al; I took
off both valve covers and drilled a 3/8-inch hole in each projection
from the cover that gave the valve its lift, and drove a wooden peg into
each hole from the under side, and rasped them down to give the required
lift, and put the covers on again and started the donkey, and after some
more raspings of the plugs I started her again, and this time was
successful; she worked like india-rubber, no noise whatever, and I
gained more than was offered to quiet her--a cheque of 21_l._ This
happened in Draper's Gardens, Throgmorton Avenue, E.C.

27. _Question._--When several boilers are working in a row, and one of
the middle ones has to be cleaned, what would you do to keep it cool
enough to enable the men to do the cleaning, and also to protect them
while in the boiler?

_Answer._--Having blown her right out I would take off the wheel of the
stop-valve spindle, tie a piece of canvas on the top of the spindle and
lock the wheel up, so that no one should open the stop-valve while the
men were in the boiler. Many dreadful things have happened through some
thoughtless or meddlesome idiot opening the stop-valve while men were
working in the boiler. I also cover the blow-off cocks of the boilers in
steam, as there is usually a pipe into which the steam and water is
carried off running parallel with the cocks, and take charge of the
spanner used in opening them, in case an absent-minded stoker might
attempt to blow some of the muddy water out of his boiler when the men
were in the empty one, and scald them to death, the steam rushing up
through the blow-off. I then fill the boiler up with cold water several
times, and allow cold water to play into the boiler from the manhole by
means of the hose pipe, and the blow-off cock being open there is always
a cool atmosphere for the men to work in; they can remain longer in the
boiler, do twice the amount of work, and in less time than in a
scorching atmosphere. When the cleaning is done and the boiler rinsed
out, I shut the blow-off cock and fill her with clean water to the usual
height; take off the canvas on the spindle, replace the wheel, and the
boiler is ready for lighting up the fire.

28. _Question._--Does familiarity with one's work as stoker sometimes
lead to carelessness and then to mishaps? And, if so, give an instance?

_Answer._--Yes; familiarity in doing things frequently during work,
tends to a careless off-hand style of self-importance that has often
caus