The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb Questions & Answers

Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb Questions & Answers.

In my previous posts, I have shared the questions and answers of The Hobbit, Exile House and The Giant Mirrors of Rjukan so, you can check these posts as well.

The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb Questions & Answers

Question 1: What happened to Hatherley?

Answer: Hatherley had been through a serious accident in which his thumb got hacked and there was blood all over his hand.

Question 2: Why did Hatherley go to Sherlock Holmes’ office?

Answer: The doctor was quite horrified while attending Hatherley’s thumb and expressed his concern as it did not look like an accident but a murderous attack. Hatherley wanted to report the matter to the police, however was not sure if they would believe him. On this, the doctor offered his help and recommended him to meet Mr Holmes, to which Hatherley agreed and they both went to Sherlock Holmes’ office to share the entire story.

Question 3: What job did Colonel Stark offer to Hatherley and why?

Answer: Colonel Lysander Stark visited Hatherley and offered him fifty guineas for a night’s job. He wanted Hatherley to examine a hydraulic press used to work on a deposit of fuller’s earth in his fields in Reading.

Question 4: What had Colonel Stark been doing with the hydraulic press and why did he want to keep it a secret?

Answer: As explained by Colonel Stark he discovered a deposit of fuller’s earth in his fields in Reading. At the same time, he discovered a larger deposit in his neighbour’s field. He along with his few friends, secretly started to work on the deposit of fuller’s earth in his field, so that they can earn money and buy the neighbouring field. To help this, they installed a hydraulic press. According to him, if it became known that he had engineers coming to his house, it would arouse a suspicion and they might lose the chance of buying the neighbouring field. However, in actual Colonel Stark was using the hydraulic press to make a different kind of mixture which was being used in place of silver for making counterfeit coins.

The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb Questions & Answers

Question 5: What was wrong with the hydraulic press?

Answer: There was a slight leakage through one of the side cylinders of the hydraulic press.

Question 6: Answer these questions with reference to the context.

Perhaps you would attend to my thumb, or rather the place where my thumb used to be.

(a) Who is the speaker?

Answer: Victor Hatherley, the hydraulic engineer is the speaker.

(b) What were the circumstances that led to this situation?

Answer: Hatherley had been through a serious accident in which his thumb got hacked and there was blood all over his hand.

Question 7: Answer these questions with reference to the context.

You have been recommended to me as being a man not only proficient in his profession but also capable of preserving a secret.

(a) Who said this and to whom?

Answer: Colonel Lysander Stark said this to Victor Hatherley.

(b) What was the significance of this statement?

Answer: Colonel Stark was looking forward to hire Hatherley for job to repair a hydraulic press, however, he wanted the job to be done secretly.

(c) What was the secret the speaker was talking about?

Answer: According to the speaker – Colonel Stark, if it became known to the neighbours that he had engineers coming to his house, it would arouse a suspicion and they might lose the chance of buying the neighbouring field.

Question 8: Answer these questions with reference to the context.

Get away from here before it is too late!

(a) Who said this and to whom?

Answer: The woman in Colonel Stark’s house said this to Victor Hatherley.

(b) What was the motive behind this statement?

Answer: The woman was trying to warn Hatherley to escape from the situation as his life was in danger.

(c) Was this statement of any help?

Answer: No, the statement was not of any help as Hatherley, foolishly rejected the woman’s warning and continued to examine the hydraulic press.

So, these were The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb Questions & Answers.

error: Content is protected !!