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154 THE Marine REVIEW "In the Merchant Service" HE second engineer of the Al- roma had taken up his accus- tomed position in the door- way separating the engine and boiler rooms and was watching with languid interest the maiden ef- forts of a couple of green coal "passers in the after. boiler room. The Alroma had been under way but a few hours, -atid;, aso, the "second engineer had been up and around most of the past 36 hours, he didn't enter into the crew-straight- -ening-out process with the enthusiasm which would later distinguish the efforts of his subordinates. His ruminations were rudely disturbed, however, by one of the aforesaid coal-passers accidentally spilling the contents of the clumsy barrow right . 'at the feet of his superior. "What the devil are you trying to do,' snarled the second, "break my 'blessed legs?" He reached down among. the scattered coal and men- acingly aimed an lump at the retreating form of the coal-passer. The coal was never thrown, however, as something about its appearance awoke the slumbering 'professional instinct of the . engineer. "He examined the pile of coal at his feet, the coal in front of the furnaces, peered into the bunker, then made his way into the engine room. _- "How's' she turning up?" he asked of the man in charge of the pro- pelling machinery. : "Couldn't* be much worse," that individual cheerfully, "she's shut hard in"as_ yet.". Later, when the chief engineer, pac- ing back and forth: at' the engine. room door on deck in the full reali- zation of the responsibility of his first trip in charge, happened to glance into the engine room he was surprised to see a disgusted-looking second engineer hovering around the "tops." With becoming dignity he obeyed the second engineer's appeal- ing glance. _ "What brand of coal are we sup- posed to be. burning this trip, Mr. Carson?" asked the aggrieved sec- ond engineer, as he mopped a dirty and perspiring face. i gaid. adding "Why, that's: a new) csupply," an- swered the. chief, "it's listed as P. xX Mae "Pp, X. V.?" murmured the second, | ee "T can't say I ever heard of , an experiment," the chief ex- plained, "they told me in the office "doy. Mr. _watch, cunhealthy-looking | ; third, as he that. it was a very. economical Za : Oh, its economical, all right." "Think so?' asked the new chief, anxiously. "Sure," answered the second, with a hollow laugh. "It's. so darned. eco- nomical that we will have the most of it still in the bunkers when we reach Liverpool--if we ever there." The chief shook his head sorrow- fully. "Just my luck," he said. "They give me charge of the oldest hooker in the fleet, fill the bunkers with poor coal and. expect us to keep in the running. I tell you what you might Jones. Pick out the bad pieces you happen to run across, and stow them away until we get to the other side. We'll let the superin- tendent see what kind of junk we had to steam over wi That evening, at the: relief of the the second engineer gave the fourth his opinion of. the coal, Alroma, her owners and other mat- ters, to all of which the fourth list- ened with respectful attention. "What's in the bag?" asked the fourth, as a coalkpasser, after sweep- ing out the passageway, carefully deposited the sack of sample coal in a corner. is some of the coal we FOh, that are carrying," said the second, -care- . lessly.. "The old man -asked us' to stack.the worst of it." And feeling that he had done all that could possi- bly be expected of him, he departed up the ladder. The fourth was re- lieved at midnight by the tired and taciturn third. (What's:in. the bags?t? asked; 'the ran his, eye aver the several sacks of coal stacked in the pass. "Rotten coal," said the fourth, brief- ly, and to the point. "What's it doing: here?" the third growled. "Why," answered the fourth, vague- ° ly, "the second said something about the 'old man's' wanting to: save all the bad coal we come across." "More blamed _ foolishness," com- mented the third, as the fourth de- parted. At 4 o'clock in the morning the second stood in the passageway be- tween the engine' and boiler 'rooms. He was staring in astonishment at two rows of coal-filled ash bags blocking the passage as he awaited the arrival of the third. "What's this supposed to be--a -fourth passed .on to me. sail on the old packet. ten. : get ; plates. .- chief gets to Liverpool he won't do - company, --formances when a_ second. the June, 1909 spare bunker?" he asked of the grin- ning third. "No," was the answer, "y under- stood that you wanted all the rotten coal saved, according to the word the Later I found that if you really want all the rotten coal saved you would have to shut down the bunker doors and set Ife alle ror 9 "Well, we'll throw that stuff on the "TVll bet you that when the a thing but raise hell generally. He always was a crank on the matter of coal, anyway." For ten days and ten nights the engineers of the Alroma experimented with the coal in the bunkers. All -styles of firing hitherto known were tried, as were several styles hitherto unknown. Incidentally, between times, they made guesses as to the word- ing of the "old man's" report to the banking on his past per- When the Alroma crawled into port the third and fourth engineers saw the engines shut down, wiped down, and the men knocked off. Arriving on deck they met the chief's boy with the log sheets and like mat- teri: "Say, son,' 'said sthe:-thigd,. Slets have a look at the coal report." "hie bet it's. a hot /un,". elnekled the fourth. The third backed up to a port hole from which the lamp light was stream ing, held up the sheet of paper and prepared to give the fourth and him- sell a treat: "Name of coal, he read' aloud, P. AV. "Let 'er rip," encouraged the fourth. "Quality--poor." Then the third silently handed the waiting youth the report of their fallen idol. "Well," commented the fourth, might at least have said rotten." Tue "STanp-By" MAN. 'he Mr. Louis. H.:-Washburn has been appointed eastern sales agent of the Pittsburg Coal Co., with offices at the United States Express Co. building, 2 Rector street,- Néw York. The ar- rangement under which B. Nicoll & Co. have been: representing the Pitts- burg Coal Co. as eastern sales agents has been discontinued. the Navy Meyer has ordered the removal of all figure heads on war ships, because the figures inter- fered with maneuvers during battleship practice, Secretary of