The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-05-04
EXHAUSTIVE.

The smoking room of transatlantic
steamer is the greatest place in the world
for stories. On every trip there is always
some one who has q special gift in that
direction. The last time | went across
there was Mr.. Scott on board who told
us some of his wonderful adventures.
One day he said;
II never take passage on steamer
until the very last moment" .
"Why is that?" some one asked 81
should think you would sometimes run
the risk of not getting good room"
"Oh, don't mind that, )" answered Mr..
Scott, "what l am anxious about is to
avoid Hobbs"
"Who's Hobbs2' three or four asked
together.
Well, It's plain you never met him or
you wouldn't have forgotten him. Hobbs
Is an inventor, who turns his intellect
towards marine improvements. The first
time l met him he was crossing over try
ing to get his patent ntnonseasickable berth
adopted. The steamship company had
refused to put in the berths. but allowed
him to go on the steamer and put in
berth If a passenger wanted it in. The
consequence was that Hobbs made life
burden for all of us. Some ordered in
the berths in order to get rid OF his can
vassing and explanations. The improve
ment generally made them so seasick
that they slept the rest of the voyage on
the sofa. 1t was an oscillating affair,
and the chances were that if you did
succeed in getting into it the thing
would pitch you out on the floor
before morning. We worried through
that trip, but my next voyage
with Mr.. Hobbs was a terror. AS a
general thing have a room to myself
when cross, but this time found that
some one else was to be in with me. The
first day out came down to my room
and found it filed up with all sorts of
paraphernalia, so much SO could hardly
enter. Some one was in the upper berth
and was stretching himself half way
across the room tacking canvas to the
ceiling.
"Hellol" l cried. "What the deuce
are you upto2 Iwant you to understand
that this is my room.'
"Mine, too," cried the other fellow,
with his mouth full of tacks. Then
looking down at me he dropped the tacks
on the floor and shouted gleefully, "Hel-
10, Scottl That you? Well, this is luck.
didn't know but I would have some
stranger with me this time, so hurried
to get through with my little plan before
he could object"
He was so covered with dust that at
| first did not recognize him, but as he
jumped down saw with horror that it
was Hobbs, and felt sure that would
have another siege with the oscillating
berth.
"What is all this anyhow Some new
! improvement on the berthP"
mo, I've been studying this thing
since ] have been over here, and find
that it is not the motion of the vessel
that causes seasickness at all. No, sir.
| 1t is the foul air. You have noticed that
when passengers stay on the deck they
are not half SO bad as when they remain
in their staterooms. Now there is just as
much motion on deck as in the state
room, so it is evidently not the motion
that makes the difference. Now what is
it? Why it is the fresh air. That's the
whole secret. I've perfected an exhaus-
tive apparatus which will keep the state
rooms and cabin as pure as the deck out
side. Like all great inventions it is very
simple. All we have to do is TO exhaust
the air and there you are"
The first four days out we had an aw-
full time. Hobbs worked at that thing
night and day. There was no rest for
me, all the time he was at it. He talked
necessarily. He wanted to fix it so that
only a certain amount of fresh air would
get in, and he had arrangements fol
stopping drafts and preventing the foul
air from the rest of the ship getting in,
and all that sort of thing. At last one
night-the fifth night out--he announced
that everything was completed and that
he would get the pump attached that
night or next day. fell into troubled
slumber, and some time in the might
wakened up with a strange feeling of op
preston. found it almost impossibletc
breathe. lay there painting for few
moments, not knowing what was the
matter with me. The air seemed a:
rarefied as at the top of mountain. Al
at once l recognized new sound. L
was sound Of suction, and the whole
situation flashed ON me. Hobbs haC
started his internal machine and it wa
! drawing all the air out of the room. 1
was exhausting the air faster than thu
crevices let it in.
knew that if was to save my life
must act quickly. l sprang from tn,
berth andstruck match. ItglimmereC
for a moment and then went out. Their
was not enough oxygen in the room t.
allow it to burn. Then thought of tn
electric light. That, at least, was indie
> pendent of air. Igroped around for tn
knob and turned it on. Hobbs was sleep
ing peacefully in the upper berth.
tried to open the door. but it was locked
and saw with dismay that the key wa
not there. To make sure of his murder
GUS experiment, Hobbs had hidden tn
| key. At that moment wild desire t
70 murder Hobbs seized me. forge
that he must necessarily suffer the sam
/. fate as myself. Preached up and grabbe
him by the arms and flung him on tn
floor with a crash that ought to hav
broken every bone in his body. Ispran
on him, and, with both hands, grippe
his throat, pounding his head against tn
carpeted floor with all the energy of de-
peration.
T Hobbs. you villain" yelled, ''wher
Is the keyP"
10 "Wh-wha-what keyf" gasped th
c, awakened man between thumps.
y "The door key-you know what key.
H-I-never saw It," suffered Hobb
e Then it occurred TO me that l had be
u ter leave Hobbs 70 the fate ha had ,,r,