Firing.

As the proper method of firing will be determined only by experience and practice, I need not say much about it except that every class of coal in service must be studied and used so as to get the maximum heat. The first facts all firemen should recognise are:—

To fill the corners of the fire-box and then to feed the fire frequently with small quantities of coal. The principle of maintaining as thin a fire as possible is far more conducive to economy than is heavy firing. One thing a fireman must never lose sight of is that he is the servant of the public. He must study to save the public's money, and not to be wasteful in the use of coal. When entering a station it is his duty to consider the comfort of the travelling public and not have his boiler belching forth black smoke, or the safety valves emitting ear-splitting noise.