A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.
ORDER XXII.—PERSONS EMPLOYED IN TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
Sub-order 3.—Water Transport Workers
736.—Firemen, Trimmers, Greasers and Donkeymen
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- agwalla
- an Asiatic seaman serving, under Lascar Agreement, as fireman q.v.
- craneman
- a donkeyman q.v. who attends to engine which works cranes on board ship.
- donkeyman
- in charge of small auxiliary engine ("donkey" engine) used, mainly when ship is in port, for working winches, pumps and other appliances on board ship, other than main propelling machinery; fills donkey engine boiler with water, by hand pump, and lights fire under it; stokes engine furnace and maintains required steam pressure; when donkey engine is not in use (usually when main engines are in steam) acts as greaser q.v. and also cleans donkey engine boiler, cleans and oils winches, etc., ready for use when ship is again in port.
- fireman, hopper
- a fireman (steam vessels) q.v. on liner wherein boiler fires are hopper fed; shovels coal, brought to him by trimmers q.v., into hoppers and keeps hoppers replenished.
- fireman serang
- a member of Asiatic crew, serving under Lascar Agreements; acts as leading fireman, but supervises Asiatic firemen and coal trimmers only, see fireman; often engages Asiatic crew.
- fireman (steam vessels)
; stoker
- shovels coal (placed in position by trimmers q.v. unless fireman does own trimming) into furnace to maintain required boiler steam pressure as shown by steam pressure gauge; rakes fire periodically to remove clinker and ash and thus make fire burn more brightly; rakes cinder and ash from fire box and stands them on one side to cool; assists trimmers in filling baskets with ashes, winding them from stokehold to deck by hand windlass and tipping them overboard; on small vessels (barges, tugs, dredgers, fishing boats) often also acts as trimmer or as greaser q.v. or is employed on any labouring work when not engaged in firing.
- fireman (Trinity House)
- a fireman (steam vessels) q.v. on a steamer in Trinity House service (lighthouse authority for England and Wales).
- fuelman
- on oil burning ships, regulates by valve oil flow from fuel tanks through feed pipe to fine jots, through which it is sprayed into furnace under ship's boiler; observes oil flames through glass screen, to ensure oil spray and air blast working efficiently; regulates valve of air blast, if necessary; opens furnace door periodically withdrawing spray momentarily, to clean jets with wire brush and to prevent clogging.
- greaser
- under supervision of engineer (734) q.v., oils and greases bearings and engine parts, using oil can, grease and cotton waste.
- koila walla
- an Asiatic seaman serving, under Lascar Agreement, as coal trimmer q.v.
- paniwallah
- a member of Asiatic crew, serving under Lascar Agreement, who carries drinking water to agwallas and koila wallas q.v. periodically, during their spells of duty; usually a koila walla set aside for this work.
- stoker
- see fireman (steam vessels).
- stoker (drifters)
- a stoker q.v. who takes alternate watches with driver (drifters) (734) q.v. on long runs, and is generally driver's deputy and second in command.
- tindal (fireman)
- a member of Asiatic crew, serving under Lascar Agreement; acts as deputy to fireman serang q.v.; in charge of Asiatic firemen and trimmers only; cf. tindal (deck) (735).
- trimmer, coal trimmer
- (i) (fishing) fires boilers of small fishing vessel; trims own coal; assists engineer (734) q.v. in keeping engine room clean and in oiling and greasing bearings and engine parts on boats where no greaser q.v. is carried; deputises for engineer when latter is off watch;
- (ii) (larger boats) as for trimmer (shipping service).
- trimmer, coal trimmer (shipping service)
- shovels or wheels coal within reach of fireman q.v.; assists him in removing ashes and in discharging them overboard; often also helps in keeping engine room clean and in oiling and greasing bearings and engine parts where no greaser q.v. is carried.
- winchman
- a donkeyman q.v. who controls winches, under direction of an engineer.
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From:
A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016. This text is in the Public Domain. 