day. at 2 PM, in Engineers' Hall.

P. CARNEY, C. E,

Box 74.

GEO. L. PERKINS, F, A. E., Dakota Territory. 145. VANDERBILT, at NEW YORK CITYMeets at St. Charles Hall, 8th Ave., between 41st and 42nd Sts, 1st and 3rd Sunday in each month at 1:30 P. M.

M. VOLK, C. E., H. R. & N. Y. C. R. R. Shops, 31st St. and 11th Ave.

N. SAWYER, F. A. E., H. R. & N. Y. C. R. R. Engine House, 45 St. & 4th Ave.

Address G. H. VAN TASSEL, Cor. Sec., 360 East 2nd St.

W. A. CANFIELD, Journal Ag't. 573, 8th ave.

146, MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA

C. E. BROWN, C. E.

C. F. PETERSON, F. A. E........................... Box 174

147, WHEELING, W. VA-Meets in Burk's Hall, Market Square,every Monday eve at 7 P.M. F. H. MORAN, C. E.. .........Box 91

W. N. HENDRIX, F. A. E..

148, MOUNT VERNON, ILL-Meets every two weeks, commencing Jan. 12, 1873. J. W. RIFFIL, C. E. W.H, CUNNINGHAM, F. A. E. and Cor. Secr'y.

Box 104

151. BURLINGTON, IOWA-Meets every Sunday at 2 P. M., in Engineer's Hall, over Mer chant's National Bank.

Address R. M. ORR. C. E........................Box 12H W. C. WEST, F. A. E. 11B

152, OSWEGO CITY, N. Y.-Meets first Wed nesday and third Thursday of each month at 7:30 P. M., in Engineer's Hall, Midland Depot, J. C. SCH EM ERHORN, C. F. O. F. GRAVES, F. A. E.,

153, PALMETTO, at COLUMBIA, S. WM. CAMPBELL, C. E.

J. WILSON, F. A. E., C. C. & A. R. R.

Box 1995

Odd

165, CAYUGA. AT ITHICA, N. Y.-Meets 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at 7:30 P.M, Fellow's Hall, cor. State and Cayuga Sts. J M. KIMBALL, C. E.

CHARLES POPPLEWELL, F. A. E.

Box 23

166, OHIO FALLS, AT JEFFERSONVILLE, IND.-Meets every Sunday afternoon in Howards & Anderson's Hall.

ISAAC ACKLEY, C. E.

Box 341

O. H. JACKSON, F. A. E.

VOL. 7.

RAILWAY ENGINEMEN.

We are sure that our sympathetic readers, and professional railway men especially, will recognize the truth of an appreciative essayist who says:

"I would like to offer my tribute of praise to a class of railroad men who are not appreciated as they should be namely, railway Engineers and their assistantsmen who take their lives in their hands and lead the advance, in fair weather and foul, in the brightest days and darkest nights, always at their post, with eyes on the track and one hand on the lever and bell rope. How little do the public know or hear of the hero at the end of the train, to whose care the lives of the passengers and the safety of the train are committed?"

There is much, too much, force in the remark. Upon the man "at the throttle" upon his steady nerves, fidelity, courage and good judgment more than upon any other one, or perhaps all of the operatives upon a train, depends the safety of passengers whose very lives may truthfully be said to be in his hands. His isolated position, so far removed from passengers, naturally secludes him from their notice, even if his soiled, begreased habiliments do not preclude much companionship, even with those who recognize and admire his worth. So it happens that the most responsible operative of a train receives

No. 8.

few compliments from peripatetic scribblers and so little notice generally. Again, too, the position of engine man is not in the line of promotion, or very rarely so. Other employees sometimes rise from the lower to the highest positions in the employ of their companies; but the engine-men generally remain such as long as their physical endurance holds out-which on an average is but a few years. The post is a hard one, constantly requiring a great strain upon the constitution, and consequently they, as a class, are short-lived.

Recognizing the disadvantages of their laborious life, many companies have adopted means to make it more agreeable, by supplying comfortable and even luxurious quarters, with lodging rooms, a well supplied refreshment table. library of books and periodicals. etc., for their use while off duty, so that they may snatch a few hours of ease now and then. By the men while away from their homes-as of course they are obliged to be much of the time-such thoughtful provisions are fully appreciated, to judge from their emphatic expressions of satisfaction. Meas. üres of this sort cannot be too liberally adopted by our railways in pursuing their own interest as well as for the elevation and improvement of this class of their employees, giving them as far as possible pleasant surroundings and treating them with the consideration and respect due to their responsible avocation.-Chicago Railway Review.

