It was
fifteen minutes to twelve o'clock when he reached the dock, and provided
with a letter of introduction to the chief engineer, he hurried as fast
as possible to the officer's cabin.
The young engineer's night ashore had been spent at the opera, and,
advised of George Ingram's visit, he had promptly returned to the
steamer. Mr. Carl Siemens, engineer, was a relative of Siemens Brothers
& Co., Limited, the great electrical and telegraph engineers of London.
His education had been thorough, and he was very proud of his steamer the
"Campania," especially of the motive power, which he helped to design. He
gave young Ingram a cordial greeting.
For two hours they examined and talked of mechanism for ships and mills,
and they even ventured to guess what the earth's motive power might be.
It was now five minutes of midnight. The chief furnished Ingram an
oversuit and the young engineers dropped through manholes and down
vertical and spiral ladders into the cellar of the steamer, the bottom of
which was thirty feet below the water level.
"The 'Campania,'" said Siemens, "has a strong double bottom that
forms a series of water-tight compartments which, filled with water,
furnish ballast when necessary.
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