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tion of reciprocating parts, and may be steam entrapped by exhaust closure or admitted from boiler. "Clearance" is the name given to space between piston follower and face of valve.

has become nearly obsolete in a mechanical sense, being used chiefly in connection with men and animals.

19. To ascertain lap and lead of a slide valve without opening chest, we should disconnect drip pipes, so that steam would appear at them as soon as it entered the cylinder; then opening the throttle a very iittle, watch drip pipes while the engine is 26. The term "energy" originally being slowly turned by hand in the direc-meant capability to produce motion, but tion it runs. When steam appears in front of the piston near the end of the stroke, mark valve rod at edge of stuffing box or some other convenient point. Then turn engine on center, mark rod again and measure distance again, which is the lead. The lap is found by marking rod when steam ceases flowing from one end, and again when it commences flowing from the other, measuring between marks, as for lead. Proceed the same for other end of valve.

20. The amount of lubrication required for any engine is influenced by the quality of lubricant, speed of engine, amount of work in proportion to size of engine, tightness of journal, correctness of alignments, finish of journals, truth of valve face, perfection of cylinder bore, and fit of piston.

27. A pound of pure carbon is capable of liberating, if perfectly burned, about 14,500 heat units, which if used in one hour=5 65 × horse power.

28. The usual friction of a large engine is about five per cent. of its power. 29. Part of the wasted heat might be saved by placing a heater in the chimney, and feeding injection water, having a good condenser, as a matter of course.

30. The value of any kind of fuel is determined by the number of heat units produced by its combustion.

31. A horse power is a power sufficient to raise 33,000 pounds one foot in one minute.

32. To determine the power of an engine, multiply the area of the piston in square inches by the average pressure of steam in cylinder, and this product by piston's speed in feet per minute.

21. The functions of the steam engine indicator are to show by its diagrams the pressure of steam at every part of the stroke, the amount of lap and lead of the valve, point of cut-off, average of pres33. Law of movable pulleys: The powsure, counter pressure, point of exhaust er is doubled by each movable pulley. closure, and amount of cushion, enabling 34. A 3 inch pipe is nine times the area the happy possessor to calculate the pow- of a 1 inch. For 32-9, 12—1, 1X0·7854 er of his engine, amount of work it is do-÷0.7854-9; 3 inch pipe has nine times ing at the time diagrams are taken, fric-area of 1 inch pipe. tional load, end theoretical rate of water consumption.

22. A close approximation to the theoretical diagram, high initial pressure, early cut-off, and low terminal pressure indicate good construction and perfor

mance.

23. Indicator diagrams show the press ure in the cylinder by the relation of their lines to the atmospheric line, which is a line drawn when the indicator piston is in equilibrium, having the pressure of the atmosphere on both of its sides.

24. The diagram shows by the changes of direction of its lines the exact time, in relation to the stroke of the piston, that each event of the valve stroke, admission, cut-off, etc., occurs.

25. "Compression" is confinment of steam by closing the exhaust opening before the return stroke is ended, thus causing a rise in pressure and assisting to stop the motion of the reciprocating parts. "Cushion" is steam used to stop the mo

35. If a non-condensing engine, having an initial pressure of fifty pounds above atmosphere, cuts off at half stroke, the mean pressure in the cylinder will be 42.35 pounds per square inch.

36. Automatic engines use twentyeight to thirty pounds of water per horse power per hour, and throttling engines from forty to sixty pounds per horse power per hour.

37. Consider one inch below water lever the best place to introduce feed pipe to boiler.

38. Steam gauge pipe should be taken from the highest part of boiler.

39. About 156 cubic feet of air must pass through the grate to burn one pound of coal.

40. A ready method of testing a steam gauge is to raise the pressure until the gauge indicates point at which safety valve should commence blowing. If it commences blowing at the proper pressure as indicated by gauge, it is fair to

conclude that both are right. If they do not show the same pressure, one is wrong; most probably the gauge

41. Good anthracite coal makes 3.89 per cent of ashes. Hence, 2,000 pounds would produce about 80 pounds of ashes. 42. It is a disputed point whether coal is improved by wetting or not; but as most furances supply from 14 to 1% as much air as is necessary for the perfect combustion of coal, it is safer to conclude that oxygen resulting from the separation of water (if possible) would be of no benefit.

