-
usually SO, indeed; and he wanted
to tell him again to keep his eyes
open, but had repeated the caution
so often during the trip that tho
second engineer began to get testy;
he thought the chief doubted his
ability OF carofulncss. The former
having tried the steam and examined
the pumps, surrendered his watch
and turned away to seek his berth
but he could not help muttering to
himself that ho had mover before
seen his partner look so sleepy.
On second thought, he resolved
not to turn in; but, as the night
was mild, he rolled himself in his
blanket, and taking seat on the
boiler deck, near the chimneys, re-
solved to doze out Lis term of re-
lief from duty where the slightes!
noise OF anything going wrong
would arouse him. AS he looked out
into the dark night at the glare of
the fires reflected upon the water,
and tho bubbling waves caused by
the steamers course, ho fancied he
could sec evil spirits sporting in
the muddy tide, as if exulting over
q doomed cargo of victims, whom
the Kissing element below was
about to consign to destruction
With these fancies fitting through
his brain, he fell asleep and imme-
dlately his spirit wandered back to
duty; he was again, in thought, try
ing the valves OF watching the Ell
glne, and cXulting within himself
that his skill made the terrible
agent forcing them along to move
like a we'll trained steed in harness.
Seating himself, with conscious
safety, near the engine, he looked
at the moving machinery, and in
wardly began calculating the speed
with which the boat was moving.
| Presently he wished to rise from
his seat TO touch the valves; but to
his horror he found that he WAS I'm
able to move-a power against
which he struggled in vain, held
him fast. He tried to shout, but
his tongue was immovabIo. In the
meantime the engine labored away,
its clank sounding to his agonized
senses like the hollow knell of o
rapidly approaching and dreadful
doom. The engineer wcpt at the i'm
potence of his struggles to break
from his thraldom; cold perspira-
ton stood upon his body at the
thought that $50 human beings
were slumbering on board in uncon-
scious ignorance of their impend-
ing and horrible fate; and yet, know
ing this, with all the skill to save,
he sat there powerless, bound hand
and foot by some fearful spell.
The boilers began to roddcn with
tho fierce flames which the Needless
fremen were stirring up beneath
them; and the engineer groancd
with anguish at the terrible thought
of how they were feeding into
strength the fatal clement. The
confined giant Steam uttered his
shrill shouts through the throat Of
the 'scape pipe, as if in fiendisl
exultation that he had for q time
escaped from the controlling power
that had kept him in check; and tho
boat leaped through the dark and
bubbling waters, every revolution
of her hugo whoels causing the Ia
den hulk to quiver from keel tt
pilot-house; the dark line of the
shore was skirtcd with fearful ra
pidity by the laboring stoamor.-
Soon the wator appeared to be on
tirely exhausted in the boilers, anc
her helpless engineer could SEQ the
iron bulge with the awful tension
within; whilo gaseous smell, bo
tOkcninp tho friohtfnl nrox;n,;+,, ~