Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-07-12

! ing about the shaft when they got or
| ders TO man the pumps that supply the
auxiliary engines. That something had
happened overhead they guessed. What
1t was they had no way of knowing.
Anyway they didn't consider it any of
their business What they had to do
was 10 obey orders and trust in their
/ officers If anything was wrong above
to take care of them. With them were
two engineer officers, Danko and Pc
tiers. After they had got the pumps
to working Second Engineer Lansberg
came running down and told them that
the ship was afire.
"All hands on deckw he said. Save
yourselves as best you can. The ship
| is afire all Overt Then he disappeared.
| Another order was given TO close the
skylights. Then the men started up
ward. They We're met by q fearful
blast Of smoke through which pierced
tongues OF fame. To attempt to reach
the deck that way was certain and in
slant death. Back they turned and ran
into the engine room. Already the
fumes from the cargo which had
caught were sitting into the room, and
the air was choking. Forward of the
engine room are the quarters of the
engine force. There q dozen of them
clustered. waiting for directions. These
came from Third Engineer Danko, who
bade them go into the shaft tunnel.
While they were there three more of
the engineers force Joined them.
The three were almost blinded and
half choked by the gases and fumes
they had encountered. They could not
tell whence they had come. All that
they knew was that they had been
nearly caught by the flames when they
tried to get up to the deck and, rush
ing back into a smoke filled place, had
thrown themselves fat upon their bel
lies and wriggled hither and thither,
always hoping for better air and al
ways finding more smoke until they
heard voices and found their compan-
ions. Here, then, were the 10 men in
exactly the position Of miners buried
In q burning mine and with every exit
cut of. What they hoped form fact,
what they seemed to have expected
confidently-was that the fire would
be conquered and that they would be
taken out. In their desperate circum-
stances they seem not to have for q
moment lost faith that their officers
would take care of them and bring
them safely to the open air again.
Men who work in the engine rooms
of transatlantic steamships are accus-
toned to high degrees of heat. so these
men contrived to be moderately COM
Portable in temperature which to the
average man would have been excru-
nio Tho
constant menace. \ draft carried it
into the passage, and the men were led
back to the engine room, but here the
air was impracticable for breathing
purposes. Nearby We're empty coal
bunkers. One of the officers opened an
airshaft hole that somewhat cleared
the atmosphere. Through many crew
ices and pipe holes. however, the sti-
fling fumes made their way.
"Off shirts" came the order, "and
stop those holes"
Thick WOODEN wear is the costume of
the stoker. and the shirts were admi-
.ably adapted to the purpose to which
they were now put. One hole after an
other was stopped. and the sweet air
from the airShaft soon purified the at
But changing currents
above drove the smoke through the
gratings, and now it was necessary for
the men to turn in their trousers Is
stop gaps.
All the time the heat was increasing.
The sides of the vessel glowed redly,
and the men shrunk together in a hud-
die at the center of the bunker Then
Danko thought of the airshaft and q
possible connection with a ladder that
led up to coal port. 1t was a hard
climb. and there wasn't much of a
chance that the port would be open.
But any chance is good enough for men
who are being grilled between redhot
walls. Up the airshaft was the order,
and the men obeyed it as best they
could, climbing clumsily and with
many falls up the pipes within the
shaft. From there they gained plat
form, whence led a ladder upward to
the coal port on the starboard side. Be
fore they had reached the platform
hey saw that the port was closed.
They had no wrench nor way to get
me, but a company of engine men
lighting for their lives are likely to be
FERTILE of expedients and shifts.
One Of the few remaining garments
n the outfit was commanded and |
stout strips torn from it. With these a |
'ort of knot was contrived which gave
/ purchase upon the bolt that held the |
,oal port in place. Once loosened the |
nut came of readily. 1t was blistering |
lot work, almost against the side of |
he ship, but fortunately at that one |
Joint the steel plates were n little less |
ieated than they were just forward |
md just aft Once the coal port swung |
Dose a great pun of fresh air gave I
ieart to the men, and they shouted in |
horus.
Meantime some OF them had been
on the side OF the ship with
'okers and other metal implements, |
md doubtless that is the noise which /
vas first heard hE those ON the tnos