43. The best time to remove clinkers from furnace walls is while they are hot, as the clinkers are then soft and will come off without injuring the walls.

44. If two pulleys on opposite shafts are twenty feet from center to center, the length of a belt to fit around them is 464 feet. Rule: Add to twice the distance between centers of shafts the product of half the sum of the diameters of the pulleys and 3%.

45. A unit of heat is the amount of heat required to raise a pound of water 1° Fah., from 39° to 40°.

present types are greatly lacking in power and speed, but they do their work, as a rule, in a clumsy and unsatisfactory manner. It is not a characteristic of our people to leave anything by the way-side in the march of progress that is worth turning back after, but an exception may be made in the matter of locomotives. In 1852 a New England shop turned out locomotives that made a "light weight” record that has never been beaten, and this with their diminutive fire-boxes, and cylinders varying from 12X16 to 16X20, and drivers from 66 to 72 in., and weighing from 18 to 22 tons with tenders. They were inside connected, had 4-wheel trucks, 4 drivers coupled, 6-wheel tenders, and independent cut-off, were wood burners and good steamers, and settled down to their work as if they had an interest in it. They had no difficulty in making 50 miles an hour with the passenger trains of the period, and even 60 and 65 miles under favorable conditions of track. For many years these engines were favorites on all roads where they were used, but after a time, when they were taken in for repairs, they were remodeled according to the notions of master mechanics, and finally "monkeyed" with and spoiled. Since then all kinds of improvements have been tried, and in the main have been failures, although some of the lost ground has been recov

46. The principle involved in the working of the injector is that steam occupies more space than its weight of water, so that there is less volume returned to the boiler than is taken from it, as the steam used in working the injector is condensed and enters in the form of water, occupy-ered by real improvements. ing at sixty pounds above atmosphere but 1-352 of former volume.

47. I consider its latent heat, and the manner in which it varies, the most remarkable property of steam,

48. A cubic foot of fresh water weighs 621⁄2 pounds at 60° Fah., and contains 712 gallons nearly,

49. A perfectly aligned and firmly built engine, set on a solid foundation, having perfectly fitted yet easy moving piston, tight shutting, balanced, light running valves, high and dry steam, reliaole automatic cut-off, cutting off early, good condenser, and run at moderately high speed, will effect the economical use of steam.

50. I would suggest the universal adoption of a key on each side of crank pin box to equalize clearance and lessen it.

In respect to locomotives and their present adaptation to the demands of the future, it is manifest that some important improvements are needed. Not that the

It may be presumptuous, but it seems to me that the readiest way to get the locomotive of to-day in the most effective condition for future service, is to progress a step backward, by returning to some of the leading features of the machine as they were thirty years ago. Certainly, the track crushers now in vogue are not adapted to the fast trains that are being clamored for in passenger service, and the monster with the many coupled drivers must needs come down to four-coupled for fast freight.- Wm. S. Huntington, in National Car Builder.

Larger engines, faster time, and longer runs are the order in England as well as in this country. The Northeastern RailWay Company is having twenty new engines built solely for express service, which in several respects will be unequaled in the world. These are some of the characteristics: Drivers - four wheels coupled-seven feet two inches in diameter; leading wheels, four feet six inches

in diameter; wheel base, sixteen feet eight inches; cylinders, eighteen by twenty-four inches; capacity of tender, 2,800 gallons of water, and three tons of coal; weight of engine, with steam up, forty-two tons; weight of tender, twentyeight tons; total, seventy tons. These engines will each be capable of running express from York to Edinburgh in one journey, thus doubling the length of run, two now being required. As for their speed, it is stated that on a trial trip one already built made the extraordinary time of eighty miles per hour. However, if American engines, with drivers five feet eight inches in diameter, can make seventy-two and one-sixth miles per hour for thirty-six miles, as was recently done on the West Shore Road, we can believe that wheels eighteen inches larger can run still faster.

AN OLD LOCOMOTIVE.

