Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-29
BATTLING WITH DISASTER.
How o Live Newspaper Overcomes Diff
hculties Apparently Insurmountable.


70 the charge Of Boosting, The STAR can point
TO Its experience Of the past two days as an
illustration Of how serious and apparently in
surmountable difficulties may be overcome by
persistent energy and well directed enterprise.
When day dawned on Thursday morning, the
boiler, engine and wetting-machine rooms Of
the establishment presented the most chaotic
and demoralizing appearance imaginable. They
looked, in short, very much like
SMALL SECTION OF YOUNGSTOWN,
hastily trsnsplanted from the Conemaugh to the
Potomac. The foundation Of the north wall
had given way, the wall itself had fallen down,
and the roof had tumbled in upon the engine,
bending some of the connecting pipes, and
utterly disabling the main driving shaft, by
which power was carried to the presses and
other machinery of the Office Broken and
crumbled brick, mixed with ink, tools, and bits
OF machinery, were strewn in all directions,
and over everything was spread thick pail Of
crushed plaster and fine dust. The outlook
was from every point Of view most discourag-
ing. The chances seemed to be indeed ten to
one that The STAR could not appear that day,
with fair prospect also for
AN INTERRUPTION OF PUBLICATION,
or at least but a half-sheet issue, for two or
three days, or perhaps still longer. In fact,
some Of its contemporaries announced after
their representatives had examined the situa-
ton and studied the difficulties to be overcome
that publication would necessarily be suspended
FOR day or two, or perhaps longer until the
requisite repairs could be made. This was the
situation that confronted the administration Of
the office on the opening Of business hours
Thursday morning. 1t was in the last degree
disheartening. But no obstacle, however
great, and no combination Of obstacles, how
ever powerful, can be allowed to interfere
with the regular publication Of an enter
prising, progressive daily paper of the period,
such as The STAR Is everywhere conceded to be.
The problem that presented itself was difficult
one, complex in character and formidable in
proportions; but IL had to be solved speedily
and successfully. A hurried but careful survey
of the situation showed that il was useless to
think of making any connection between the
boilers as they stood and the presses. which
motion for service. The engine. with its equip
ment Of betting, shafts, &C., was
HoPELEssLY WRECKED.
To procure new one, prepare Its foundation,
and put it in place, would at the least require
several days time, which could not be spared.
With this fact established, there were only
three possible ways out of the dilemma, One
was to secure, il one could be had, a portable
combined boiler and engine, which, it was
hoped, might furnish the requisite power for
the presses. Another was to obtain the use of
through which power might be drawn from the
T. ). Electric Light company to bridge over
the emergency. The third was to accept the
kind offer of the National Tribune, whose press
had done noble service for The STAR when its
office was partially destroyed by fire a couple
OF years ago. The latter resource involved
considerable extra trouble, and great loss of
time, since a single machine could not do in
the same time the work performed by three
10 Al
home plant available, if possible. Accordingly,
Investigations were at once set on foot in each
Of the three directions indicated in order that
THE LEAST POSSIBLE DELAY
might be avoided. 1t was soon discovered that
there was in the city but one unattached cleo
trio motor of anything like sufficient power to
run a single press, and that this one had I'M
fortunately been subjected to a couple of DAYS
submersion in the late Potomac food, by which
its armatures and some other parts had been
destroyed, or so badly injured as to be practi-
eally useless for the time being. The next ex-
pedient was the
PORTABLE BOILER AND ENGINE,
as intimated above. The largest machine of
this sort to be had in the city was Immediately
pressed into service, and brought upon the
premises. Temporary shaftng was speedily
put up, and betting stretched from it TO the
engine stationed on the side walk. The fire
was quickly started, and as the indicator slowly
rose hope was revived in a good many anxious
hearts. The extreme limit of pressure was
boon reached, but alasi instead of giving the
required life and motion to three immense web
printing machines waiting to do their accus-
toned work, it failed to run even one Of them
at a speed sufficient for service! After this
failure but one source remained-the Tribune
press, the only one in the city that can at all
accommodate The Stars stereotyped forms.
Every effort was accordingly bent in that direc-
ton, and
AT ITS Usual HOUR
TIE STAR appeared on the streets, showing but
few and slight marks Of the trying ordeal
through which the establishment had passed
during the day; and. without the explanation
which its columns that day contained probably
none Of its readers would have realized how
near they came to being deprived Of their in
dispensable evening entertainment which the
columns of The STAB always supply.
Meantime, measures to secure more salts
factory and permanent power and service had
pushed.
KILOGRAMS WERE SENT
early in the day to New York, ordering three
6fteen-horse-power electric motors to be sent
20 the Office from that city by the first train,
and this commission was followed by a capa-
BILE and energetic attache Of the local electric
company, who went on the first north bound
tram 70 see tndt tnere snOulQ De no mistake
delay in shipment. 1t was supposed that from
the stock in hand in that city the order could
be filed forthwith, in its entirety; but it WAS
subsequently discovered that but a single
machine was completed and ready for ship
ment, with q second almost finished The first
was
AT ONCE STARTED on IT'S WAY
In the hope that it would arrive here early yes
terday morning, and be ready for use by the
hour Of going to press that afternoon, and ar
rangements were made for the forwarding of
the other at the earliest practicable moment
Unfortunately, however, expectations in regard
to the first motor were not fully realized. In
spite Of every effort to
PUSH THINGS"
70 use Gen. Grants expressive suggestion to
Sheridan, it did not reach the Office until too
late to be Of use the same day. Early this
morning, however, capable and willing hands
were at work putting
THE MAGICAL MACHINE
In place and making the necessary connections
with press No. !, and by O'Clock the newly
applied power was put to the test. Happily il
has more than met expectations and Satur-
days triple-sheet or twelve-page issue
APPEARs As USUAL TO-DAY,
pretty much as il nothing at all uncommon had
happened,-part Of the large edition being
printed on one Of the home presses Of The