Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-02
Are you ready, sir7n
"Y-y-yeS-yes. SIR"

"
"Y.y-yes-yes SIR"
Then go ahea9."
The people stood looking on, and quite ready
to laugh &C the poor boys failure An! she
cold and silent engine rolled slowly backward.
For an instant there was laugh. She was
going the wrong way. She moved faster and
faster, and the laugh died away. All! she's
slowing up. She has stopped. It's a failure
No. Tom could be seen turning the reversing
bar. The engine gave one loud whistle, and
and rushed past all the people. at 20 miles an
hour. How the people cheered aud cheered |!
1t was wonderful. Tom was looking straight
anead, IKE good engineer. The ladies waved
their handkerchiefs, and the boys shouted until
prize
The engine ran on about halt a mile, stopped.
and then came slowly back, and stopped lust
before the presidents pretty daughters. Tom
came TO the window, and took of his hat and
bowed politely to the ladies.
HOW much pressure have you. Master Engl-
leer 2" said the president.
T-t-tWenty-20 pounds, SIR"
Then the school gave three cheers for Tom,
ana three more for the president, for every one
write the best composition ever seen. Of course
every one wished to know just how it was done.
ara 70 mare 1t all clear, the president mounted
pile OF sleepers, and told them the whole story.
= gu all know that in steam. engine is e boiler
and furnace, or f1re-box. Wate0ls put in the
boiler, and fire is made In the furnace precisely
Is ID tea-kettle on stove. The water bolls In
the tea kettle, and We see the steam escape. In
the engine the steam is locked In, and cannot
escape, and very soon 1t becomes crowded, and
II stlll kept locked In. 1t will burst the boiler
bsiore this can happen, the engineer opens a
valve, and permits the steam to enter TWO OBJ.
long iron boxes, called the cylinders. Here it
meets piece OF metal, called the piston that
hts the inside of the cylinder pretty closely. Il
away TO the other end OF the cylinder. AS soon
as this happens, the valves close OF their own
accord, and the steam escapes into the open air
Win Win loud pun: Then the steam enters the
ton back again. In this manner the steam
pushes the piston to and fro as 1t tries to escape
from the boiler.
NOW there is q rod fastened to the piston,
and passing through the end of the cylinder.
Eacn cylinder has one, and these are connec ted
oy means OF other rods with the great wheels
ton, driven forward and backward. moves the
wheels, and thus 1t is the escaping steam moves
the engine. These rods you can see outside the
engine; the piston and valves are inside, out OF
sight. -
NOV the air Ia elastic, like steam, and it NAV
De used In any engine In place OF steam. II all
Is pumped into tight box like boiler, it may
oe locked up or compressed, and II we were Ia
go on pumping, we might burst the boiler with
compressed afr. Master Stayboltt knew all this.
ana ne also knew that when an empty engine
will turn round. and these move the rods and the
p1stons, and each cylinder works like pump.
instead OF letting steam out, it pushes air back
into the boiler, and very soon the boiler Is full
OF elastic compressed air struggling to get out.
Master Stay boltt. as soon as the train stopped.
opened the valves, and the air rushed out the
way 1t went In, making the pistons move, ani,
the Wheels turn round. OF course the air soon
ran out, and the engine stopped, This made
no difference to us, for Master Staybolt Clearly
showed that he had learned his lessons well,
and knew how to apply them"
Then the presidents youngest daughter
climbed up into the engine, and gave Tom the
prize watch. The boys took him on their
shoulders In triumph to the presidents car.
every one got on board, the f1ag-men were
called In, and the entire party went gayly home
With the empty engine trailing behind.