Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1891-12-03
EXHAUSTIVE.

thero was Mr.. Scott on board who told
us some of his wonderful adventures
One day he said:
II never take passage on n steamer
until the very last moment"
"Why is that" some ono asked. II
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 Hobbs;' three or four asked
together.
Well, it's plain you never met him or
is an inventor, who turns his intellect
towards marine improvements. The first
time met him he was crossing over try
ing TO get his patent tnonseasickablc berth
adopted. The steamship company had
refused to put in the berths, but allowed
him to so on the steamer and put in a
berth if Il passenger wanted il in. The
consequence was that Hobbs made life
burden for all of us. Some ordered in
the bcrths 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. lt was an oscillating affair,
and the chances were that if you did
succeed in getting ipto 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 n terror. AS q
general thing have n room to myself
when l cross, but this time l found that
some one else was to be in with me. The
first day out came down to my room
and found it filled 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.
"Hello" l cried. What the deuce
are you upto? Iwant you to understand
that this is my ROOM"
mine, too" cried the other fellow,
with his mouth full of tacks. Then
boxing down at me he dropped the tacks
on the floor and shouted gleefully, "Hel-
10, Scott That you? Well, this is luck.
didn't know but l 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 1t
was Hobbs, and l felt sure that would
have another siege with the oscillating
berth.
What is all this anyhow? Some new
improvement on the berth?'
mo, I've been studying this thing
since | have been over here, and l find
that it is not the motion of the vessel
that causes seasickncss 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 tho 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
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
incessantly. He wanted to fix it SO that
only q certain amount Of fresh air would
get in, and he had arrangements for
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-tho fifth night out-he announced
that everything was completed and that
he would get the pump attached that
night or next day. fell into q troubled
slumber, and some time in tho night
wakened up with a strange feeling Of op-
preston. found it almost impossibleto
breathe. 1 lay thero painting for few
moments, not knowing what was the
matter with me. The air seemed as
rareiied as at the top of mountain. All
at once l recognized new sound. It
was a sound of suction, and the whole
situation flashed on me. Hobbs had
started his inferpal machine and it was
drawing all the "a out of the room. 1t
was exhausting the air faster than tho
creviccs let it in.
knew that if l was to savo my life
must act quickly. l sprang from tho
berth and struck a match. 1t glimmered
for q moment and then went out. There
was not enough oxygen in the room to
allow it TO buvn. Then thought of the
electric light That at least, was inde-
pendent of air. / Igroped around for the
knob and turned it on. Hobbs was sleep
ing peacefully in tho upper berth. I
tried TO open tho door. but it was locked,
and l saw with dismay that tho key was
not there To make sure of his murder
Gus experiment, Hobbs had hidden the
key. At that moment wild desire to
murder Hobbs seized me. / forgot
that he must necessarily suffer the same
fate as myself. Ireached up and grabbed
him by the arms and flung him on the
floor with crash that ought to have
broken every bone in his body. Isprang
on him, and, with both hands, gripped
his throat, pounding his head against the
carpeted floor with all the energy Of dcs-
peration.
Hobbs. you villain" yelled, "where
is the key?"
"Wh-wha-what key" gasped the
awakened man between thumps.