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instructions are not necessary, but if it is a new one these precautions
are not out of the way, and a great deal of the trouble caused in
starting a new engine, can be avoided if these precautions are observed.

It is not uncommon for a hot box to be caused from a coal cinder
dropping in the box in shipment, and before starting a new engine, clean
out the boxes thoroughly, which can be done by taking off the caps, or
top box, and wiping the journal clean with an oily rag or waste, and
every engineer should supply himself with this very necessary article,
especially if he is the kind of an engineer who intends to keep his
engine clean.

The engine should be run slowly and carefully for a while, to give a
chance to find out if anything is going to heat, before putting on any
load.

Now if your engine is all right, you can run the pressure up to the
point of blowing off, which is from one hundred to one hundred and ten
pounds. Most new pop valves, or safety valves, are set at this
pressure. I would advise you to fire to this point, to see that your
safety is all right. It is not uncommon for a new pop to stick, and as
the steam runs up it is well to try it, by pulling the relief lever. If,
on letting it go, it stops the escaping, steam at once, it is all right.
If, however, the steam continues to escape, the valve sticks in the
chamber. Usually a slight tap with a wrench or a hammer will stop it at
once, but never get excited over escaping steam, and perhaps here is as
good a place as any to say to you, don't get excited over anything. As
long as you have plenty of water, and know you have, there is no danger.

The young engineer will most likely wonder why we have not said
something about the danger of explosions. We did not start to write
about explosions. That is just what we don't want to have anything to
do with. But, you say, is there no danger of a boiler exploding? Yes.
But if you wish to explode your boiler you must treat it very
differently from the way we advise. We have just stated, that as long
as you have plenty of water, and know you have, there is no danger.
Well, how are you to know? This is not a difficult thing to know,
provided your boiler is fitted with the proper appliances, and all
builders of any prominence, at this date, fit their boilers with from
two to four try-cocks, and a glass gauge. The boiler is tapped in from
two to four places for the try-cocks, the location of the co