The Van Buren press., 1903-08-15


shaft tunnel. and then, although the
shaft threatened to fall on him at any
moment. he crawlsd into the tunnel,
found that the shaft was broken off
square. so that it could not be riyeted
together, and spent hours in taking
measurements for a collar to be fastened
over the break.
He spent other hours in making and
putting on the collar, all the time either
lying on the fiat of his back or working
in a squatting position, so small was
the space All told, he labored unceas-
ingly for two full days.
After that he slept two hours, and the
% hours following he worked without
pause until at last he had boted the
jacket in place.
The job was finished late Monday
night, and the ship was got under way.
Early Tuesday morning the head of
bolt broke off, the jacket slipped, and
once more Tomlinson had to crawl into
the tunnel and make repairs.
Again the ship got under way and
again after an hour of running, snap
went two bolts, And once more Tom
linson risked life and limb in the shaft
tunnel.
To make long story short, Tomlinson
was crawling into the tunel continually
until the voyage ended, but while the
passengers did not know of his heroism
until they landed and read of it in the
papers, Tomlinson had the satisfaction
at least, of knowing that his work had
prevented the shaft from knocking
hole into the ships side and leaving the
vessel helpless and in peril Of stormy
sea until tow should chance along.
1t was a Scotchman who pried open
a safety valve and prevented a serious
explosion on liner that is sailing the
seas to-day.
For some reason or other the donkey
engine, used for hoisting cargo and
luggage, had been started at sea and
a fireman put in charge of It, An hour
or so later the second engineer, whose
watch it was, distinguished an unusual
noise among the multitude of sounds
of the big ship-so keen is an engi-
neer's sense of hearing.
He located 1t as coming from the
donkey engine, and rushed thither AS
he got near he realized that the safe
ty valve had stuck and after he had
slid down the narrow, oily companion
way, he found not only the safety
valve stuck tight, but the fireman
asleep at his post. and the boiler all
but ready to explode.
In less time than IT takes to tell II,
he grabbed a Crowbar and was up
among the pipes. frantically trying to
pry open the valve. How long he
worked he does not know-"It seemed
years" he said; but he finally got the
valve open in the nick of time and
prevented an explosion, which would
surely have blown a big hole in the
ships bottom.
Not infrequently the engineers are
compelled to work in water up to their
knees. The plates Of many a ship,
when she straddles a sea, move and
cut at their rivets and leak nightly.
Then the engineer must wade around
in an engine-room flooded from port
to port and give heed to naught but
the welfare of his engines.
He must not think about the mani
fold dangers of sailing in a "leaky
old tub, or of rheumatism, or other
ills that will come to him from work
ing for hours in brine and bilge water.
II is a trite saying of the sea that
wherever there is ship engineer
there also is bad case of rheuma-
tism.
It is only when a cylinder head
bursts or large valve gives way,
filling the engine-rooms with scald-
ing steam before the opportunity can
be seized upon TO repair the damage,
that an engineer is forced to leave
his post Then It Is that he has to
charge for dear life up steep, narrow
companionways, made slippery by en-
gine OIL TO place Of safety And all
the time he climbs upward, the steam
pursues him, for the cOmpanlonway
are in the only opening leading out
Of the engne-rooms.
But It Is not often that escaping
steam gets ahead OF an engineer, for
he Is man trained 70 act like a light
ming flash in emergencies. The cmcr-
gency is not always below decks,
An English tramp once came into
New York harbor showing the queer
est-looking funnel imaginable While
several days out storm carried away
the funnel, and TO keep their ship
from having 20 be towcd in the engi.
neers rIgged up funnel out Of pieces
Of old sails, twinc, ROBE ends, nattened
out tin cans, and all ofher kinds Of
Junk that they could make to serve
their purpose,
This wonderful work they held In
position by lines made fast 20 the
masts, and so well did It fulnl the
duty for which II was constructed that
the tramp made port only day or so
late under her own steam refusing
all offers Of assistance and thus saving
TO her owners thousands OF dollars
In salvage money
And such instances said tho man
agcr. are almost OF everyday occur.
renee IN Y, Sun,
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