APPENDIX. 185 



sired equality of conditions of the fire may be used, viz. : 

 those which were called in the Code of 1885 "the standard 

 method" and "the alternate method," the latter being em- 

 ployed where it is inconvenient to make use of the standard 

 method. 



IX. Standard Method. Steam being raised to the work- 

 ing pressure, remove rapidly all the fire from the grate, close 

 the damper, clean the ash-pit, and as quickly as possible start 

 a new fire with weighed wood and coal, noting the time and 

 the water-level while the water is in a quiescent state, just 

 before lighting the fire. 



At the end of the test remove the whole fire, which has 

 been burned low, clean the grates and ash-pit, and note the 

 water-level when the water is in a quiescent state, and record 

 the time of hauling the fire. The water-level should be as 

 nearly as possible the same as at the beginning of the test. 

 If it is not the same, a correction should be made by com- 

 putation, and not by operating the pump after the test is 

 completed. 



X. Alternate Method. The boiler being thoroughly 

 heated by a preliminary run, the fires are to be burned low 

 and well cleaned. Note the amount of coal left on the grate 

 as nearly as it can be estimated ; note the pressure of steam 

 and the water-level, and note this time as the time of starting 

 the test. Fresh coal which has been weighed should now be 

 fired. The ash-pits should be thoroughly cleaned at once 

 after starting. Before the end of the test the fires should be 

 burned low, just as before the start, and the fires cleaned in 

 such a manner as to leave the bed of coal of the same depth, 

 and in the same condition, on the grates as at the start. The 

 water-level and steam-pressures should previously be brought 

 as nearly as possible to the same point as at the start, and 

 the time of ending of the test should be noted just before 

 fresh coal is fired. If the water-level is not the same as at 



