The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-10-16

post, while with yentilators torn UP,
hatch covers ripped off and water CUR
Cling about deep in the holds the Co
rona swung to the heavy Atlantic sea in
imminent peril.
Next morning a steady clang and
CHATTER fioated up through the stokehold
gratings, and a fireman, wiping the
sweat from his sooty face, came mp to
say that the chief wanted me below to
see how repairs were done at sea. The
chief engineer, looking gaunter and
grlmEier than ever, was sWathing him
self Ill sacks opposite the front of the
port boiler, which, although the fires
had been dra.-n, Has still almost at
blue heat. Ills third was trying to Peg
snade HIM rot to enter tile iue himself,
but the chief shock him off.
An acrid smell Of charming wood float
ed cut Of the three feet aues, and then.
while we held our breath, the chief
slowly erauIed down the let furnace
and disappeared into the dark boiler,
while i fireman followed him along the
wing tue.
Ro4 sOne minutes there was d chatter
inc ct hammers, and then nerve try
ing silence. We listened with hearts Ill
6af mouths lint CITY heard the hans
narins III ;ha runaway engines and the
Vibrating q tAe plates as i heavy SCI.
>EIaes tie ship. Ihen a smotheraa ery
1aeie fEam tie fiue, For Gcd's sake
zet ne aat"' and, leaning forward, two
tireclan dr4s2sa tile engineer forth.
hlaaased and burned, after which lie
promptly caIl5nsea ITO ! dead faint,
while j iir5ia1a went into the other tiue
It the risk of lis life, and, making fast
a rope, lis coin.ada was hauled out.
Presently the chief gasped and sat up,
holding out i hand On which the flesh
was peeling from the bones il rags, Il
can do Lac laair," lie said. ITS boil
ermaker's job. An we Gamma drive the
ither boiler at that rate any longer. Its
no safe the moo. She'll fall off in the
trough Of the sea when the engine slows
an roll over. Lord have mercy on us!'
Just then q dilapidated greaser came
in from the engine room, and | recog.
nized the man who was working his
passage. you should have sent for me
before" he said. "Giye me the tools"
what dae ye ken ABBOTT calking?"
asked the chief roughly.
II was the best boilermaker in Har-
tlepool before I took to drink" was the
quiet reply.
Give him the tools. It's neck or
nothing the noo," said the chief.
The stranger carefully wrapped his
hands in the sacks and then, with q
hammer slung round his neck, crawled
into the black mouth of the hue, push
ing d fiat engine lamp before him.
The red glare Of the boiler lamps fell
o. anxious faces, dripping with sweat
and saieared with scot, all turned to-
ward the yaNning mouth Of the fue,
and d I watched ! could plainly feel a
tiny artery pdlsing as if it would burst
beneath my ear. Then the tap Of the
hammer ceased, there vas d chatter, as
Of something dropping i'll the combus-
tion ehar9ter aud With q low hiss, as
Of water Oh hot metal, the dim light
went out.
Hes dropped his lamp. Get in,
Of yon, and bring him out, said
the third engineer. And while four fire
men struggled 70 be first to undertake
the dangerous work the chief staggered
across TIE stakehole, and, turning a
wheel, the sharp elaHg Of the brass rams
pumping up the half empty boiler rang
out across the silence.
The seconds dragged slowly past in
anxious suspense, while only a rustling
sound and d sour smell of charring
wood and snoldering cloth drifted out
Of the black furnace. Then there was 4
shutting along the plank, and the fire.
ma fell cut d limp heap amid the coal
below.
I'm done; take holdr' he gasped.
And his comrades seized a shriveled,
~hlackened hand that lay upon the deal
plank, ringed round with a smoldering
sleeve. A moment later they hauled out
1 ghastly object with charred clothing,
siagel hair and ~b1ackened face and laid
it, with the features distorted in d sight
loss spasn II pain, carefully upon the
aoorrlates.
Poor feIlewi I'm afraid he's gone.
Get those fires started. said the third
engineer, kneeling down and lifting the
unconscious form III his arms.
Presently the relisbted fires reared
and cracEled, and while the half hours
cropt slowly hv and the finger Of the
steam gauge steadily mounted the scale
Tho thild engineer, surrounded ~ such
tireren whose duties were over, kHelF
on the coal, bathing the blistere4
face aud hu.ds with the healing oil and