78 CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF SMALL GASWORKS. 



The filling of the ash-pans is apt to be neglected, with the 

 result that the labour of clinkering is greatly increased. 

 The fire-bars get overheated, bent and warped, and 

 clinker that under proper working would come away 

 easily must be attacked vigorously with a heavy crow- 

 bar, perhaps assisted by the persuasive arguments of a 

 sledge-hammer. All material in and out of the works 

 should be weighed as far as possible, and the 

 same as regards coal used. A small 5-cwt. plat- 

 form weighing machine is not over costly, and soon 

 pays for itself. Anything in the way of loose guessing 

 or estimating, such as charging a retort with so many 

 shovelfuls, or selling residuals by the "load," or by the 

 " sack," should be sternly discouraged, as likely to lead to 

 slack habits; nor should tar or liquor be sold on such lines. 

 I have seen a strong, able-bodied man coming out of a 

 small works staggering slowly and painfully homewards 

 under the weight of a so-called " bushel " of coke, and 

 found that the bushel, in course of time, had come to be 

 regarded as a sackful, irrespective of the capacity of the 

 sack. Of course, a cart or waggon weighbridge is out of 

 the question, and some difficulty may arise over checking 

 weights if there is not a bridge at the railway goods yard. 

 But it is little more trouble to weigh coke in a sack or 

 basket on the platform weighing machine than to measure 

 it by the bushel. Even clinker, burnt brick and used lime 

 should be weighed, and should not be given away if it can 

 be sold at 6d. per ton. Considerable looseness in this 

 matter is not uncommon, not only the clinker, but also the 

 pan breeze, having come to be regarded as of no value, and 

 given away. 



The quantity of lime or oxide required to make up a 

 purifier can be carefully ascertained once and for all, and 



