Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-03-23

on bearing, a swift touch on driv-
ing rod squirt at an oil cap, turn
on valve. The swerving bedplates,
| the laundering cylinders far above,
! the clacking pumps, the whirring
shaft sang about him as he went. Sud-
| denly the steady roar of the huge en-
gines was dulled. The nard pressed
thrust blocks ceased their shrill cry.
The plunging piston rods slowed up.
With a sigh the engine room took up
the lower beat Of half speed. But the
assistant hand noticed one strange
thing. He quickly joined his chief,
and looked at the dial of the tele-
graph. 1t still pointed as it had for
the last hour. The elder man answer
ed his inquisitive glance with low
II don't know what the deck means"
Before another word was said, there
came slow, sucking lift; the Am
phion rolled over till the lanterns
dimmed. She recovered with surge,
and as the chief engineer wrenched
the steam valve shut, the plates be-
meath their feet bulged upward A
moment of tense straining in the still
ed machinery, and then, as if freed
from some elastic bond, the steamer
leaped forward again. There was the
sharp clang of door, and stoker
pushed his sweaty face above the graf
ing with cry. But the old engineer
threw the steam into the cylinders
again, and tine engines throbbed in re-
! Spouse. 1.-THE propeller's still there"
he cried, shutting off steam once
more. y
The third assistant was gazing at
the telegraph dial. The indicator had
not moved. With an oath he snatched
a pair of nippers from the rack and
thrust the claws up into the wires
behind the face. Then he turned in
blazing triumph to his superior "He
shan't put her over at half speed
now" he shouted, "and then tell the
inspectors that it was us that kept
ner driving"
Before the words were we'll out of
his mouth, jolt threw them to the
plates, and as they scrambled up
again the Amphion seemed to crumple
up under them. Then with the screech-
ing of riven plates and drawing rivets,
the steamer settled ON the reef. A
breaker flung itself in thunder against
the side, and the sprayfell like rain
through the skylight. The sharp clang
"That was the half speed bell," said
the chief, duly, in the lull that fol-
lowed the rattling boom. His assist
ant, while the awakened engineers of
the other watches peered curiously
through the darkness with eyes still
heavy from sleep, caught up lantern
that was still burning, and threw it's
beam on the dial of the telegraph. 1t
still pointed to full speed ahead. II
knew he'd try it, and I fooled him!"
he cried.
In the turmoil that followed, while
stoker and oiler and engineer fled
from the water babbling waist high,
the chief gathered up his own log
book, and carefully tore it up. The
fragments he cast on the foamy brine
that rose about his engines. "I amt
going to fight unfair" ne muttered.
On the bridge of the wrecked Am
phion the crew huddled cheerlessly
The slow streaming seas that emerged
from the fog and night to windward
broke heavily on the submerged hull,
and the spume ran In rivers from
mast and stanchion. 81 had the en-
CINE room telegraph at half speed"
said the captain, white faced, "and
I've got it down in the log that we
slowed down as soon as we got into
the fog. guess that'll satisfy the
inspectors that I've done all right, and
we'd not ha' run out of our course un-
less the engine room had disobeyed
orders and kept her full speed"
The third assistant pushed forward
and stared at the captain with open
mouth. Then he shook his fist wildly.
THAT amt So" he bawled stI knew
yer tricks! I got witness down be-
low! Ye don't lose me my papers that
way! Anybody with two grains of
sense'ull know this old hooker could
not pile up this high on any half speed.
/ tell We, we don't lose me my papers!"
He turned round to his fellows of the
engine room. What does the tele-
graph down there read?" he yelled.
The old engineer, rubbing between
his palms the omnipresent badge Of
his authority, bit Of cotton waste,
gazed at the pallid master of the
wreck, and shared his shame. With
a gesture, he silenced mis- shrieking
men, and bullied the third mate with
his eyes. II was on watch tonight
with my assistant" he commenced,
harshly. II am responsible for this
I've lost my engine room log, but it
was my orders that kept her driving.
1t was all my doings and I guess I'm
old enough to stand by it. To thunder
with the rules of the road! Let's play
this fair"
But" began the third assistant
with cry.