The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-17
A Young Engineers An
SWer on Examination.
Was Pat and Pointed and
F. Gained Him His License.
Curious Story of Turning Of Mans
Hair Gray in a Night.

There is visiting the city just now an
engineer OF an ocean freight steamer
which plies between New York and
European ports. He has been given
vacation, and hiving relatives in Provi-
dence, decided TO spend the greater part
OF his season OF leisure with them. The
Gossiper had the good fortune OF meet
ing him some days ago and found him an
exceedingly interesting and instructive
talKer. lie told some queer stories about
the happenings on booad a freighter and
the shifts that, have to be made in foul
weather, when the cargo happens TO get
adrift through improper stowage. One
of his most striking anecdotes, however,
was about a candidate for an engineers s
certificate anu the answer he made 10
what seemed a rather foolish question.
ut lsast the old engineer considered the
question senseless one and the answer
so biiyht THAT he laughed heartily for
many minutes, after finishing, al
though he mast have told the tale many
hundred times.
ssIn the early days OF steamboaiing,
began the engineer on vacation, "you
must remember that one OF tho greatest
dificultios experieced by inventors was
10 provide water for the boilers. OF
course there was water enough In the
sea but even at that carly date IL was
known that the use Of this salt water IN
steam boiler would lef d TO corrosion
which would very quickly render II
absolutely worthless. The first steam
ers therefore carried their supply OF fresh
water in immense tanks, which ADDED
10 the space occupied by the fuel, lett
but very little room for either passengers
or freight. Finally the problem was solv-
ed by the invention OF the condenser by
which sea water was distilled, and made
better for steaming purposes than mucn
OF the spring water you can get ashore.
This condensing or distIlling appara-
tus became an important part OF the
machinery of tue snip and had to be
locked after as carefully as the engines
or tie boiler.
ssIt looks like going around Robin
Hoods barn to tell you all this, but had
10 do It in order to explain how young
friend OF mine--he was young then, ana,
for thnt matter, so was i--gave the ex-
amining board the best answer ever
heard and showed them how foolish they
Were in putting such au interrogatory.
The examination had been going on for
hours and my friend had answered all
the questions In first-cass shape. In fact
his percentage OF wrong replies was very
small. Finally the chairman OF the board
put this conundrum; Now, suppose Mr..
------. you were ct sea in your vessel
and you found all your machinery run
ming in proper manner, your pumps, In
jectors, etc., and no leaks in your pipes
anywhere, no trouble in fact In any
direction. and yet you could not get more
water into your boilers, where what was
already in Was fest running down to the
danger oint. Will you please tell us hat
~ "A an
Now some men might have said they
would blow of steam, others that they
would pull the fires so as to avert an ex-
plosion, until they could discover and
remedy the difficulty. Not so, my friend
sWell. gentlemeu,' he answered, 'jn the
case you give me, with all the machinery
working well, no leaks in pipes, no stop
psges, and In fact no trouble In any
di'cction, j should go 10 the side OF the
ship TO see IL there was any water there.
My friend got his diploma all right, and
you can bet there was good deal OF
laughing at that board when the question
and the answer it received became known
among steamship engineers"
Almost daily there may be seen on the
streets In the center OF the city a gentle
man OF II assivo frame somewhat bent
now, with kindly face lighted by blue
eyes, the whole surmounted by hair
almost as white as snow. Ills name is
Bowers and in youth end early manhood
he followed the sea. A friend of his who is
familiar witt mis- history tells the Gossiper
that the sen veterans hair has been as
white as /; is at the present moment since
he was little over II years OF age, and
what is more, that the change from dark
brown 10 snowy white occurred In
single night. This is the story as related
10 the Gossiper: sir. Bowers sailed in
comparatively small vessel to the west
{ coast OF Africa for the purpose OF trading
with the natives. The pfinciral part OF
the cargo consis ed OF gunpowder In kegs.
This was very carefully, and, IL was sup
posed at thc time, securely slowed in the
hold. When the vessel was yet some
hundreds OF miles of its destination il sx-
perenced a terrific thunCeT and light
ming ctorm, accompanied 10y heavy rain.
Then csme the alarming report from be-
low that some OF the powder casks haa
got adrift, and were racing from one end
OF the hold to the other with each lurch
Of the vessel.
Only those who have been I'm sim liar
position can realize the feelings of the
master and men OF that ship. Any
moment they might lie blown INTO
eternity ana not a vesiige left TO tell how
The catastrophe happened I'm those
rolling and careering casks lay the pres
ent menace. They might meet, and in
the grinding tnat would follow a spark
might be emitted which would ignite
the loose powder that had worked its
way out, ana then the explosion Of the
hundreds OF kegs would be bat the work
OF an instant. Of course the oniy chance
for ssfety lay in securing those rolling
casks. Two men wore called for as volun-
teers TO undertake the hazardous task.
Mr. Bowers ar q another promptly stepped
puf They were uruVided wit wooden
mallets. wooden blocks, wedges and
sboyeis. Not a particle of iron or steel
nor a glimmer OF IiKht went with them
Into that PIT OF danger. There was not