Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-12-31
AN ENGINEERS YARN.

Our steamer had just cleared Singa.
pore. My duty in the engine room was
done, and was sitting with the mate
on the bridge watching the downward
sweep of the tropic dusk. at puts me
in mind Of theater sunset" he was
saying; "they always go by the run.
And that was pretty theatrical bit you
had in the engine room" he said to my
chief, who had Joined u.s. We had found
all the nuts but one off the connecting
rod head. Had another half turn been
made, our engines would have been O
scrap heap.
''Only once has it happened before" !"
said my chief, "and there was q grand
tableau, as you call it, but not in the
engine room. Our stem and three wall
eyed junks were the actors. It was up
there jerking his head northward.
"There was nothing but q thousand odd
miles Of water and dusting of islands
between us and Hongkong."
The mate held lighted match to the
chiefs pipe and set him drifting on with
the current of his yarn.
"You see, it was years and years ago,
and I was second in local boat-Hong-
kong to Yokohama. We were the first
to employ Chinese firemen. We had been
repairing and had put on fresh crowd,
all except one, Lii Chin. It was near
monsoon time, and the second day out
we were sitting as we might be here,
but there was no sunset on view. It had
been hazy all day, and we were watch
ing the moon rising-just past full. II
looked as If some one had Dashed one
side off the true. It got up to the haze,
big and blood red, like a fire balloon at
old Cremorne. A mean, staggering swell
had set in. so oily that it had no more
60 to it than the slush in a greaser's s
bucket. Wew were all pretty we'll hipped
and morose, being company for no one
except the sea, and that-well, that
looked as if it wanted to be sick and
couldn't Ii Chin, who was decent for
heathen, was in charge below.
"My chief was sitting on the rails,
and somehow he went over the side.
You know pretty we'll how things like
that galvanize everybody. Lose himr
No. The oily swell saved him, for the
old man ran the boat straight back in
her own wake, which was marked out
like dusty road at night through a
hilly country. Well, we came to where
he was yelling and got him out By all
law the old man ought to have got into
a splutter, but instead Of that he said:
{" Look here, Mr.. Gamwell'-that
was my chiefs name-'I knew some-
thing had to happen to this cook eyed no
side up looking weather, but don't be-
lieve this is the only thing tonight.
"And we all said together, That's
just what I was thinking, sir, as they
do at church when the parson pipes out.
Then send her ahead again, and
let's get it done with, he said.
Give her steam, Lii Chinp shouted
down the skylight. Ii Chin looked up
and chittered:
Hi, no talkee talkeei Come chop
chop So Invent down to him.
~ was pretty green in those days,
and whatever came within hair.
breadth of happening made me feel as
squeamish as if it had come off. Oi
course you grow out of that, but then
felt my hair creep. Our high pressure
connecting rod was on the down throw,
with only a single nut on! She hai
the old style engines, remember, ani
when they went on burst they wen
handsomely tinkering up. New en-
gines, perhaps new ship, maybe ever
new hands. However, we began to screw
up--at least the chief did. He'd onl.
trust himself. Presently he showed
nut under my nose.
"tThat your trademark he asked
The nut was ohipped and scribed will
bad spanner marks, which I repudiated
"In what followed can never quit
settle Ii Ohin's share in the programme
This was how we were after we had fix
cd all tight again: III Chin was leaning
through the eccentric rods, with tn
lamp. was half out the crank pit, ant
the chief was at my back. He had tn
spanner. All in breath he dragge'
me backward, fiat, my head cracking OF
the plates, and ! saw the ..spanner. &
CASToRIA.
..::!!::'|:'::. J: "a: 4, l11zzzz-- A. 4 AZ !;