THE STOKER'S CATECHISM
THE
STOKER'S CATECHISM
BY
W. J. CONNOR.
London:
E. & F. N. SPON, Limited, 57 HAYMARKET
New York:
SPON & CHAMBERLAIN, 123 LIBERTY STREET
1906
Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.Variant spellings have been retained.
PREFACE.
There is no trade or calling that a working manis more handicapped in than that of a Steam BoilerStoker; there are no books on stoking; the manleaving his situation is not anxious to communicatewith the man who is taking his place anything thatmight help or instruct him; and the new man willbe shy of asking for information for fear of beingthought incapable for the post he is seeking; andthe transfer takes place almost in silence, and thenew man has to find out all the ways and means athis own risk, sometimes at his employer's expense.
My object is to instruct that man in his businesswithout his knowing it, or hurting his very sensitiveopinion on stoking and other matters; for I am wellaware that it is only the least experienced who arethe hardest to convince, or instruct—against theirwill. I have therefore ventured to devise this simplemethod of question and answer, which I have named[v]"The Stoker's Catechism," which I hope may instructand interest him.
I will not encumber this preface with my personalqualifications for this little work—the answers to thequestions might suffice.
THE STOKER'S CATECHISM.
1. Question.—How would you proceed toget steam up in a boiler?
Answer.—Having filled the boiler with water tothe usual height, that is to say, about four inchesover the crown of the fire-tube, I throw in severalshovelfuls of coal or coke towards the bridge, leftand right, keeping the centre clear; then I placethe firewood in the centre, throw some coals on it,light up, and shut the door. Then I open the side-gaugecocks to allow the heated air to escape, andkeep them open till all the air has cleared out andsteam taken the place of it; by this time the firewill require more fuel, and when the steam is highenough I connect her by opening the stop-valve alittle at a time till it is wide open and ready forwork.
2. Question.—Supposing there are boilersworking on each side of the one you gotsteam up in, how would you act?
[8]Answer.—I would light the fire by putting in afew shovelfuls of live coal from one of them insteadof using firewood; that is all the difference I wouldmake.
3. Question.—What is the cause of therapid motion of the water in the gauge-glassat times? Is that motion general throughoutthe boiler?
Answer.—No; air enters the boiler with the feed-water,and the gauge-glass tube being in the vicinityof the incoming water, some of the air enters theglass and flies up rapidly through the top cock andinto the boiler again; in fact there is very littlemotion of the water in the boiler at any time whileworking. I have proved this to be so, and in thisman