Document J8bpX6bGaa13V8wLzLJpkkwZ

Marmy's Blood Money Every now and then we run across e Tower reader who has either sailed aboard ship or worked ashore with Marmaduke Surfaceblow. Result Is al ways an unusual story, to say the least. Yesterdoy R D Smith of the New York Board of Transportation told us he soiled with Mnrmy years ego. We got busy and jolted down a few things that odd up to the following story. You will notice, for a change, Marmaduke isn't telling this story on someone else. We really switched the cards on the old hny this time. Back (n 1914, the transatlantic liner SS California of the old Anchor Line signed on a fireman in Glasgow who soon became known as a character aboard ship. He was a big burly Amer* Scan, named Marmaduke Surfaeeblow. Seems that Surfaceblow held an Ameri can unlimited ehief engineer's license. Bui he missed Ills American ship In Clssgow and signed on the British ship as a fireman to work his way back to the Slates. The California had twelve Scotch ma rine boilers of three fires each. One low fire in the center and two high wing fires. She burned coal ond, like many riiips of that period, she paid a bonus In the firemen for keeping steam up near the popping-o(T pressure. This point was marked by a red lino, known oboard British ships aa the And every fireman was out to ek much "blood money" as possible^ A fireman's reputation depemW the amount of blood money he ei That made competition keen and was plenty of jealousy. Not only but firemen would work all the of the trade to make It tough for relief to com a bonus. A fo scheme was to leave dirty fires fo. with clinkers. That made it-hard keep up steam while cleaning there were plenty of bard feelfon fights. ` Marmaduke was easily the fireman oboard. He was 6 feet \ must have weighed 240 pounds fo i days. But it was all beer and mo And the way ha handled a slice bar heaved in that coal was pleasure watch. His fires were all in top And Marmy would moke his from boiler to boiler, helping eaeb his watch mates who needed help' keep their fires In top shape. t After the first few sea watches, lieaay to see that Marmy's watch * hit the jackpot for keeping the near the blood. His relief, a rowdy rel-cheetcd, Glasgow Irishman os' Molt Feely, had been kingpin fo fireroom up until Marmy signed on. Matt played dirty pool ond gave his lief, a Buie London Englishmen Rod Wicks, a tough time. Marmy took sides with Wieki started leaving dirty fires for Mail ft ly. But Matt was only good at dUhiajI out and complained about Marauds} to his watch engineer. Then ona iq Matt buttonholed the chief enghta up on deck. \< Marmy got tired of Matt's complains One watch he made up his mfod.4 really give Matt something to |>M about. Just before he was relieved i two bells, he hoed away the red ewi in the middle of a high fire. Tbeak heaved in the heavy ship anvil. No1 he covered up the nnvtl with bunk! coal. j" Matt came on watch and ns* checking hfo fires as usual. When b came to thot huge "clinker" in the b die of that high fire,'he let out n After trying to break it up with hfo bar, ho called In the watch engi* The engineer helped Malt wrestle it, then sent the ehief engineer so The three of them finolly worked L anvil out onto the floorplotes. But chief wos poppin' mad and he seats passer to get Marmaduke. . passer found Mormy in the fif*** foc's'le ploying a red-hot gome of P*. and nursing a bottle of Sondp*P*r When Marmy wos told thot the (Continued on page 196) Children gel the hang of a bubble pipe almost by Instinct... it's so simple and eosy to use. Pipe welders report that they find Midwest Welding Fittings simple ond_easy to use because they are so uniform ... so ocajrole to dimension . . . ond because of their greater variety. Representative of this greoter voriety is the Midwest Reducing Elbow (shown ot right) which takes the ploce of a standard elbow ond a reducer . . . requires only two welds instead of three. For more information on "hy Midwest Welding Fittings are simple and eosy to ask for Catalog 40. 144 PLANT OPERATION ANO MAINTENANCE SECTION MIDWEST PIPINO & SUPPLY CO., INC. Main Offices 1450 South Second Street, Si. louts 4, Mo. Pbni Si. tsh AmsoJ^ Lw Aapshi <d4 kMs Sobi Otkiii New Ysrk 7--SO Church Si. Oilus* J--7V Will Munrou Si. U A*elus 33--910 Andunon Si. Hwiitos 1--1213 Ceptt*l Av*. Tuba 3--224 WHgtil Oldg. Butlun 17--424 flni Si. srocriNO ofsrttsufofts in mincipai cfries