The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-24
Told by the StOkerS
By WILLIAM THORP.

Kipling discovered romance in the
life and work of the modern steamship
engineer. There is romance, too, in
the stokehold-the last place in which
the landsman would look for it. When
a watch of firemen and trimmers-or
'stokers," as the world ashore calls
them-have a lazy time in port, they
spin enough yarns in half an hour to
supply busy writer of fiction with
plots for lifetime. Here are some
typical stories;
Some years ago there was a little
steamship in the West Indian trade
which carried six negro stokers. One
fine day, when the sea was almost as
smooth as glass, this vessel turned
turtle and went to the bottom, few
miles off the coast of one of the
islands. She had put to sea with
heavy list to starboard, caused by a
big deckload of coal and oranges.
The crew managed to cut boat
adrift and drop her overheard with
Two men, when the ship was manifest
ly sinking. She went on for a mile
ahead of the boat at full speed before
she sank, and every one of those stok-
ers kept at his post, although they
could hardly retain their footing on
the sloping iron floor of the bunkers.
The skipper had to run down to order
them up, and several of them actually
slipped into the water over the bilge
keel of the ship as it was in the act
OF turning turtle.
One man was caught in the propeller
and killed, but the others were picked
up by the boat, after waiting YEARLY
Tor half an hour with several big
sharks around them.
They returned to the port which
they had only left a few hours before,
and the agent of the steamship ex-
pressed great admiration of their
pluck and GOODNESS.
See here, sir," said the skipper.
These men have lost all their kit, and
words won't do 'em much good.
couldn't the firm give EN- a new out
Tn afraid the firm wouldn't stand
1or It, replied the agent, but 1 will,
anyhow" and he scrubbed an order to
d local cfothier: Let these men have
what they require and charge it to
me He expected, of course, that they
would each get an ordinary stoker's
MI and let him out of the business for
about $50.
But when those five brawny negroes
neIe given that precious piece of pa
Yer they saw that the chance of their
hVes had come. They had a grudge
SH,salhst the firm, anyway, for they be-
neVed the ship had been sent to sea
~ SINK and earn insurance money. So
tliey determined to get even.
tney marched into the store and an
n rsd that the first things they re-
TTLLileu were five evening dress suits.
me me proprietor looked astonished, but
ens agents order was good enough,
olu ne saw no objection to making
money On the contrary, he fastened
~ snow them his finest linen shirts,
sbj. most gorgeous silk neckties and
d,,'ieSt patent leather boots. They or
eu quantities of each article, sew
90. SUITS OF expensive clothing, ele-
Sar De- tollet SETS silk pajamas. fine I'M
ana ear numerous pairs of gloves,
err al an the appurtenances of a mod
we peau BrummePs wardrobe.
mo- Mneh they could think of nothing
mos N clothes, they bought the five
storo expensive leather bags in the
ana packed their purchases in them,
froc,, men, arrayed in plug hats and
aeoI., coats, marched down to the
kindnss ONCE to thank him for his
ana course, the agent was furious;
amon ne refused to pay the bill, which
Tb Tn ed to several hundred dollars.
peuas ciSothier brought suit and com
tber s hln to do so. the judge still fur
him narrowing his feelings by telling
nsaa' mat If he had written what they
he instead of what they require"
'0ulo not have been held liable.
ne Governors Son.
dave1E men who have "seen better
OF tho a. TO be found in the republic
go ne stokehold.
big tteiLnember," said a trimmer on a
crSH sia IN liner, once sailing with