Term: black gang (maritime)
Definition:
Nautical slang for the engineroom crew. Included the chief engineer, who ran the engine and supervised; oilers and wipers, who lubricated and maintained the engine; and firemen and coal-passers, who fed the steam boilers.
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[Source: "Glossary." Wisconsin's Great Lakes Shipwrecks (http://www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org/)]