A TERRIBLE DUTY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIIII, Issue 12287, 21 April 1897, Page 2

A TERRIBLE DUTY.

I oaoe had an unpleasant time of it (says a marine, gijgtneijr), on c, trial trip of a mag-, nifloent boat that a large" fi'rm'of oontraotors had. turned out for one of tha big oEean-fibing steamship -companies: . The engines were to run at so 'many knots, an hour, and the big steamer lef t her moorings' and put out to sea on a trial oruise that was. to decide whether she would

accepted by the steamship company. After we had been out to sea but a little time, the chief engineer discovered that one of tha piston-rods had a slight defect in it — a thing not uhf rerruent in a large mass of machinery— and that in passing to and fro the unwonted friction Ciused by this defect would, in tha coursa of a very short timo make the piston and all around it red hot. Tbe consequence of this would be very serious, and mean a breakdown in the machinery. lo allow it to ocour would be madness; to stop the machiaer/ to remedy tho defect would ruin the contractors ; fha maohinery must go on, and on expedient mnat be reßorted to in order to avoid any catastrophe.

I was the poor victim selected in this case to swab the .^piston-rod. It was my duty to swab the piston-r.d after each of its motions with cold oil, in order to cool it and to ease Hi passage to and fro. When it is borne in mind the number of revolutions per minute that the wheels make pn an ocean-going boat, readers will understand the terrible nature of my duties. < On a narrow ledge, with the spinning maohinery roaring all around üb, I stood at my work till I was literally soaked with perspiration. Still I must not negleot for one seoond'to apply the cold rag to the hissing piston, and for hours, in an atmosphere reeking wjthoiland almost insufferably hot, I kept plying my wretched rag till my arms seemed ready to drop out of their soakets; and right glad I was to feel tbe engines slowing down, and to know that my terrible work was at an end.

TheTimes'of the next day contained a comment on the magnificence of the new b jat. It dilated on her beauty of construction and on the speed of her engines, but — it contained no mention of the poor lad who stood for hours, dripping with perspiratiou, swabbing the piston-rod below in the midst of the wh|rling maohinery. '