The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-10-04
Locomotives and Sand,

OF the Bee line, Cleveland, Ohio, the
following interesting facts regarding
locomotives in general were obtained.
The master mechanic doesn't look at an
enRlne with the eyes Of an artist. but
with the critical gaze of a mechanic and
statistician. To him the boiler of To-
oomotive is not gIittering body of
1tussia iron with brass bands around il.
IN tact, tho public never sees locomo-
tlYe boiler It Is q rough, unpublished
mass of steel. Over this is complete
casting of wood, matched like flooring
and over all AN ornamental sheath Of
thin Russia iron with brass bands.
called a jacket. The casting is to pro.
teet the boiler from the cold blasts of
wlnter, Which. blowing cn the surface
OF the mass OF iron, would tend to chill
1t and condense the steam. Indeed, it
Is much more difficult, even with tho
casing Of wood and iron, to keep up
steam IN an engine Oh cold day than
Ill warm weather. The boiler OF n
standard locomotive, like those built by
the Lake Shore road, for instance. Is
travorsed its entire length by 178 tubes
two inches in diameter loading from the
furnace. These tubes are traversed by
the heat and smoke, and around them
III the bollor is the water. At least it
should be around them, and if it isn't,
the engineer had better climb out for
tall timber and safety. In the engines
on tho Bee line these tubes terminate
III tho extension fronts. The steam
rushing up through tho smoke stack
SUCKS tho smoke ana cinders through
tho tubes with terrific force, The
smoke sails out over the CITY to the in
tense disgust Of the smoke inspector
(who, by-the-way has served q notice
Oh all tho railroads in the city that they
must try and abate tho nuisance in a
measurc), but tho greater portion of tho
clnders are caught under a slantine
screen in tho extension fronts aforomen.
toned. At the end Of tho trip tn, cin-
ders arc drawn off through an opening
in tho chamber. and not infreuuently
ten bushels or moro are taken out,
With ten bushels of cinders tiying
around train drawn by an engine that
doesn't catch its own slobberings, what
wonder that passenger sometimes
gets al oye full! Some idea Of the i'm
portance OF this matter of cinders can
be obtained when it Is known that III q
year about nine carloads Of them are
taken from each locomotive Mt an ex-
ponse OF from So to So Car. They arc
mainly used rs ballast for the track, al
though the Bee line is making expert
ments to ascertain if they contain any
virtue rs fuel. In the ordinary locono-
tives used on the Lake shore line roaG
the screen is placed in tho dome ut tho
ton Nf tin an, or a OF "a nL .-..,--..
The small boy who draws his picture
of locomotive knows that the tlomo
OH the boiler midway between the
smoke stack and tLe cab is sand-Dox.
A tube leads from 1t down in front OF
the drive wheels. When the rapid and
spasmodic putting of an engine indi-
Gates that she is slipping, the engineer
pulls n small lover and fine stream Of
sand is deposited on tho track. The
small boy aforesaid and the public
doesn't probably realize how much sand
this dome holds and how much trouble
and expense is occasloned in keeping it
filed. Great care must be exercised in
selecting tho sand. It must be fine
and contain no clay. The Lake Shore
roa gets its sand from along the lake
shoe, the best coming from Lake
Michigan near Chicago, aud the Bee
line from Lake Erie or from sand
bank on tho line of the I. and st. l..
road. It costs the latter line from 50
to GU cents n cubic yard loaded on the
cars. or about So a oar. 1t ls estimated
that ut least 400 Car loads Of sand are
required to run the Beo line engines a
year, Thus tho simple ltem of sand
alone occasions that road an expense Of
over $4,000. The sand box on the boiler
of q locomotive holds about 10 bushels,
and is replenished Mt every trip. It is
sad fact that whilo ample provision is
for sanding the track ahead Of the drive
wheels OF locomotive, no sand can be
deposited behind them.
This neglect in the construction Of
locomotive once caused tho absolute
failure of n Republican convention III
Now Jersey. 1t was to be held ut a small
town on limo OF railroad. There was
no turn-table thcre, and the engine that
pulled tho train ran backwards IN order
to bring tho train back from the conven-
ton pilot ahead in fno shape. Alasl
some Democratic wags had soaped the
track few miles out from the conven-
ton town and tue sand from tho sand
box did no good for 1t fell
behind tho drivers Of tho reversed ell
gine. The determined Republicans loft
tho cars, caught the sand in their hats
as it ran from the tube and sprlnkled it
along tho rails. It was three hours
before the engine was coaxed over the
soaped stretch Of track, and when the
convention was reached it was learned
that the impatient delelegates from the
opposite direction had gone home. Tho
convention was abandoned.
Another important item is oil, Of
which nh engine uses pint to each IT
miles of distance travelled. The base OF
this oil is crude petroleum. The Lake
Shore road gives each month first
prize Of $40 and second prlzo Of 81 to
the engineers making the best time
with tho most economical use of oil as
fuel. Two prizes are also distributed to
the firomen. A pound of cotton waste
is allowed eacll engine on each trip for
the use OF the fireman in wiping the
jacket and shining steel and brass work
III tho cab. Tho machinery proper is
kept clean by men employed at the
round houses and known as hostlers.
The height OF q freman's ambition is to
obtain on engine to run and to the dis
grace of tho employees be it said3 some
desp:e Able tricks are resorted to to get All
engine away from man. A man got
an engine to run on the Nickel plate
al, oftor ~ Suoo Nponod ITo otorto1