There is an old engine, numbered 14, now doing duty on the Alleghany Iron Mountain Railroad, whose hoarse voice used long ago to waken the shrill echoes in the valleys and mountains of Central Virginia. Way back in 1855 this old engine was the pride of the then Virginia Central Railroad, running from Richmond to Louisa, and later to Gordonsville. Even after the new order of things since the war, No. 14 held a proud position among the fast passenger engines on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, but for years the once monarch of the road has been relegated to the obscure position of yard engine, until procured by the Alleghany Co., and, burnished up by one of its old masters, its sphere of usefulness is enlarged. If engines could only talk, what a volume of important events would this old fellow narrate. What precious freight has been committed to its care. How many old Virginians have waited on narrow platforms for the "keers." What mighty state secrets have been discussed behind it. Covering a period of the most intense interest in the history of Virginia the old engine still survives, while many, perhaps all, of the human actors in those scenes have boarded the long train for which no return tickets are sold. Engineer Ally, a veteran on the road, well known to Chesapeake & Ohio men, was for many years the man who pulled the throttle of No. 14 on the Virginia Central road. The son of this old engineer runs an engine on the road now. The old man is side-tracked by the Dispatcher of

the Universe. Mr. Pelter, the present engineer, used to stand in the cab, and, with the fidelity of a hero, still stands by his old friend. The old engine does effective work in its present position, and, under the careful management of Mr. Pelter, years of service may yet be left to the hero of other days.

A Scotch mechanic has brought for ward a useful little invention-a file fɔr soft metals and wood. It is formed of some 200 separate pieces of steel, connected by an iron bar, which is passed through, and binds them together by means of a screw-the advantage of such an arrangement being, as claimed, that filings of soft metals or wood can be got rid of by simply loosening the screw, and thereby separating the plates, this being done with very little delay or inconvenience. This file is said to be not only capable of performing quicker and better work than the cut files that are ordinarily employed, but each file will, it is asserted, last some three years, thus outwearing as many as thirty dozen of the common files.

CONDUCTORS' REBUS PUNCHES.

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The conductors on the "Great Satchel" railway, otherwise Chicago & Grand Trunk, a famous Michigan road, all take pride in their lamps and uniforms, but if there is one thing they "dote on" more than another, it is their "punches.' Not only in make, but as to the mark they leave. John Slo-cum has ordered a punch that marks a "tortoise, so as to be even with Hart, and registers his name every time he makes his mark. After January 1st, Jim Baker will punch an old-time "fried cake" from each ticket to remind us he is a "Baker." This is unnecessary as Jim always "takes the cake." Jake Henry wanted a diamond in the handle of his punch, but on account of weakeyed passengers, he concluded one diamond was all their eyes could stand. Frank Godfrey cuts a small cannon from each pasteboard, while Bill Hudson cuts out a "hat" to remind him what it costs him for headgear. Bill has more old hats on hand than would start a Jew hatter in biz. Dell Car registers a "car" of course. But Seth Guthrie is hot. He was told the nearest they could come to his name was "link of sausage and a figure 3." Such is life.

Correspondence.

MESSRS. EDITORS: Whatever may have been the fate of the circular sent to the brothers to have them decide to make

our insurance universal in the Order, I deem it the duty of every Brother to be on the affirmative side of the question. When our Organization was established, in those days there were very few, if any, organized bodies of wage-workers having a life insurance attached to them. It is in the last decade that they have come so universally into existence; and any interested observer can see, that where they now exist, making admission to them obligatory, there is the best of satisfaction amongst the members.

banded together, having a universal insurance, statistics of their order tell that they are not more heavily taxed for their fraternal dead than are the members of other insurance associations outside of our calling; and these railroad associa

tions are in just as hazardous positions as

are the members of the Brotherhood.

Then why should we dread to make the Insurance general? If the fate of the circular is against the wishes of those who wish to put our Order on a permanent basis, by making the Insurance general, it is a selfish act; and without any desire to pose as a prophet of evil, let me tell you that the little cloud now arising over our horizon may assume proportions of more magnitude for evil than the enmity of all railroad managers on the continent.

To put myself on the side of making the Insurance general, these lines are written. The subject is but briefly touched, but perhaps it may put others the object I have in view shall be acto thinking or call out discussion, and complished, for it will give me an opportunity to refer to the matter again.

