THE FEED WATER Ip 



reduced to a low level by blowing off or by some other 

 cause. A stoppage in the valves, or connections of the 

 water gage, when the engine is running, can be detected 

 by the water, which will appear quite still instead of mov- 

 ing a little, because of the motion of the engine. The 

 water glass should be kept clean, even if the other parts 

 of the engine be neglected in this respect. A dirty glass 

 indicates that the engineer is careless about one of his 

 most important duties. The glass can be cleaned at any 

 time by wiping the outside and blowing steam through the 

 inside. It is only necessary, in wiping, to see that it is not 

 scratched by sand, metal or the like, for scratches are 

 likely to cause it to break. An old glass with a coating on 

 the inside that steam will not blow out, may be cleaned by 

 removing it from the connections and running a piece of 

 waste or cloth through it with a stick. Touching a glass on 

 the inside with a piece of metal of any kind is almost sure 

 to scratch it so that it will crack when the steam is turned 

 on. 



Packing the Water-Glass. The best method of pack- 

 ing the water glass is by means of the rubber gaskets made 

 for the purpose. These may be purchased for a few cents. 

 Candle wicking, hemp or asbestos is sometimes used, but 

 any one of these packings is liable to become displaced and 

 cause trouble. The author has in mind a case in which a 

 crown sheet was badly burnt because of the glass not show- 

 ing the true level of the water in the boiler. The candle 



