Telegram-herald., 1890-08-01
FEEDING A FIRE.
Some Idea OF the Work OF Loco
motive Fironaa-
1ae-sssat Action and Intelligent Direction
Nsessssry-Passonger Train Enginss
the Hardest TO "Fne"-vhy the
Gauge shouid Have Attention

Little has been written OF the locomo-
tive fireman Like tho newspaper re-
porter. bis identity Is sunk in the great
ness OF his machine and the prominence
OF his superiora He ia seldom heard
from unless be negleots 10 Jump az the
critical moment and his nane appears
in the lists OF tho dead or wounded. A
passing notice IS all DO receives until he
serves tho T I period OF the slavery OF
locomotive 8 -ngway and moves from tho
freman's box on the left OF the cab TO
tho engtnemar's box on the right and
then be Is a fireman no longer.
Few OF tho travellers gliding across
tho country In comfortable passenger
coaches give thought TO the motive
bower that enables thcm 20 visit two or
shree States In day. They can not
realize that there is any severe labor
sttached 20 the trip. They see the
neatly-unitormed conductor who leisure
ly treads tho aisles, tho indolent brake
man longing from ono end Of the train
% tho other. and tho white-jacketed
colorcd porter, evidently not suffering
from oTervor'S. These visions do not
give The traveller any very vivid i'm
preston OF hard work. But while they
are appearing and reappearing there is
ono man who Is earning his bread by
tho sweat OF hts brow" and that Is the
fireman. Dirty, bcgrinmed and greasy
from hcad % foot the fireman il per-
forming Iutios that no two OF tho pas
fen-crs in the train bchind him would
care % undertake.. werc they capable of
So doing. There Is very little poetry
and a vast deal OF reality in an engine
cab. especially tho cab Of a passenger
engine. The train Is running az high
speed; the engine Is the motive power:
steam Is is life. and it devolvos upon
tho fireman 20 supply tho steam Many
people would sa7: "Why. that's easy
enoughi AL DO does IS TO put In coal"
sAll he has 70 DO is 70 put in coali'
r would be grsat sport 20 see tho au-
thors Of such remarks put in the coal
would be interesting TO watch them
clamberiar from the box 70 the gang
way. and the ganEway 20 the box few
times While performing the double du-
ties OF "hring" and watching the track
ahead
Putting In the coal Ia oil right. but
when the coal Is put In every two or
three minutes it soon becomes monoton-
Gus and shortly fstigufng. especially on
twelve OF ffteen-hour trip The prac-
tical fireman becomes used 20 his work.
however. sni Il able 70 keep up during
the trip He not only puts in FIRE"
every two or three minutes. bat be is
obliged 70 put It in rightly and scien-
ufcallv IL would be impossible fer a
green fireman 20 keep up the proper
amount 81 steam for passenger engine
or 60 keep her hot" The hre-box e
q LOCOMOTIVES is n treachsrous thing 20
one sot understanding it The box IA
from sir % eight fset-in some
cases ten foet-iu leng-h. and
four or I've feet in width. The bottom
is composed Of two movable crates
which sre So placed as 20 leave crevices
a. ths ends and sides which are virtually
conduits tor the trsuzhe A. the 'front.'
end % The a-ebox arc the fues. A Ere
-,., who knows his business under
sands the construction q the box
shorearhlv. he is careful rot - IRE
I'm much in 'front.' snd thus shut up toe
s,ss ART ha ''fesds~ - tbe eads a1d
sides. thereby closing Up 10 crevices
al shutting cut ne cold az whica
would speedily cooi ne saes ald de-
s.rov sheir SCANNING power. Not 80
r,ucb attention = paid - ne csatsr,
although ths coal unst bs evenly dis
- s-,t. in No case, allowed -
.s-ra- wAicA wrui8 result n hig
~s-fe~s e, -4cz the r-acss- No- -nst
49,. 80 be heavT Too nuch cosl .
Almost a. bad a. none at a. Aa@
81 INST be lizh and frequent - ss'es'a
,.5~slv. A s~s~T srs Tc1sd oara
- and TIE steam woai2 rise slowly,