The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-07-17
EXHAUSTIVE.

uirectioh lie 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 a steamer
until the very last moment
why is that" sone one asked. II
should think you would sometimes run
the risk of not getting good ROOM"
"0h, don't mind that" answered Mr..
Scott, ''what | am anxious about is to
nyoid Hobbs
Who's Hobbs?" 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 met him he was crossing over try
ing TO get his patent nonseasickabe berth
adopted. The steamship company had
refused to put In the berths, but allowed
him 10 go on the steamer and put in a
berth II passenger wanted it in. The
consequence was that Hobbs made life a
burden for ali Of us Some ordered in
the berths in order TO get rid Of his can
wasting 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 II you did
succeed In getting into il 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
general thing have room TO myself
when cross. but this time found that
some one else WIS 10 be in with me. The
first day out came down 10 my room
and found ii filled up with all sorts Of
paraphernalia. 30 much 80 could hardly
enter. Some one was in the upper berth
and was stretching himself half way
across the room lacking canvas to the
ceiling
"Hello!" | cried. What the deuce
are you upto' lwant 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. Scott That youS Well, this is luck.
didn't know but | would have some
stranger with me this time, 30 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 be
jumped down saw with horror that 1t
was Hobbs. and | felt sure that would
have another siege with the oscillating
berth.
what is all this anyhow? Some new
improvement on the berthg'
mo, I've been studying this thing
since | have been over here, and l find
that il Is not the motion Of the vessel
that causes seasickness at all No, SIR
Il is the foul air You have noticed that
when passengers stay on the deck they
are not half SO had as when they remain
in their staterons Now there is Just as
much motion on deck as in the state
room. 80 il Is evidently not the motion
that makes the difference. Now what is
its Why il is the fresh air. That's the
whole secret I've perfected an exhaus-
tive apparatus which will Keep the state
rooms and cabin ds 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-
ful 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. lie wanted TO fix it so that
only 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-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 night
wakened up with strange feeling Of op-
preston. found il almost inpossibleto
breathe. lay there painting for a few
moments. not knowing what was the
matter with Inc. The air seemed as
rarefied as at the top Of a mountain. AL
at once ! recognized new sound II
was sound Of suction, and the whole
situation flashed on me. Eobbs had
started bis internal machine and it was
drawing all the air out OF the room. 1t
was exhausting the air faster than the
crevices let II in.
knew that il was to save my life ]
must act quickly. sprang from the