The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-03-06
Hoods CarsdpdriH0

say what the temperature was, out lett
us to adjust that according to our feel
ings. Then, | should have unhesltat-
ingly declared that it was over hun
dred, but now that | have had oppor-
tunity to cool off little | think that
somewhere between eighty and ninety
would be more nearly correct. AT any
rate we felt no need of mutfs and ear
lappets. 1t was the change of the
watch, and the men were making up
the fires There were fourteen OF the
great gaping furnace maWs, each send
ing forth heat enough to roast the on
lockers, it seemed to us. How the
Stokers stand it, even for four hours at
a time, was a mystery to us, and when
we enquired how they could live such a
life, even though they rested sixteen
hours out of the tWentyfour, the
simple reply was that they did not.
Such an existence is too strenuous
and the poor creatures are very short
lived
We went through the tunnel con-
Meeting the two fire rooms, and were
regarded with curiosity by the men,
who however, could spare but glance
or two from their all important work.
AS we turned to retrace our steps we
found that bags Of coal We're being
dropped down from above, through a
hatchway directly over the entrance to
the connecting tunnel. Although or
ders We're shouted up for them to cease
operations until our little party was
safely through, they were not under
stood, and one of those grimy, dirty
men performed an act of chivalry
worthy of gallant knight of old. He
stretched his braWny arm over the
opening above our heads and held it
there until we had passed. If a bag of
coal: had come rushing down it would
have broken his bones as surely as if
they had been matches. He gave no
thought to that, however, i'll perform
ing his courteous act, for which there
was no time to offer even a simple
thanks; but the deed and the spirit that
prompted it would not be soon for
gotten.
The electric dynamos and repair shops
were then visited, and the shaft tunnel,
one hundred and sixty feet long, was not
neglected. 1t was hard to realize, here
that the enormous shaft of steel re-
volving so steadily was the power that
was sending us speedily homeward
We were all ready to return to the more
temperate air of ''home" by this time,
and our ascent of the stairways was as
rapid as circumstances would allow.
We returned to Mr.. Pritchard'S room.
where we found Mr.. Carr, who bad cold
water and towels ready for us, of
which we took advantage. Iced lemon
AIDES had also been provided with our
stewards characteristic kindness and
forethought, and we spent some little
time listening to tales of engine room
experiences from the lips of our oblig-
ing guide. Our feelings are we'll voiced
by the following quotations: ITO des-
cend into the heart Of the ship, into
that inferno of fire and heat that fills
her veins with life and motion, where
wild-eyed sombre visions, and a hellish
glow of smoke and flame, fed the open,
gaping mouth of the blazing pits
about them
Il do not think there is anything in
the world so overpowering in it's poetic
as this furnace room in
trans atlantic steamer The time, the
place, the uncanny and picturesque cir
cumstances, remove it from all other ex-
perlences.' Nj. d. p
NORTHPORT NEWS.