The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-11-01
IN A BOILER,

by the shore?'
Certiag, NANNY | could tell her
pipes across the MaZoura."
"And you will overhaul her"
Won't we though! tell We, stran-
ger, so sure as my name is Ben Blower,
that that last tar bar'l | have in the
furnace has put jist the smart chance of
go-ahead into us to cut off the Flame
from yondcr pint CT send our boat to
kingdom come"
The deucew exclaimed a bystander,
who, intensely interested in the race. was
leaning the while against the partitions
OF the boiler room. GIVE chosen a nice
place to see the fun, near this internal
boilern'
Not so bad as if you were in it,"
coolly observed Ben as the other walked
rapidly away.
6 As if he were in it. In what-in the
boiler?"
Certiag. Doesn't folks sometimes 90
into boilers, mannyY'
| should think there'd be other parts
OF the boat more comfortable"
That's right; poking your fun at me
at once't. But wait till we get through
this brush with the old Flame, and I'll
tell We OF regular fixin' scrape that a
man may get into. It's true, too, every
word OF it-as sure as my name is Ben
Blower.
You have seen the Flame then afore,
stranger? Six years ago, when new
upon the river, she was a real ouu-and-
out, tell ye. | was at that time a
hand aboard of her. Yes! | belonged
to her at the time of her great race with
the Collar. You've hearn, mayhap, of
the great blow up by which we lost it !?
They made a..great fuss about it; but it
was nothing but mere fzz of hot water
after ALL Only the springing of few
rlvlts, which loosened a biler plate or
two and let out thin squirting upon
some niggers that hadn't sense enough
to get out of the way. Well, the Go
mars took Oft our passengers, and we ran
into Smasher's landing to repair damages
and bury the poor fools that were killed.
Here we laid by Tor matter of thirty
hours or SO, and got things to rights for
bran new start. There were some
carpenters work yet to be done, but the
captain said that that might be fixed off
Just as well when we were under weigh
we had worked hard and the weather
was sour, and We needn't do any more
just now-we might take the afternoon
to ourselves, but the next morning he'd
get up steam bright and early, and we'd
all come out new There was no temper
ance society at Smasher's Landing, and
! went ashore upon lark with one of
the hands"
| omit ~ y,nnfI,r, l,n
mln's adventures upon land; and de-
spairing of fully conveying his language
in its original Doric force, will not hest
tate to give the rest of his singular mar
rative in my own words, save where, in
few instances | can recall his exact
phraseology, which the reader will easily
recognize.
The night was raw and sleety when
| recognized the deck of our boat. The
officers, instead of leaving watch
above, had closed up everything and
shut themselves in the cabin. The fire.
room only was open. The boards dashed
from the outside by the explosion had
not yet been replaced. The floor was
wet, and there was scarcely a corner
which afforded shelter from the driving
storm. was about leaving the room, re-
signed to sleep in the open air, and now
bent only upon getting under the Ice 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 my feet came in
contact with a heavy iron lid; | STUN
bled, and as fell struck one of my hands
INTO the man-hole' Il 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 re-
pairs. | fell with my arm thrust so far
into the aperture that | received pretty
smart blow in the face as it came in CON
tact with the head of the boiler, and |
did not hesitate to drag my body after
1t, the moment | recovered from this
stunning effect, and ascertained my
whereabouts. In word, | crept into
the boiler, 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 de-
sire; as it was | slept, and slept soundly.
| should mention, though, that be-
fore closing my eyes / several times
shifted my position; | had gone first of
again | had crawled back to the man.
hole, to put my head out to feel that it
was really open. The warmest place
was at the further end, where ! finally
established myself, and that | knew
from the first. 1T was foolish in me to
think that the opening through which /
had Just entered could be closed without
any hearing it, and that, too, when no
one was astir but myself; besides, | new
er could bear to be shut up in any place
it always gives me q wild-like feeling
about the head You may laugh, but,
stranger, | believe | should suffocate in
IN empty church if | once felt that |
was 50 shut UP in ii that | could not get
out. | have met men afore now Just
like me, or worse rather-much worSe-
,nen that it made sort of furious TO be
lied down to anything, yet so soft-like-
and contradictory in their natures that
you might leSd them anywhere so long
as they did not ieel the string. Stranger, /
II takes all sorts of people 10 make a
world-and We NAV have good MANY
of the worst kind of white men here out
in the west But | have seen folks upon
this river-quiet-looking chaps, too. as
you ever see-who are 50 teetotallv car
acteyankterous that they'd shoot the
doctor who'd tell them they couldn't live
when ailing and make 6 die out Of j.
iist out Ct spite when told they must get
veil. Yes fellows Is fond Of The goOd
fhiAgs Oh earth as YOU Or /, yet who's
rush like had right ever the gangwsy