Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-08-30
A TERRIBLE
EXPERIENCE
IOriginal.1

Deen engaged IN Is repairing, most or
my time when at work has been spent
inside the iron cylinder. People brought
into frequent contact with any partic-
ular danger soon become careless in
providing against it. The danger in
being inside n boiler or boiler casing
is that some one will fire up without
giving you chance to get out. But it
always seemed to me that the constant
noise attendant upon boiler repairing
would keep the outside world advised
of the repairer's presence within. And
so it would II the noise were kept up.
One morning l was called upon to re-
pair the boilers of large iron steamer.
She was to go ON her regular trip the
next day, and it was essential that the
job should be finished in time. Unfortu-
nately had just had such another job
and had been at work without any
sleep for twenty-four hours. 1 went
into the steamers boilers at s o'clock
in the morning, and at midnight, when
all on board except the Waterman were
asleep was still at work. had very
nearly finished when 1 was so tired
that L had to rest before putting in the
last rlvets and sat down for the pur-
pose.
That was the last had of conscious
ness till L heard a sharp clang. Great
heavens! 1 had gone to sleep! 1t was
morning, q fire had been built, and the
noise I had heard was the furnace
door being shut after the lighting of
the fire.
I didn't need time to become thor
oughly awake. The instinct of self
preservation was quite enough to ac-
complish that. Selling a hammer, L
struck Justify on the iron casing. The
fireman would doubtless have heard
me had he not gone out of the boiler
room as soon as he had lighted the fire.
How could he have been SO careless
as not to assure himself that the re-
pairing had ended and the repairer
gone? Doubtless he had come on duty
in, the morning and. finding everything
quiet, supposed the boiler ready for
use. At any rate, no one heard me, for
there was no one near enough to hear.
Soon began to feel n warmth in the
iron. / must either be roasted or scald-
ed. Which would it be? The dreadful
alternative flashed Though my mind.
then gave place to the formation of
some plan by which l might escape.
Had 1 been in full possession of my
faculties l might have conjured up
dozen plans, but 1 was so terror strick-
en- I could not think. My brain was
paralyZed.
Hank. What is that roaring? The
newly kindled fire.
Rushing madly from one point to an
other of my small prison, felt eagerly
for some weak spot, knowing that
there was no weak spot, for l had re
paired every one. Then again rained
blows on the iron, though 1 was aware
that it was all bricked up, and even if
the engineer or fireman had come in it
was not probable he would hear me.
Then I sat down and raved. l knew
not whether 1 was the more terrified
at the roaring of the fire or the kissing
of the steam, which was beginning to
spit at me through certain vents like so
many angry SerpentS.
Hotter grew the iron, more venom
Gus the jets of steam. 1 was no Ion
ger able to press my hand against the
former and knew that if L came in
contact with the latter 1 would be
scalded. Fortunately had heavy soles
still to stand on the hot metal.
1t is said that drowning people pass
their whole lives in review. Why this
does not pertain to people dying other
deaths 1 do not know. 1t certainly
pertained to me. 1t seemed as If my
childhood and my youth were illumi-
mated as by flash of lightning. And
yet the most vivid as well as the most
melancholy picture was my wife and
children receiving the announcement
of my death. This brought new raw
ing. I shouted, pounded the hot iron
with my fist, which was blistered by
the touch; rushed frantically about the
narrow Enclosure, indeed was rapidly
becoming insane. Perhaps it was the
realization that was losing my reason
which caused me to make an effort
to keep it.
What is it that keeps ideas out of
our heads till it is well nigh too late to
take advantage of them, then suddenly
thrusts them upon us to intensity our
despair? All of n sudden 1 remem-
bered the few rivets that remained for
me to put in. Selling a sledge, 1
rushed to the place where these rivets
were missing and began to rain blows
Upon the place to make break. Had
I time 1 might succeed, but the place
was filling with steam, and L must
soon perish from scalding. Giving
few last blows, renowned all hope,
expecting momentarily to fall against
the hot iron, when L heard the rasping
sound of a latch lifted, door opened,
and saw the excited face of the engi-
neer at the opening. 1 made one dash
for the aperture. fell through it and
tainted on the bricks before the fur
mace.
Had L not given the last blows on
the spot where the rivets had not been
put in should have perished in few
minutes. The engineer at that moment
came in to begin oiling the engine.
1,rnnIand thu