Exhaust gases from the two boilers in the engine room below are vented out the smokestack, or funnel, which is the large cylindrical structure that dominates the ‘top of house’. It is commonly referred to as a ‘stack’. During WWII, it was critical that no thick or dark smoke be emitted, as it could be seen by the enemy and mark the location of the convoy, which would put all of the ships in jeopardy. Any crew on watch would report dark smoke emissions immediately to the engine room.
Today the ship is equipped with a closed-circuit camera focused on the stack so that the engineers below can see in real-time if any dark smoke is being emitted while the boilers are lit.
Forward and toward the top of the stack is the ship’s steam-powered whistle. The whistle can be operated from both the flying bridge and the wheelhouse. The ship’s whistle continues to be used today for communication. For example, five pulls on the whistle would signal a potential collision warning to another ship.
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Next, we’ll take you to the Engine Room. Use any aft ladder and make your way down to the Main Deck. Re-enter the Midship House from either the port or starboard hatch. Immediately turn left or right into the rear passageway where we'll introduce you to the Engine Room as you step into the entry platform.