222 . THE VOYAGE OF THE JEANNETTE. 



much rest for Chipp, Melville, or myself ; and camong 

 the men, Nindemann, Cole, and Sweetman seem to be 

 as miwilling to take rest as ourselves. The last named 

 is not very strong, and I fear would not stand a heavy 

 strain. But Nindemann seems to know no such thing 

 as fatigue. We do not gain much on the water, but 

 then the water does not gain on us. The auxihary 

 steam-pump has been moved from the engine-room to 

 the old galley-room, and secured in place against the 

 berth deck bulkhead. Several repairs were iiiade to it, 

 such as fitting new valves, etc., but we had not finished 

 running the line of piping to it from the main boiler by 

 the time the day closed. A connection will be had with 

 the main boiler through the steam- whistle pipe. As 

 soon as w^e got the auxiliary pump in place we at- 

 tempted to run it by the Baxter boiler, but the pump 

 was too much for it, taking away all its steam almost 

 immediately. The forward bilge-pump is worked by 

 the watch, and at times we get the water down so low 

 that ten minutes' pumping and ten minutes' spell keep 

 the water in check. The flow of water aft to the en- 

 gine-room is freer, enabling the steam-pump to be run 

 fifteen minutes in every half hour, giving a breathing 

 spell to the men. The boiler-pump exhausts into the 

 bilge, and the feed water is taken from the bilge, all 

 the sea cocks being frozen fast in their seats. 



We cannot expect to free the ship by the hand- 

 pumps alone, and are waiting for the aid of the auxil- 

 iary steam-pump. It may seem strange that so long a 

 time is required to get this in operation, but our diffi- 

 culties are enormous. To take a steam-pump down, 

 move it, and put it together is a long job alone, without 

 speaking of running steam-piping, all of which has to 

 be fitted. Every man has been worked up to the top 