CAMP 18, CALIFORNIA, July 1, 1873. MESSRS. WILSON & GREENE:

To those who have so kindly commented on my last article, I will say, I am sorry for some of you if you feel as your lan guage would indicate; and I will, therefore, in all kindness, make an apology by saying, none of you have read me aright.

I did not have the remotest idea of casting any sarcastic reflections on any of you; nor do I exhalt myself by my superior knowledge, as some of my commentators have been pleased to term it.

Why I wrote as I did, I feel no necessity for an explanation, but that I had an end in view, I will not deny.

Now, my friend "Nick," I do not doubt but that you have been a constant reader of the JOURNAL, as you say, but permit me to ask, have you been a careful, reflective reader? You seem to have failed to divine my motive; and because of which, you hurl at me your keenest shafts of witty satire, that I may judge of your contempt for that which you do not comprehend. That is unkind, friend Nick, Charity, you should remember, is a rare virtue.

And now, Bro. "C, of Div. 81," your suggestion, is timely and good, but as there are many young boys who would like to understand how we do it, (for I infer from your remarks you know how it is done,) I will say, for their benefit, how it is done; and also, that the defect you mention does not often occur, and if the defect does exist, you are in a fair way to find the same by the difference in the travel of your valves,

Your valves may be square, and yet, one may travel farther than the other. You are aware, that when climbing steep grades, you can, by close observation, detect just the point of difference in the travel of your valves. My method has generally been, where I have stretchers on my stems, to take a wrench and go out on the running-board and loosen my stretcher on the defective side and turn it un til the time is correct; noting carefully how much longer or shorter I make it, so that when an opportunity offers, I can

correct the length of the eccentric rod. You must bear in mind, that when cut back, whatever you change the forward motion changes the opposite motion on the same side correspondingly.

The above applies when an engine has been turned out of the shop in ordinary good shape, except some trifling inequali ty in the adjusting of rods. We do not take lead into consideration until after the valve has been squared.

My definition of lead is, the fixed open. ing of the port, on either end of the valve, when the crosshead is at center. I have never found much trouble to set my valves on the road, even where irregularities exist throughout the valve motion,or should the hanger," as you say, be too long or too short. You meet the same difficulty in using the guage, and therefore must apply the remedy.

Square valves may emit different volumes of steam. For instance, the throw of the eccentrics are the same, and time of revolution the same; yet, one valve travels farther than the other, though it does so in the same time. The cause would then be readily found either in the hangers, different height of tumbling shaft ends, or length of arms of same.

Now, a few words to pacify Bro. "S. A. of 97." I did not kick at you and therefore did not expect to hear you growl. In fact, I did not know you were in Baltimore. I was not making fun of any one, so you should not be offended. Now, do you not think it wrong to be so vindict ive in your "first place," by saying what you did, and then, immediately after acknowledge you belonged to that class none too well posted? To your "secondly," because you know of no first-class road where Engineers do repairs, or set valves, am I to infer that there are none? That I do not know what I am speaking of? That an Engineer is not expected to know anything of his Engine?

Remember, you are in only Baltimore, and that Baltimore is only a small portion of the United States. To your thirdly, I beg leave to say, my knowledge of the condition, class, financial status, value of

shares, common and preferred, of the different roads in the United States, is pretty fair. Also, that I have had the honor to serve some of them that will compare favorably even to roads in Maryand. I did not say then, nor do I now, the companies require these things of us as an every-day occurrence; but my Bro. the man who can perform these things receives fully as much confidence and consideration as he that cannot; moreover, if you are unable to do these things in the shop you cannot do them on the road. Your conception of the slow road, and the time it takes me to do the things mentioned, needs no comment.

Your question: "Which way will an engine turn when on the center?" is just as easy as falling off a log, but I will not answer it, as I wish to propound one for yon, and for the benefit of young Engineers seeking knowledge, and which absorbs the information you require :

Tell us in what line, of direction, do we find the long point of the eccentric of an indirect motion, and also of a direct motion? Explain their differences.

