The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-01-06
ELLIS BROS, lO4 Jefferson Street.
NAVAL CONSTRUCTION.
High Engine and Fire Room Tempera-
lures IL Warship.
NATI| NAL EXCHANGE BANK BUILDING.

High Engine and Fire Room Temporal
lures Warship.
The great internal heat that rendered
the Amphitrite inefficient was due to
lack Of provision for ventilation in the
engine and boiler spaces. These regions
became SO hot that little useful wor6c
could be done in them, and tho lack of
air was such as to actually ruin the fur
mace draft, smoke coming out freely
from the holes in tho furnace doors.
Aside from two small ash hoist tubes
In the central part Of the freroom and
small escape hatch forward, there
were no openings from the firerpom to
the outer air.
The boilers reached nearly to tho iron
main deck of the vessel, and as the air
above them and between the deck beams
had no escape it became greatly heated
and lay roasting IN those spaces. Itw
impossible for man to go on the graf
lngs behind the upper parts of the boil
ers after they had been under steam n
few hours, though the main and auxil-
larry stop valves were there A board of
officers that reported on temperatures in
the vessel got at this place only by i'll.
Producing a thermometer on the end of
long pole. and this Thermometer
when fished out and taken to q place
where 1t could be read, showed 2O2 de-
grees.
The superstructure containing tho
cabin and wardroom was directly above
tho engine and boiler rooms, with a
light wooden floor laid over the iron
main deck. AT sea- with the doors
closed. this habitation became exactly
like frying pan on hot stove lid
Tho smoke pipe. partly uncovered for
alleged ventilating purposes, passed
through the center of the wardroom and
by vigorous radiation contributed its
full share to the general discomfort.
The deck. in spite of its wooden sheath
ing, was SO hot as to be painful. and 7
hesitate to say From memory the tenn.
peratures the board reported as being
usual Ill the rooms, in bureau drawers,
on the wardroom table and in other
parts OF tho officers quarters. 1t was as
high as 112 degrees, and l think great
er Sleep was only period of uncon-
seriousness, induced by utter exhaustion
ana was without restful quality
The fireroom temperature was never
~" AoN oCSiccS ana often above ITO.
while the engine room ranged closely
about 100 degrees. For the first "a
hours tho men stood it well, but on the
second day seven succumbed to tho heat
ana were put on the sick list. ono of
them nearly dying. Before the VOYAGE
was ended % had been driven to seek
medical attendance.
On the evening Of the fourth day ont
our men had literally fought with fire
to finish and had been vanouisbcd
Inc watch on duty broke down ono bv
ono and the engines. after lumbering
along slower and slower, actually stop,
ped for lack of steam The ship was nj.
lowed to drift inshoro on tho tide and
was finally brought to an anchor in ST
Slmon's sound Though a warshin Of
formidable characteristics and sent On
inns distant service, it is doubtful if tho
Amphltr-to could have gone into action
at that time or have steamed 100 miles
farther to save herself Fl. M. Bennett
U. ). N, in Cassier's Magazine