, 1896-04-03
TRAPPED LIKE "A r
A MARINE ENGINEER RELATES An
AWFUL EXPERIENCE.

shut Up In the Fire Boz Of = Tug with
the Tug Leaking at . Frightful Ente-A
Deliverance That Promi.ca to Remain
Forever = Mystery.
Marine engineers have their shares Of
startling experiences. George ]. Little
tells a story of being trapped i'll the fire
box Of u boiler. In just such cream
stances the hair sometimes turns gray.
Il can never forget it if I live TO he
100 years DID," said Mr.. Little. 'It oc-
Cured On M old Buffalo tug named
after c. NJ. Farrar Of the firm Of Farrar
& Trefts of this city. The tug is gone
where all good Tugs go, but the mem
DRY of that few minutes l spent trapped
like a rat in her fire box comes back to
me often. and 1 wonder if the man who
was with mo that afternoon remembers
it as wildly as I do.
1T was late in the year, along in
December, l think. We were laying
up for the cold. We had been break
ing ice all the week previous, and the
old tug was leaking badly. so badly. in
fact, that we had been obliged to pump
her ont with IL tin pump twice that
afternoon. 1t was cold. and we wanted
to get through with our job while it
was light, so we spent very little time
Oh the pump, and ut no time did we
pump her dry. We kept the water off
the fire hole floor SO We would not be
obliged to work in tho water, and that
was about all. We intended to pump
her thoroughly after we had finished
our other work. There were two jobs
we could do after dark. Ono was the
pumping and the other was oiling the
inside of the fiji box.
when a tug is laid up for the win
ter, you know, the boiler and every
bright part Of tho engine is painted over
with oil to prevent it rusting. Tho in
side of the fire box is one of the particu-
lar places, and the owner of tho ting had
cautioned us not to slight it. That was
one Of the reasons we had put it off till
the last thing. Besides, we had to use a
torch, so it made no difference if it was
dark outside.
III is necessary that You understand
the construction Of the boiler to have o
clear idea Of tho situation. The boiler
was an ordinary marine boiler. such as
we used ten years ago. 1t had water legs
and q water bottom, with n damper
opening about 8 inches wide extending
across the front Of tho boiler. The fur
mace door was such as you will see on
any tug in Buffalo today. 1t was about
2 feet one way and IS inches the other.
The opening which it covered was a
trif1e smaller. but was plenty large
enough to allow a man to crawl through
it. The door fastened by Il heavy latch
on the outside. which dropped into place
whenever the door was shut. Inside the
fire box thore was plenty of room for two
men to sit or kneel and work. The
CRATES were removed and there was the
room from the ash pan, which was the
water bottom. to tho crown sheet. OF
course. it was lot nj inviting place, nor
large enough for Il clubroom, but there
was room for the two Of us to work. md
as two can do moro work than one we
crawled in, n after the other. The one
nearest the door, l forget now whether
it was my companion or myself, reached
out the door and handed in the oil,
brushes and the torch. We put the torch
in the opening Of the fiuo in the back Of
the fire box and started to work. The
draft through the door into the flue was
20 strong that it threatened to blow tho
light out, SO my companion said to me,
Shut the door,
"Without thinking I reached ont and
pulled the door shut. In an instant I
realized the situation. I turned to look
ut my companion and saw that lie, too,
understood. We were in the furnace of
the boiler, with the only exit locked.
We had both heard the heavy latch of
the door drop into place. Tho tug that
We were III was leaking SO badly that
she would sink in n few hours unless
some assistance came. Even then we
could zoe the water slowly crawling
over the fire hole floor. II we called. it
would do III good. We could hardly be
heard OH deck. and there vas no enc
within half a mile Of us. The damper
hole was not large enough to allow a
boy to pass through it, tosay nothing of
a man. All these thoughts ran through
our minds in q second. We were per-
fectly familiar with the situation and
knew our chances were slim. I will
never forget that scene. Before me- sat
my companion in q half crouched posi-
ton, his face thrown into bold relief by
the blackness Of the iron behind him.
The Pickering light Of the torch gave
the face, with the firm set jaw, NJ aw-
full expression. I remember, as I looked
into the face that looked into mine with
brave eyes, the thought came to me,
will I meot it as bravely as he?
"The man with me was the son Of the
owner OF the boat and my cousin. He
WA game to the fullest meaning Of the
word, and I knew it. We looked at
each other for at least a minute. 1t
seemed a century. I was waiting for
him to speak and he for me. Icould
not. The situation was hopeless. I saw
his eyes travel to the door. then to the
damper and then 10 the f1ue in which
the torch flickered feebly. Then his eyes
again sought mine as he asked in a low.
distinct voice. Did the door latch?'
II put my hand against it and
pushed. 1t did not give. l nodded my
bead. Icould not speak. He half lifted
himself and kicked the door with his
foot, and 1t swung open. The draft Of
air pus the light out. aud in that mo-
ment Of darkness I thanked God.
"To this day I cannot understand
how that latch lifted. or il it did not
drop. whyf"-Buffalo Express.
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