Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-12-03
FIRING AN ENGINE.
Some OF tho Hardships OF q Loco
motive Fireman,s Life.
He Lot II Not a" Easy rs Many EolIevo-
Tho Amount OF Fuoi Required to Koop
\n Iron Horse Going - Coal Must
10 Supplied Worry Carefully.

vi people only knew tho hardShtpS
Of lircmaM'S lifc." said ono OF tho local
leaders OF tho brotherhood OF Locomo-
two FiremCn to q Chicago Evening Post
rcportcr, "thcy would not DO so apt to
wonder that tho mon want to strike onco
in awhile to better their circumstances.
Their lot ut tho hest is n hard ono, and
tho pay Is poor when tho skill required
to no q flrcmen. the severity OF tho work
and tho constant strain to which tho
men arc subjected are taken into &C
count. Many people, probably n major
ity. consider that tho flrcman's work is
not skilled labor. but this opinion
arises from ignorance OF tho require
mcrts Of tho calling. An uuskillcd
fireman could no moro Gro . locomotive
on thu road so "a to keep up steam
steadily and Cnablo tho engineer to
mako good timO than no could build tho
locomotive. Take n grccn hand and put
him on a passenger train. for instance,
and the chances arc that tho passengers
will turn out and mob the whole trains
crew hcinro tho trip Is half through.
. Tho ikCHhood IS that tho train will
como tn n dead stop half dozen times
before tho trip Is ended. and while tho
train is WINNING it will no making such
misorablo progress that all on board
will have their patience exhausted and
no driven almost tn distraction over tho
way in which their valuable time
"a being .lriLtcrcd away. Fircmen have
to scrvc q regular apprenticeship to
tho work. They generally begin as
cloanors in tho round house. whore they
arc put to clean tho locomotives after
thcy como in from long trip. In that
way thcy got an acquaintance with tho
several parts OF tho cDEinc and how and
whore they should DO oiled when run
ming. Their next step is on q switch en-
Einc in tho yards. where they learn how
70 flro an cngine SO as to raise steam
rapidly and keep up constant supply.
) This requires good deal Of practice. 1t
Is tho easiest thing in the world to fire
your engine in such way that though
you have big fro in IT. IL will not be OF
tho kind to mako steam. Too much coal
Is often as bad as too little. II tho fire
is too heavy and burne too slowly: tho
inevitable consequence will be the low
Cring OF tho supply OF steam to such IN
extent that thcro will not be enough to
keep tho train running. II any kind Of
. Gro would do. tho frcman's lot would
DO an easy ono, He could thon fro up.
sit down comfortably in tho cab and
takO 1t easy until tho fire burns out. AS
IL Is. jho has to keep firing steadily. add
ing fresh fuel to tho flames at intervals
OF not moro than two minutes. SO that
while no is ON q run no hardly knows
what it is to have chance to straighten
his back. Ito is constantly clambcring
half-bent from tho box to tho gaDgway
and from tho gangway TO tho box,
manipulating q heavy scoopful OF coal.
md oil this timo no has got to keop q
lookout ahead. for it is his duty to
watch out for danger as much as IL is
that OF tho engineer. In q fifteen hours
trip'hC Will often shovel as many as ten
tons OF coal. Somo heavy passenger 10.
comotivcs cat up about throo-quarters
''"' 'N wan The
amodnt OF steam required to run on
ordinary passenger engine is 135 pounds,
and tho aim OF tho expert fireman is to
keep it ut that figure constantly from
the time he starts out on his trip till no
is on tho last milo Of his run, when he
will gradually lot it fall so that. when
no reaches tho final stopping place.
thero will be just about enough left to
run tho engine to tho round-house, that
mono Of it may 60 to waste. That is
another matter the fireman has to lool,
10, or ho will get hauled over tho Goals
by his superiors He must no as
economical Of fuel as possible. The in.
experienced fireman will use UP far
moro fuel than his moro expert brother
and haVo no better results for It,. lie
must keep his fro SO that all the heat
will GO to- tho Gues, and that no cold mir
ontoying tho are-box can get to them
nnsil it has been thoroughly heated and
rendered incapable Of cooling them Oft.
His fire Is not tho only thing that the
fireman has got to attend to, however.
In tho short intervals between bis FIR.