The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1903-01-17


His Hcroism Saved IA Life and Re-
stored Vessels speed.
Members Of the crew Of the steam
ship La Champagne on her trip from
Hayre performed a feat which for
nerve and daring CHIEF Engineer iIo.
chct prOnOuncts unsurpassed in the an
mails Of the sea, says the New York
World 1iie mechanical eXigency max
ing necessary the performance of the
duty Is unique
The heroism of Henri Pummer, as
sistant engineer, the principal actor on
the occasion, Is enhanced from the fact
that he saved u life as well as restored
to use furnaces ana machinery abso-
lutcly Indispensable to the navigation
Of the ship.
Again is he performance Of POmmer
exceptional because nearly all in
stances Of bravery recorded of sailors
are in the navigation or deck depart
mcnt and not in the engineering force.
At about six bells of the afternoon
watch. the sea- being exceedingly
rough, gale scrccching through guys.
stays and the manifold gear around
the iidlcy back and the ship rolling in
the trough Of the peaked waves, an as
sistant +. ported to NJ. iIochet that the
tires under the after funnel were burn
Ing low and could not be revived.
The chief engineer OWNED that the
three ton dumpor within the funnel
had become unlatchcd from its catch
and had fallen into q horizontal posi-.
tlun, shutting off the draft, While the
vessel had been laid Up for her over
hauling tie dampcr had been kept
clos Il to prevent dust from falling into
the crates. When turned up, it had
probably not been secured properly or
else the latch was defective.
Pierre lyot. Il greascr, was ordered
up the iron ladder to peep over the
brink Into the huge stack. Yyot was
overcome hy the gas and hung bal
anccd. Sc '~S. on the edge of the
funnel ~ the steamer rocked or
pitched he was In peril Of plunging
either down the chimney or falling
upon the fdley back, In the one event
he would have dropped through the
trapdoorlike damper, to be roasted. In
the other he would have been dashed To
death.
Pommicr Jumped TO the rungs of the
vertical ladder. climbed Co the top Of
the funnel and brought down from his
critical position the iuseusible grcuser,
who was borne to the hospital, where
he was soon revived.
The heavy dampcr, which had shaken
loose aud closed Itself. had then to be
t.ruci ana secured rommicr, chcCred
by his Shipmatcs, again assembled to
i the edge OF the stack and riSked his life
| by allowing II seaman to grasp him by
/ the ankles while he hung head down,
/ with a sponge tied TO mouth aud nos
/ trls, within the chimney until he had
secured with extra Iashings the damper
I to the inside of the funnel. The shut
of is nearly nine feet below the edge
Of the stack.
He accomplished this feat and re
turned to the .fdlcy back unharmed.
while his comrades congratulated him.
Upon the arrival of the liner at lluvre
Commander Ncrlynde reported Pom
micr's bravery to the head offices Of
La C0mpagnie Generate Transatlan-
tiQuc In Paris Straightway was re
turned by telegraph an order promot.
ing pommier to fun engineership and
awarding him Especial qualification
or prize in money. The sailor who did
most To assist pommicr wns also al
yanced To the rank of first class sea.
man ana received u prize Of 30 francs.