234. LETTER concrernrnc 
fearcely fufficient to carry away the fmoke. I therefore 
enlarged it to half the {pace, that is, to about fix by feven 
or eight inches, which I found fully fufficient to carry 
away the {moke from the largeft fires. 
When I removed into the Bedford Circus in Exeter, 
though the houfe was modern, and almoft perfe@tly new, 
yet the chimneys were large ; in confequence of which al- 
moft every room of it {moked. My predeceflor, who was 
the firft inhabitant, had been at great expence in patent 
Rtoves, &c. but without effect; but by adopting the me- 
thod I have juft now defcribed, I not only cured every 
chimney of {moking, but my houfe was remarked for be- 
ing one of the warmeft and moft comfortable to live in of 
any in that large and opulent city. 
The houfe I now live in, in Philadelphia, I am told, 
has always had the character of being both cold and 
fmoky ; and I was convinced, as foon as I faw the rooms 
and examined the chimneys, that it deferved that charac- 
ter; for though the rooms were clofe, the chimneys were 
large: And we fhall ever find, that if our chimneys are 
large, our rooms will be cold even though they fhould be 
tolerably clofe and tight; becaufe the conftant rufhing in 
of the cold air at the cracks and crevices, and alfo at 
every opening of the door will be fufficient to chill the air, 
as taft as it is heated, or to force the heated air up the 
chimney; but by contrating the chimneys I have cured 
it of both thefe defe&ts. There was one remarkable cir- 
cumftance attending the contraction of the chimney in 
the front parlour, which deferves to be attended to; 
which was, that before I applied the caft iron plate, which 
I made ufe of inftead of flate, to diminifh the {pace requi- 
fite for a chimney {weeper’s boy to go up and down, the 
fuction or draught of air was fo great, that it was with 
difficulty I could fhut the door of the room, infomuch that 
I at firft thought it was owing to a tightnefs of the hinges, 
which I imagined muft be remedied, but upon applying 
the 
