The Press., 1886-01-07
AN ENGINEERS OBSERVATIONS.

at times, but has had the wit to divine the cause and the skill to remedy the trouble his machines were causing him.
 | remembered once, he says, in new mill with new engine and young en- gineer, after running tew days there be- gan terrible knocking about the engine, and for some time it wns hard to locate it, but we finally did, in the yoke on the ec- centric which worked the steam waive. The engineer and myself squinted around that for some time, until we concluded it was caused by the yoke not being true and having too much play, and that we would have to babbit it to fit. We hesi- tated to do it, however, and got an old en- gineer to come and take m observation. After watching a little while, he suggested the fault might be inside the steam chest. The engineer soon opened that, and found the cause of the trouble; the jam nut be- ing loose on the end of the valve stem and striking against the end of the steam chest, caused the chucking at the eccentric. I have always made it rule to remember all such incidents, as it ia by such experi- ences we learn how Co care for the ma. chimes in ouIcharge,
 A few years after, l was in charge of an other mill, in another part of the country, and in this case also starting with a new mill. Here we had an engineer who for the time had steam pump boiler feeder to run, and it soon began to cause trouble, and the crank pin broke of. It fell upon me to go to the city and get n new part, aud got it at the shop where the pump was made. The maker was surprised, and said he had never had one break before, and made me promise to find out the cause and write him. So when I returned, and l,n of n sion to observe it. It commenced knock ing, and remembering the experiences be- fore related, | suggested to the engineer ] that he take it apart and look for some- thing striking the fond of the cylinder, which he did ; and, sure enough, there was a nut that needed turning up, which, be- ing done, there was no more trouble with that pump In the best aud most careful shops there is liable to occur an oversight that may cause trouble. Every man in charge of machinery should use great care. Do not be too nasty in condemning ma chimes locate and remedy defects if pos sible have patience and judgment That's the way to be a good engineer.
 It IS often a very trivial thing which af- fects the working of a machine. An em- ployer of mine once had an opportunity Co buy n wheat cleaning machine at less than one-third the original cost, it having been used but a short time We needed a new machine, and this was a good kind, of well known manufacture, and l advised him to buy it. He did so, and we soon had it in operation, and behold it wasted wheat very much, and no adjustment of draught would remedy it. That revealed why it was disposed of so cheaply. As the Hd- iusting of draught did not affect the waste of whole wheat T decided at once that l must have as-1eak in the securing case, a very simple sH28tter to reason out took it apart, and found place at the end of the securing casee where the leak occur red. This I remedied in a few minutes, and we then had machine doing perfect work, and felt as though I had enabled my employer to save over $200.
 1 remember where, in another mill, we set up on trial new wheat cleaning ma chine, to which the manufactures had but lately added a separator having large vi- brating sieve, which was attached by sim gle nuts. These nuts kept getting loose and allowing things to come apart It was fault of construction which could be easi- ly overcome by the manufacturers, and I wrote them describing explicitly the trou- ble, suggesting how to better construct the part, and offering to hold machine and apply any remedy they might provide. They replied that their machines had a wonderful reputation, and insinuated that we must be ignoramuses, and had insulted them. or course that machine went back, and to-day they are heard of no more in the land. observe that the machines that are put together in tho strongest and most durable manner are the ones that stay the longest and win profitable trade for the manufacturers. The phenomenal success of some machines is largely due to | this fact.
 The wood called "osage orange" in the north, and "bogart" in Texas, where it is indigenous, is hard, like lignum vit@. It does not swell or shrink, is wonderfully durable, and would be an excellent wood for waterwheel steps, boxes for journals on slow shafts, keys, or for any use where Q hard, nice finish is required. It lasts lifetime in the form of shingles, posts, etc., in Texas.
 noticed an engineer the other day doc. toring 0 belt to prevent its slipping by pouring grease on it and then fine resin to cover it all If hnd been his employer, would have told him how to do it better, and a repetition would have brought his walking papers It costs a good deal to buy belts to be used that way, for they would be short lived. Good neatsfoot or castor oil applied to belts occasionally Sat urday night is good treatment, but such treatment as the above is very injurious to belt
 once observed, in new mill nearing completion, pair of gears ill the upper story, where nothing but elevators and, perhaps, wheat cleaner would ever be driven, that were heavier than the gears in the basement, that drove all the ma chinery except the burrs. asked the experimenting millwright the philosophy of that, and he said heavy gears ran stead fer and easier than light gears. do not believe this. While believe gearing should be heavy enough to do it's work without strain or unnecessary wear upon coggs, too heavy gearing is detriment, and to have the heaviest gears in the up- per story of the null is reversing all the mechanical laws as applied to the trans- mission of power, and displays a mill wright's ignorance.
 
 Gov. Stoneman of California has written to Secretary Bayard, telling him to "mind hia own huainaaa p or yyoeda fn that aff.,ot