i88i.] STOKING. 83 



in tlie morning. The flue leading to the chimney should always be 

 the first to receive attention, making sure that all the soot settling 

 at the bottom of the chimney is cleared out, and each flue in turn 

 till the furnace itself is reached, the outlet of which should have the 

 same special attention as the top flue. Without this thorough clean- 

 ing there must necessarily be a great waste of heat, in consequence of 

 the heating surface being clogged with soot and ashes. 



The Damper and Furnace- Doors. — How often do we find these 

 defective? We often look in vain for a damper, and at times find 

 the ashpit-door absent, or in a dilapidated condition, next to useless. 

 And yet you might just as reasonably expect a seaman to guide his 

 ship in its course without a rudder, as expect any one to manage a 

 fire on economic principles without these. The damper should be 

 built into the chimney as near the top of the furnace as convenient, 

 shouJd slide in an iron frame, and fit the flue exactly. The fur- 

 nace-doors should be as near air-tight as possible, and the ashpit- 

 door should have a ventilator to admit a little air when only a slow fire 

 is wanted. But to proceed. Having cleaned out the boiler-flues, and 

 cleared the furnace of clinkers, pull the fire together, add a moderate 

 supply of fuel, close the furnace - door, leave the ashpit -door open 

 a little, and the damper about a couple of inches out. This ar- 

 rangement will generally get up a fair fire in an hour, which will 

 answer for general purposes. But the amount of draught must 

 always be regulated according to circumstances. The state of the 

 wind and weather, and the amount of work the boiler has to do, &c., 

 must always be considered. After sharp frosty nights we often have 

 bright mornings. The stoker finding his temperatures low, is too apt 

 to get up a brisk fire quickly, which is a great mistake. Sun-heat 

 is always preferable to fire-heat, and one at a time is quite suflficient. 

 When there is a prospect of sun, the fire should be attended to an 

 hour after, a little more fuel added, both furnace-doors closed, and the 

 damper left out just so far as to let the smoke pass up the chimney, and 

 nothing more. It will thus keep up a steady beat till the afternoon. 

 During cold stormy days is the time when a brisk fire is needed ; and 

 this is not best attained by cramming as much fuel into the furnace 

 as it will hold, and keeping up a roaring draught till it is consumed, 

 as some seem to think. First get up a nice clear fire, supply a small 

 quantity of fuel, which soon ignites, apply the damper to moderate 

 the draught, and by admitting a greater amount of air by the ashpit- 

 door than there is outlet for at the damper, the heated air is forced 

 into the upper flues of the boiler sloivly, and so parts with heat instead 

 of rushing up the chimney. When the fire has been kept quiet all 

 day, it must be stirred up at closing-time to keep up the temperature, 

 and be ready for evening arrangement. If it freezes, a brisk fire will 

 be needed — in mild weather a moderate one ; but it should in no case 

 be allowed to burn down too low when made up for the night. The 



