THE MANAGER ON THE WORKS. f$ 



Spreader inserted in the pipe from the front. The mouth- 

 piece lid is screwed up, and the cap on the top of the 

 ascension pipe is removed. A brisk draught is created 

 through the retort and up the ascension pipe, which 

 speedily loosens the carbon and at the same time clears the 

 pipe. The manager of a small works is rather apt to get 

 into slovenly habits in this matter, particularly during the 

 winter months ; but he cannot expect to get through the 

 heavy season comfortably with dirty retorts. And one of 

 the reasons for enlarging on the utility of the exhauster, 

 even on the small scale, is that it reduces the frequency of 

 standing off for cleaning. It is a good plan to make a note 

 in the carbonizing book of the dates on which particular 

 retorts are cleaned; and for this purpose the settings may 

 be indicated by letters, and the retorts by numbers, starting 

 on the left hand as one stands facing the retorts. To 

 prevent confusion, it should be understood that particulars 

 respecting the retorts should always be taken in this way. 

 A left-hand mouthpiece, for example (i.e., a mouthpiece 

 with the outlet for gas on the left hand, not on the top), has 

 the pipe thus : ^Q . Much confusion and trouble has been 

 known to arise from neglect of this simple rule. 



The same applies to the flues of the furnaces. If they 

 are not cleaned periodically, the draught and the heat must 

 surfer. Some kinds of coke give a very considerable 

 quantity of dust, which may be easily raked out when fresh, 

 but after a time will fuse and bake hard. A slovenly worker 

 will be inclined to adopt the simpler plan of giving the 

 furnace another inch of damper, a proceeding that, perhaps, 

 saves him some trouble, but does not tend to a long life 

 for the setting, or to economy of fuel. The old-fashioned 

 plan of cleaning a setting by throwing a bucketful of water 

 into the furnace is simply barbarous, and should never be 



