WATCHING THE WATER-GAUGES.
As “burning his engine” is the greatest disgrace that can professionally befall an engineer, every man worthy of the name guards against a possibility of being caught short of water unawares, by frequent testing of the gauge-cocks. It is not enough to have a good-working water-glass. If an engineer is ambitious to avoid trouble, he runs by the gauge-cocks, using the glass as an auxiliary. Careful experiments have demonstrated the fact, that the water-glass, working properly, is a more certain indication of the water-level than gauge-cocks; for, when the boiler is dirty, the water rises above its natural level, and rushes at the open gauge-cock. This can be proved when water is just below a gauge-cock level. If the cock is opened slightly, steam alone passes out; but, when the full opening is made, water comes. But water will not come through a gauge-cock, unless the water-level is in its proximity; and an engineer can tell, when his gauge shows a mixture of steam, that the water shown is not to be relied upon. It is not “solid.” On the other hand, a water-glass out of order sometimes shows a full head of water when the crown-sheet is red-hot.