The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-22

fore the days al movable incaniesrent cleo
srsc lamps on naval vessels. had been care
fully Inspected by an osslcer before the
hatch OF the magazine was lifted. Al %
thea were found IN apparently tight or
der, and the work OF hoiztiag the naga-
zine contents to the rssin deck By means
OF block and tackle Was begun. TIE cnfes
guna<r's mate. under the direction OF a
division officer. was experimenting the
movements OF the men He was leaning
over the hatch. calling ont orders 70 the
hands in the pit OF the magazine. WREN
he knocked the lantern he carried in his
hand against one OF the steel sides Of the
hatch. Tie spring that held the lamp
within the lantern gave way and the lamp
fell through the hatch Stili lighted. il
fen bottom side up on top OF a big can Of
po~aer that was hooked and ready TO be
hoisted TO the deck. The two men in the
pit OF the magazine had gone away aft
in the magazine TO haul more ears OF pow
der to the looks. and. their hacks being
turned 10 the hatch opening. they DID not
see the lantern resting "a the can OF pow
der with the fiame OF the wick right next
to the metal Of the can. The men at the
top Of the hatch were In a ssupor OF hor-
ror. but the alert apprentice boy. who aft
erward got his sword for the Job was wide
awake. He Skinned down the tackle an
instant after the lamp fell grabbed the
lamp the nams OF which had already be-
gun 10 heat the can metal, and yelled up
the hatch:
Pun me and the can up 10 the main
deck. yea fe s5wsr
Having distinguished the lamp with his
fsngers. he grabbed the rope with his right
hand and the can of powder with his left.
and the men at the hatch opening had him
on the main deck in Il Tiny. The apprentice
boy scootes. up the poop ladder and chuck
ed the heavy can OF powder over the
side. The commanding officer Of the ship
did not complain OF the loss of the powder.
FiFeDan's Preseace OF Mind.
"A second-ciass fireman serving on one
~ the smaller cruisers had his head about
him when one of the magazines OF his ship
was threatened. \ few years ago. and he
has had the much better rating OF a water
tender ever since. One OF hts sh,pmates Of
the black Ea1g was cleaning his section
of the after sngine-room hilges one MORN
Ing. His particular section of the bilges
was on the starboard side of the extreme
after part or the engine room. lmmedi-
atesy aft OF the engine room was the ships
magazine, separated from the engine room
by steel partition. Biges are cleaned
with turpentine- soaked waste. The biigs-
c.eaner. too lazy 10 fill one OF the small
dragged five-gailon can Of turpsnsine to
his bllge station and began work. Smok-
ing Ii strictly prohibited In the engine
rooms OF a snan-of-war, on account of the
large amount OF combustibie stores neces-
sartly slowed below. This bisge-c.eansr
was a reckless sort Of blade. however. and
when he had got his bilge-cleaning under
way he took out his pipe and 1T II. care
lessly chucking the match in the bslge.
There was some turpentlne In the b.lge.
and the match. still ag.ow. set II into a.
flame. The bs.ge-rieaner jumped TO his
feet, and in doing so he overturned the
Ave gallons OF turpentine. Then the b.I9a,
was converted into a roaring mass of
flame that shot to the berth-deck graf
ings and played directly agaius; the steel
bulkhead separating the engine room from
the magazine. The careless bilge-cleaner
was scorched. and he bo.ted for the spar
deck yelling Ike mailman. The second
claee fireman with the head on him was
the only other man in the after engine
room at the time this happened. He mads
a Jump for the hiiEe covers that had been
removed by his reckless mate. and. al
though severely burned while doing il.
he thrust them aovsr the bilges. Then he
seized a wrench aud knocked open one Of
the intakes from the sea. letting water d.
rectiy into the bi;ge that was N flames.
The water came IN 50 rapidly that II
knocked the hiige-covers on. but II drown
ed the FIRE. There was more than : foot
Of water In the engine rooms before the
intake could be closed again. but that
WAS small matter compared with what
might have happened had the hot turpen-
tire flame tapped the magazine bulkhead
much longer. BY the time IRE quarters
was sounded and the men on deck got
below the second-c.ass fireman. with his
hair and eyebrows all burned or and the
skin peeling from his face and hands.
was throwing bucketfni after bueke,fui or
the incoming sea water against the steel
bulkhead. which was already 80 hot that
it sent back Clouds of steam.