New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-05
LIFE IN THE FIRE-ROOM.
WORK WHICH KILLS MEN EARLY.
HOURS OF THE HARDEST TOLL IN TEMPERATURE
THAT ia TORTURE

HOURS OF THE HARDEST TOLL IN TEMPERATURE
THAT Is TORTURE.
"It's hOtter'n tOphet down in the fre-roOm.
And it's pretty dirty too But you down there
you want" The speaker assistant engineer
the New Orleans steamship Louisiana. He stood the
iron grating Of the top engine-roOm looking down
bewilderng labyrinth Of glistenng beams shafts
and rods. From unknown region of darkness be-
low the sound Of sOves scraping against coal
1t Saturday afternoon and the Louisiana get
ting up steam pr eparatory to leaving port Look out
for grease said the engineer tho visitor descended
iron ladder Hero another tier OF machinery, the
" working PLATFORM" reached. On one side
dark hole in which appeared O second ladder
running almost perpendculary down. This led to the
lower engine-room" All around the strange shapes of
the powerful machinery stood outlined in the semi
twilight. Massive arms Of steel reached across
head or were stretched up from below; steel fingers
were thrust out and jaws Of metal CAPPED though to
seize the ncautious visitor In their remoseess grasp
Every thing quiet quiet suggesting terrible over
for the muscles and sincws OF the imprisoned giant
waited the giving breath of steam waken
sistlcss action.
You are looking Mt the Oiler your said the
engineer ~ don't think much of myself" Where
the hre-roomT :" I'll show YOU Here, jack give q
lamp Take this packing in your hands, sir. and look
out for your clothes" Then Disappeared apparently
into cOalbunker through little door foot
OF the ladder. The visitor followed scrambng over n
heap of coal and found himself in the rOom line
OF fiery each side shonc into the darkness Tie
furnace doors were closed, but bright
light came from under the CRATES. AS
the eye became accustomed to the gloom
1t could be that the walls perpendicular bot
tom. slantcd toward each other each SIDE meeting
above like the pitch of roof In the centre it posi-
BILE to stand upright-approaching the sides
to sOop The hot sitting air increased the feeling
OF cOmpression; seemed imprisoned in scorching
tomb sreck Of blue sky through the venti
latng shafts overhead only an aggravation
for no fresh air entered. In tho middle Of
this dungeon, which perhaps thirty feet long,
was piled heap OF ashes. Coal and ashes
scattered over the wet and slippery iron
floor. At each end shoots from
the coal bunkers above. and below them lay heaps
OF coal. Something stirred in a corner, and pad
man, stripped to his shirt and trousers forward
STOPPING. with the pcrspiration streaming down his
face he threw open furnace door, and binding glare
OF light shot ont 1t scorchcd the very cyebas one
trying to peer in, and nearing the open
door ones flesh seemed burning. But the fire
man, bending almost double, unprotected from tn
blaze, continued raking the fire. regardless of the
sparks and sheets of flame that capcd toward him
Then he brought soN elful after shovc of coal and
fed the fire anew Closing the door he drew his grimy
hand across his forehead and then literally wrung the
water from the sleeve This shirt
"'r isn't hot at all here now" remarked the engineer
up the rts mere t3ay and this nothing to what it ia
na t S oor a bS th F' Tdsr each
opng ehcetron Sides thc hot water circuates around
Tncn sides of this little all of heated
on and there Is fire, boiling water or hot air every
| side ~ r,Inarhcd the visitor.
go, yes except the bottom. This iron floor IA
about four feet above the keelson There IL
get Gcrci O. 1909 to iGoo When we're down By Fiorida
OF in the GuI Pretty rough on the tremeni Yes. but
The worked men get the fewcst hanks and the
used up by their work and drop down before the fur
naceH Then they hoist them up and lay them out
tney don't some her fireman has got to do double
o o TINY go o ." OG fS" a nc"r or for chit then
four in watch here-a coal passcr who shoVes from
sixteen boilers of course carry One of the
hrenen has 70 look ont for The steam and keep eye
:" Lent tue ar pretty bad Wen should say it was"
in s9ni "a don't do amy good unless the is just risnf
and then this hot air il Iled with dust and acs which
Then bell rang overhead and thc engineer started
pack LOOK ou, mere, ia me visitor stumbled over
the hr men are when they re thrown against the rec, hot
Ten later the sso ore to S the o@s f WAS
seated In t'lc back room in Albany st. group
a as, one Of them lie was tall. powerfully
hoiviness in his movrn 'ns told of vitality exhausted
by oyerwork His face scanned with deep. strongly
show after years OF intense p sicai strain There
dun weary look In his sunkCn eyes. His hair was
heched with gray anda white stubbe appeared his
"Pcrnaps you're nfty 7" ea.d the visitor
Tn thih} i've replied the fireman with a bitter
I'VE bee" at sea in the nrcroom Tor sixteen
Then he went on: "Yon see they want young strong
they cant stand the work. As soon strength
begins 60 til hr thrown aside. for
MIN And the average life Of fireman ia forty years
We don't expect people to understand what the is
thcns ives and complaining heat Bat under
their feet III the trcroon with the Thermometer some
times up to 1892 we shOvcng coal and
hrcs for very NE. There isn't Il minute to stop"
rnats 20" broke in another; "ryc seen
man next him to tend his furnace Just for the minute il
took to jam the tobacco III and strike match. Aud
mans pretty busy when he can't find time an n pinn
. Alter the men have signed papers," resumed the
first speaker, say Tor months voyage to Mexico and
pax, ~, there's DO sueh thing as letting up. When
on watch with them is bound to get Just az
minute "a the engineer before him did, and il there's
y es G have ~" t% tn be- ra @ sn @ I and gs AWAY"
cicd in every minute Tue steam Ia he kept uD Ia
to think and men have hard, breath to speak" '"'e
man got to 90 in for al he's WORTH said another
d mt men hrcaA down under the strain g.
tod Mreak do tD s WIN grim I"Gsn why young
I don't know OF trip wien / haven't ~ seen Sca
IAN nat hnlcad aud thcr" are ' fcw
trIps Whelr maven seen fireman die. rniuk the
heavy work mans doing with the mercury mp to 1909
or 1902 and no fresh air! Men get oyerheated. Tnrr
faces VIII grow l'o as = corpse they II stagger and drop
then soVclS and tumble over on the coal Then thcy re
tncn. But in the tropics therein be air stirrn.,
ON deck In'y II oe pat into their hunks in the siocrac
every fireman pays 40 cents month toward keeping, up
the mc.lclncchost Then trcmcu get cramps and levers
four quarts in four hours and sweat IL all right ont
When he goes out he wiring streams of water from
oatmeal Tor the rcmcn. But they don't huIr
the zee ve ocn hoisicd bucket up in the vcuating
mkewarnl When mans sick or dies from
They work rs well as taerS ,d
may be work SIX hours on stretch Often man il so tired
do we &c. for s n wSkf % Sc S wh
$50 IA month Tor coal pssers and $40 lremcn and
we struck lately for Dcggary advance of 49, man nam
has to 20 i'll rs coal passor sovening from the shoots
first and learn the iiremans trade n fireman has to
learn about the steam and inanaSing the ires.
Iheres never day OF from tnc time he till he