The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-08-04


alone.
Tom didn't care; in fact, this was Just
what he wanted. The train ran at q
speed for about ten miles into the coun-
try. Then it stopped, and everybody
hurried out to see the performance--or
the failure. The road Just here was per-
fectly level, and there was q switch and
siding. The train was uncoupled from
the engine, and run into the siding, out
of the way, and fag-men were sent up
and down the line to stop all trains that
might interfere with the show. The peo-
pie gathered round the cold and silent
engine, standing in crowd on the grass
by the line. Tom still sat in the engine,
and when everything was ready, the
President said that Master Stayboltt
might now try for the prize.
The idea of that boy making an engine
go milel It was very silly in him, and
no doubt he would now be properly pun
ished for his vain boasting.
care you ready, sir?"
"I-y-yes-yes, sir
"Then go ahead"
The people stood looking on, and qnite
ready to laugh at the poor boys failure.
Ahi she moves.
The big wheels turn slowly, and the
cold and silent engine rolled slowly back
ward. 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 failure. No. Tom
could be seen turning the reversing bar
The engine gave one loud whistle, and
started ahead. Faster and faster! On
it came, and rushed past all the people,
at twenty miles an hour. How the peo-
pie cheeredi It was wonderful. Tom
was looking straight ahead, like a good
engineer. The ladies waved their hand
kerchiefs, and the boys shouted until
they were hoarse. Tom Stayboltt had
won the prize.
The engine ran on about half a mile,
and then came slowly back, and stopped
just before the Presidents pretty daugh-
ters. Tom came to the window, and
took off his hat and bowed politely to the
ladies.
GLOW much pressure have you, Mas
ter Engineer" said the President.
"I-t-twenty-twenty pounds, sir.
Then the school gave three cheers for
Tom, end three nruro for tie TresIdenU,
for everyone said it was far better to do
something than to write the best compo-
sition ever seen. OF course every one
wished to know just how it was done,
and to make it all clear, the President
mounted a pile of sleepers, and told them
the whole story.
"Iou all know that in a steam engine
is a boiler and furnace, or fire-b
Water is put in the boiler, and fire is
made in the furnace precisely as in tea
kettle on a stove. The water boils in the
tea-kettle, and we see the steam escape.
In the engine the steam is locked in, and
can not escape, and very soon il becomes
crowded, and if still kept locked in, it
will burst the boiler. Before this. can
happen, the engineer opens a valve, and
&c hn -la 70
iron boxes, called the cylinders. Here
it meets piece of metal, called the pis-
ton, that fits the inside of the cylinder
pretty closely. It can not get past, and
so it pushes the piston 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 with puff. Then the steam
enters the other end of the cylinder, and
drives the piston back again. In this
manner the steam pushes the piston to
and fro as it tries to escape from the boi-
ler.
Now there is a rod fastened to the
piston, and passing through the end Of
the cylinder. Each cylinder has one,
and these are connected by means of 9TH
er rods with the great wheels of the loco
motive. You now see that the piston,
driven forward and backward, moves the
wheels, and thus it is the escaping steam
moves the engine. These rods you can
see outside the engine; the piston and
the valves are inside, out Of sight.
''Now the air is elastic, like steam, and
it may be used in any engine in place Of
steam. Ii air is pumped into tight box
like boiler, it may be locked up, or
compressed, and if we were to go on
pumping, we might burst the boiler with
compressed air. Master Stayboltt knew
all this, and he also knew that when an
empty engine is dragged along the rails
by another engine, as happened on our
ride out here, the wheels will turn round,
and these move the rods and the pistons,
and each cylinder works like a pump.
Instead of letting steam out, it pushes
air back into the boiler, and ve4Y soon
the boiler is full of elastic compressed air
struggling to get out. Master Stayboltt,
as soon as the train stopped, opened the
valves, and the air rushed out the way it
went In, making the p;stons move, and
the wheels turn round. Of course the
air soon ran out, and the engine stopped
This made no difference to Us. for Mas
ter Stayboltt clearly showed that he had
learned his lessons well, and knew how
to apply them"
Then the Presidents youngest daugh-
ter climbed up into the engine, and gave
Tom the prize watch, The boys took
him on their shoulders in triumph to the
President car, every one got on board,
the fiagmen were called IN, and the entire
party went gayly home with the empty
engine trailing behind. -Karper's YOUNG
People.