I will now endeavor to tell you the manner in which valves are adjusted, and, at some future time, I will explain why it is done so; though I can assure young Engineers that they may be able to talk about valves, very intelligently, before they find themselves capable of working so. It used to be customary to set them with the covers off, but some ventursome mechanic possessed of more than ordinary genius, conceived the idea of marking the openings on the stem by a guage, since which time the guage has universally been adopted as the better plan, as the valves are then in working position by expansion. We begin, by first finding the centers of travel of the crosshead, which is done by barring the engine over until nearly the end of the travel, then stop, mark the crosshead with the valve guage, with one foot resting in a prickpunch mark on the lug of the guidemarking the wheel in much the same manner; then continue in the same direction until the crosshead passes the center, and

arrives at the same mark made previous to the center or end of travel, then make a mark on the wheel similar to the first mark; divide the distance between the two marks, and you then have the first perfect center. Continue the same way with the four points, and when this is accomplished you are prepared to adjust the lengths of eccentric rods, by bringing the wheel forward until the long guage falls into the middle, or perfect center marks. Now try your valve-guage in the mark on the stem, and if on trying both points in the same manner your guage points fall outside of the marks, add half the difference of the greater to the lesser by lengthening or shortening the eccen tric rod. If the greater distance occur on the forward end, shorten the rod, and vice versa, (in an indirect motion). To prove your work, you can bar or run the engine over by steam, and mark the travel by the guage, and if equal distances be traveled from opening marks the work is right, and you may then shift your eccentric to correct the lead, moving forward in its path to gain, and backward, to overcome lead.

With so much of an explanation, and a model, whittled out with your jack-knife, you can master the complete motion.

I will not dwell longer at present, but in some other number I will be more explicit and explain the causes.

Fraternally yours,

AND

W. J. R.

PATERSON, N. J., June 14, 1873. W. R. MARTIN, F. A. E., DIVISION 135, THE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENgineers: Dear Sir and Gentlemen:-Your favor of the 11th inst., was received by me last evening; and allow me in acknowledging your kindness in sending me the Magazines, and the courtesy and elegance with which you express yourselves in your letter, to assure you of my hearty appreciation of, and deep and earnest sympathy with you.

When I read the copy of your JOURNAL forwarded to me by Bro. Charles Frazier, I was deeply impressed, not only by the

talent there displayed, but with the high moral tone of every article in your magazine. I saw at once the JOURNAL had a "soul" for its Engineer; but I was not surprised at all this, when I beheld the character of your Brotherhood, as illustrated by the delegation attendant upon the occasion of the funeral of the late EDWARD BOYD, Esq. Then it was all explained-for a finer body of men I never saw together-whether in the classic halls of Boston, or in the busy, mighty cities of the West.

The attention each bestowed upon his late Brother-the sympathy manifest in earnest faces and tearful eyes-the intense interest in the funeral services, together with the delicacy which characterized, and the thoughtfulness which prompted the gift, as well as the purity of heart and clearness of head which indited the letter, have deeply and tenderly touched my heart.

Brethren, all hail! I too am an Engi. neer; hundreds have seen fit to accept my guidance and follow my leadings; but mine is only a "Switch Engine;" backing and advancing; switching the careless, neglectful and sinful, from the "Valley of Death Track" on to the great "Life Rail," and thus make up trains, for Jesus, our Great Engineer, who will guide and propel us along the silver track of His mercy and love to the Grand Central Depot on high.

Allow me to say, that last evening I requested every member of our Church to include in their daily petitions before the Throne of Grace, along with their best and dearest friends-wives, children and parents-the whole Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.

SAINT JOSEPH Mo., June 20, 1873. MESSRS. WILSON & GREENE:

In the June number of the JOURNAL I notice the following question: "Why is it customary to open cylinder cocks when reversing?"

Locomotives working with a slide valve antagonistic to the motion of the pistonthe exhaust pipes being open back of the piston instead of in front of it, the steam ports are open in front of it-the dry pipes being closed from the boiler pressure, would form a vacuum for the air to be forced into; therefore, the cylinder would be formed into an air pump. But, air is always at rest until moved by its momentum; accordingly, if allowed to remain in this position any length of time, the pressure of air would soon be equal, if not greater, than the boiler pressure; consequently the most of our Engineers have found it necessary to open the cylinder cocks to lessen the pressure upon the steam chest cover, and also prevent the blowing off of cylinder heads.

I propose this question: Why does an engine steam better in a clear day than a damp, or wet one?

W. B.

CONCORD, N. H., June 15, 1873. MESSRS.WILSON & GREENE:

As I have not seen anything from Div. 13 of late in the JOURNAL I thought I would break the ice.

The Division is in fine condition, the boys taking a great deal of interest in the Order. I am glad that some of the writers have started in the right direction to increase the circulation of our JOURNAL, and that is, in contributing to the Instructive Department. If all, or a part, of our older Engineers will answer, if not ask, questions, it would be very interesting to the younger ones, and thereby increase the circulation of the JOURNAL.

When the Engine is under speed and the reverse lever in the 5 inch notch, you shut the throttle valve; what causes the clicking noise at the front end, which when you throw the reverse lever into the forward gear, or open the throttle valve a little, it ceases? Fraternally yours,

A. G., Div. 13.