tried the cocks to find where the water was in the boiler. I would have
been in a bad boat, not knowing whether I had water or not. Shortly
after this the fellow that was helping the engine run (I guess I will
put it that way) came back. I asked him what the trouble was with his
try cocks. He said, "Oh, I don't bother with them." I asked him what he
would do if his glass should break. His reply was, "Oh, that won't
break." Now just such an engineer as that spoils many a good engine, and
then blames it on the manufacturer. Now this is one good reason why you
are not to depend entirely on the glass gauge. Another equally as good
reason is, that your glass may fool you, for you see the try-cocks may
lime up, so may your glass gauge cocks, but you say you use them. You
use them by looking at them. You are not letting the steam or water
escape from them every few minutes and thereby cutting the lime away, as
is the case with try-cocks. Now you want to know how you are to keep
them open. Well, that is easy. Shut off the top gauge and open the
drain cock at bottom of gauge cock. This allows the water and steam to
flow out of the lower cock. Then after allowing it to escape a few
seconds, shut off the lower gauge and open the top one, and allow it to
blow about the same time. Then shut the drain cock and open both gauge
cocks and you will see the water seek its level, and you can rest
assured that it is reliable. This little operation I want you to
perform every day you run an engine. It will prevent you from thinking
you have water. I don't want you to think so. I intend that you shall
know it. You remember we said, if you know you have water, you are
safe, and every one around you will be safe.

Now here is something I want you to remember. Never be guilty of going
to your engine in the morning and building a fire simply because you see
water in the glass. We could give you the names of a score of men who
have ruined their engines by doing this very thing. You, as a matter of