CHAPTER XLIX 



An old-time Locomotive 



THE LOCOMOTIVE 



UNCLE PAUL showed his nephews the follow- 

 ing picture, and explained it to them. 

 "This picture represents a locomotive. The 

 boiler where the steam is generated, the boiling 

 pot, in short, forms the 

 greater part of it. It is 

 the large cylinder that 

 goes from one end to 

 the other, borne on six 

 wheels. It is built of 

 solid iron plates, per- 

 fectly joined together with large rivets. In front the 

 boiler terminates in a smoke-stack ; behind, in a fur- 

 nace, the door of which is represented as open. A 

 man, called a stoker, is constantly occupied in filling 

 the furnace with pit-coal, which he throws in by the 

 shovelful; for he must keep up a very hot fire to 

 heat the volume of water contained in the boiler 

 and obtain steam in sufficient quantity. With an 

 iron bar he pokes the fire, arranges it, makes it burn 

 fast. That is not all: skilful arrangements are 

 made to utilize the heat and warm the water quickly. 

 From the end of the furnace start numerous copper 

 piprs which traverse the water from one end to the 

 other of the boiler, and terminate at the smoke- 

 stack. You will see some in B where the picture 



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