RORY O'MORE.

So much has been said on the subject of our insurance heretofore, that it seems almost impossible to say anything more without repeating something already advanced. Without going deeply into the matter, I will say that in my opinion the time is not very far distant when every man, who is not physically incapacitated from belonging to the Insurance, must become a member; and I maintain that any man who is capable of running an engine successfully, is entitled to admission to the Brotherhood, providing his moral character will stand the scrutiny of an investigating committee of the Division into which he seeks admission; and if admitted to the Order, he is also a fit physical subject for the insurance association. The great difficulty to be encountered and overcome is how to admit the aged, who are already in our ranks, and not belonging to the Insurance. It may be necessary that sacrifices must be made, but there will be no sacrifice made by the members of the Insurance financially, that they have not been already compensated for by having a Brother-ing the cause of the feeling. Secret sohood to protect them in their wages, should the Insurance become universal. Where men in railroad employ are

BRAINARD, MINN., Jan. 19fh, 1886. MESSRS. EDITORS: At present in St. Paul there is a movement on the part of the church members and ministers, to interest the laboring people in religion and the churches; how it will succeed is a matter of interest, and I have doubts in the ability of the evangelical churches to enlist the majority and hold them. There has been a skepticism growing, and a habit of ridiculing divines and church people, among railroad men and others, that has not grown without cause and cannot be wiped out without remov

cities are flourishing and attractive; the lodge rooms attract the men and members promptly pay their dues, and the

treasuries are always fairly supplied with cash. A general good feeling exists among them, and they continue to grow. While this is going on there is less interest manifested by this class toward the churches, and among the toilers the principle of taking care of the present and the earthly future grows, while taking chances on the eternity existing beyond. There is much good accomplished by church societies, but bear what name they may they cannot get around human weakness and fault. While it is natural for some men to consider themselves better than others, it is just as natural for the others to be envious and spiteful. But leaving this matter with the churches, we can see that outside where men mutually agree regardless of creed to help one another, they do what the churches neglect; untold good is accomplished, and the very essence of that aimed at by good Christians becomes a habit, and good reilgion is made real by acting the duty that man owes to man. For my part I like to see life made decently attractive, and if there is any good in it, honestly extract it and profit by it. There are many ways of assisting one another, and when projects are started by good men and carried to success, a little self sacrifice on the part of many carries untold blessings to the needy and worthy ones.

In this matter our Insurance is a fair example. We see men stand back and say "I belong to another insurance and it costs less money, and I buy goods where I can buy cheapest, and if compelled to do the other way it is all wrong and I won't stand it, etc." As far as the business end of the argument is concerned, no fault can be found. It is a temptation at times to do likewise, especially when assessments come in a yard long, like the one last month. But I heard a brother engineer say not long ago, "I have not a known relative on the face of the earth,

or any one to leave insurance to, but I joined the insurance when it was at its lowest point to help it along." That is good principle. Engineers' widows are not to blame if their husbands were forced to shut off steam and make a farewell stop at eternity's gate. A great many engineers do not have the choice of markets for favorable insurance, and they are more liable to die than many other classes of men, and their families ought to be provided for and the burden borne by the whole organization, and while we live in the hope that the majority has so declared, there is some satisfaction. If the matter is so declared, please let the minority take its dose for sweet charity's sake and not make a kick. I have been wondering if Rory O'More is the same gentleman who went up on Telegraph Hill "all alone for himself," and was tardy at the evening session. However, Rory, please excuse us on the District deal. The Brotherhood is growing certainly; each year finds an increased delegation forming our conventions-an independent organization receiving good wages and expected to do good work. The property in an engineer's hands is valuable, and by taking good care of it and keeping up the standard and improving the skill of its members, the Brotherhood can many times repay railroad companies for cost of transportation to its conventions. When a railroad company cannot endure to transport the delegation, let the delegation pay the cost of the same, and stand honestly as men. When a railroad company through its officials does the Organization a favor, repay the same by good work and increased care and attention to duty. Persue this policy and the conventions will meet with a delegate from each Division if they should reach 1,000. Do not belittle the wall flowers, Rory. The skim-. piest piece of calico in the corner often says the meanest things about the beau

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