HOW TO MANAGE A STEAM ENGENE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5252, 25 July 1885, Page 2

HOW TO MANAGE A STEAM ENGENE.

[agricultural gazette.] To the person in charge we would say his attention ought first to be directed to the bailer ; for this being the source of power, it may, if not properly looked after, become the seat of great danger. The water in the boiler, -when the fires are lighted, ought to be just above the bottom of the giass in the. gauge cocks. It not unfrequently happens i that when an unskilled hand is sent (to iook after the engine and boiler full or nearly so, before lighting the fire, which is of course a very bad thing to do, and for this one reason at any rate that a great quantity of coal is wasted in generating heat from an unnecessarily large body of water. Every novice will: know it takes longer to heat a large quantity ; still things are sometimes done as it were in total ignorance of this simple self-evident principle. On first lighting the fires they should not be made or kept too large, but just sufficient to cover the bars. A large thin surface of fine, highly heated fuel is found to be, most effective in getting up steam. While the steam is rising in the boiler — it is a good plan— one that should be of tener followed out than it is, to give the engine a good blowing through, which is done by opening all the cocks below the cylinder, or wherever, they may be placed (according to the shape of the engine). By turning on a little steam it blows out all the ■ water and air which always accumulate, about an engine when it stands unworked for some time. It also warms the cylinder, and lays any joints that may have been made since the engine was wrought last. It also economises the steam, for if the precaution referred to is not taken before the engine is started, a great amount of steam is wasted in heating the cylinder which might have been .used to produce force." After having started: the engine the attendant should also see that his , stuffing boxes are all steam-tight, so that, uunecessary loss of steam is allowed. This, is easily remedied by screwing down the glands while the engine is the motion, j Due care must, of course, be exercised in doing this ; he should also see that his safety valve is working properly, and that the valve is not jammed, but free in its feats, so that any over accumulation of pressure of steam may escape freely. He should avoid putting or adding any more Aveight on the end of the lever of the safety-valve, as some have been known to do when the steam was roaring or blowing off. The glass water gauge must also claim special attention ; without it the attendant could not ascertain the exact depth of water in the boiler. It should, therefore, be kept perfectly clean, it should very often get a good " blowing through" to clear it of any dirt, and thereby prevent it from choking up. The person in charge of the engine should always be looking at the water level in the boiler. This part of the work is oftentimes a source of great anxiety, for some boilers require to be kept at a certain fixed level. It often happens if the water be too high they will not steam ; if too low, the steam will generate too fast. Some boilers require a high water level, others a low one ; in fact, no general rule can be given for the water level. Nothing but practice can determine it. A safe rule is to keep the glass water gauge about twothirds full.