Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-11-22
The Sturg Teller.
IN A BOILER.
A Thrilling Incident on Mississippi
Steamer.

A Thrilling Incident on Mississippi
Steamer.
care you sure that's the Flame over by
the shore?"
"Certing, nanny! I could tell her pipes
across the Mazoura." ...- ...
"And you will overhaul herr" ... .,...
"Won't We, though! l tell ye. stranger,
40 sura as nv name is Ben Blower, that
last tar bar'l l hove in the furnace has put
list the smart chance of 60 ahead into us to
cut of the Flame from yonder pint, or send
our boat to kingdom come"
"The devil r exclaimed bystander, who
intensely interested in the race, was leaning
the while against the partition of the boiler
room. "I've chosen nice place to see the
fun near this internal boiIer!' -
"Not so bad as if you we're in it," coolly
observed Ben, as the other walked rapidly
away. =,
"As if he we're in it! In what-in the
boiler?"
"Certing Doesn't folks sometimes 60 into
bilers, nanny" ..a<
II should think thered be other parts of
the boat more comfortable"
"That's right; poking your fun at me at
once't. But wait till we get throug a this
brush with the old Flame, and I'll tell ye of
reglar fixin scrape that man may get into.
It's true, too, every word of it-as sure as
my name is Ben Blower"
"I've been on the river often" said.
"You have seen the Flame, then, afore,
stranger? Six years ago, when new upon the
river she was a real outand.outer, I tell ye.
/ was at that time q hand aboard OF her
Yes! I belonged to her at the time OF her
great race with the Collar. You've heerD,
maybap, of the blowup by which we lost it!
They made great fuss about it; but it was
nothing but a mere 6zz of hot water. after
all. Only the springing of a few rivets, which
loosened biler.pate or two, and let out
thin spirting upon some niggers that hadn't
sense enough to get out of the way. Well,
the Collar took off our passengers, and we
ran into Slnasher's Landing, to repair dam
ages and bury the poor fools that we're killed
Here we laid by for a matter of thirty hours
or so, and got things to right for bran new
start. There was some carpenters work yet
to be done, but the captain said that that
might be fixed off jpst as we'll when we were
under weigh we had worked hard, the wealth
or was sour, and We needn't do any more Jst
now; we might take the afternoon to our
selves, but the next morning he'd get up
steam bright and early, and we'd all come
out new. There was no temperance society
at Smasher's Landing, and l went ashore up.
on a lark with one of the hands"
omit the worthy Benjamin's adventures
upon land, and, dispairing of fully conveying
his language in its original Doric force, will
not hesitate to give the rest Of his singular
narrative in my own words, save where, in
a few instances, I can recall his precise
phraseology, which the reader will easily re-
cognize. -...,:,
"That night was raw and sleety when re-
gained the deck of our boat. The officers, in
stead of leaving a watch below, had closed
up every thing and shut themselves in the
cabin. The fre-room only was open. The
boards, dashed from the outside BY the explo-
sion, had not yet been replaced. The floor of
the room was wet, and there was scarcely a
corner which afforded shelter from the dri.
wing storm. was about leaving the room,
resigned to sleep in the open air. and now
bent only upon getting under the lee OF some
bulkhead that would protect me against the
wind. In passing out. kept my arms
stretched forward to feel my way in the dark,
but nv feet came in contact with heavy
iron lid. stumbled, and, as fell, struck
one of my hands into the 'man-hole' think
this was the name he gave to the oval.shaped
opening in the head of the boiler) through
which the smith had entered to make his
repairs. I fell, with my arm thrust so far
into the aperture, that l received pretty
smart blow in the face, as it came in con.
tact with the head of the boiler, and I did
not hesita to drag my body after it, the mo-
ment I recovered from this stunning effect
and ascertained my whereabouts. In word,
crept into the boiler, and resolved to pass
the rest of the night there. The place was
dry and sheltered. Had my bed been softer,
would have slept all that man could desire;
as it was, 1 slept, and slept soundly.
II should mention, though, that before
closing my eyes, several times shifted my
position. I had gone, first of all, to the fur
ther end of the boiler; then, again, had
crawled back to the man-hole, to put my
hand out and feel that it was really open.
The warmest place was at the farthest end,
where finally established myself, and that
knew from the first. 1t was foolish in me to
think that the opening through | had just
entered could be closed without my hearing
it, and that, too, when no one was astir but
myself beside, never could bear to be shut
up in any place; it always gives wild.like
feeling about the head. You may laugh,
stranger, but believe l should sufocate in
an empty church, if once felt that was so
shut up in it that l could not get out. have
met men afore now, just like ME, or worse,
rather-much worse-men that it made
sort of furious to be tied down to any thing,
vet so soft-like and contradictory in their ma
lures, that you might lead them anywhere, so
long as they didn't feel the string. Stranger,
it takes all sorts Of people to make world,
and we may have good many of the worst
kind of white men here out of the West. But
l have seen folks upon this river-quiet.look-
ing chaps, too, as you ever see-who were so
teetotally carachtevankterous that they'd
shoot the doctor who'd tell them they could
not live when ailing, and make die out of it,
list out of spite, when told they must get we'll.
Yes; fellows as fond of the good things of
earth as you or I. yet who'd rush like mad
right over the gangway plank of life. if once
brought to believe that they had to stay in
this world, whether they wanted to leave it or
not. Thunder and bees }! if such fellows as
that heard the cocks crow, as l did-awaken-
ed to find darkness about him-darkness so
thick you might have cut it with knife
heard other sounds, too, to tell that it was
morning-and, scrambling, to tumble for
that man hole, found it, too, black, closed