W. J. C.

THE STOKER'S CATECHISM.

1. _Question._--How would you proceed to get steam up in a boiler?

_Answer._--Having filled the boiler with water to the usual height, that
is to say, about four inches over the crown of the fire-tube, I throw in
several shovelfuls of coal or coke towards the bridge, left and right,
keeping the centre clear; then I place the firewood in the centre, throw
some coals on it, light up, and shut the door. Then I open the
side-gauge cocks to allow the heated air to escape, and keep them open
till all the air has cleared out and steam taken the place of it; by
this time the fire will require more fuel, and when the steam is high
enough I connect her by opening the stop-valve a little at a time till
it is wide open and ready for work.

2. _Question._--Supposing there are boilers working on each side of the
one you got steam up in, how would you act?

_Answer._--I would light the fire by putting in a few shovelfuls of live
coal from one of them instead of using firewood; that is all the
difference I would make.

3. _Question._--What is the cause of the rapid motion of the water in
the gauge-glass at times? Is that motion general throughout the boiler?

_Answer._--No; air enters the boiler with the feed-water, and the
gauge-glass tube being in the vicinity of the incoming water, some of
the air enters the glass and flies up rapidly through the top cock and
into the boiler again; in fact there is very little motion of the water
in the boiler at any time while working. I have proved this to be so,
and in this manner: the boiler cleaners having finished the cleaning,
hurriedly scrambled out of the boiler and left several tools they had
been using on the crown of the fire-box, namely, a bass hand brush, a
tin can, and a tin candlestick, and a small iron pail; the manhole cover
was put on and boiler filled and put to work before the things were
thought of, and then it was too late and they had to remain there until
the next cleaning time, which was thirteen weeks; and when the boiler
was at last blown out and the manhole cover removed, the things were on
the crown of the fire-box exactly as they were left three months
previously. In order to satisfy myself of this, to me, extraordinary
discovery, I placed several articles on the crown of the fire-box,
things that could not stop up the blow-off pipe if they were swept off,
and got up steam as usual, and after th