[ 104» } 
XVIT. Report of the Surveyor-General of the Board of Works, 
of the Experiments made for the Purpose of ascertaining the’ 
Practicalility of superseding the Necessity of employing’ 
Climbing Boys in the sweeping of Chimneys, by Means of the 
Employment of Machinery. 
: 3 Office 'of Works, Jan. 14, 1819. 
Sir,— I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt: of your: 
letter, dated the 14th of March last, direeting me, by command: 
of Lord Sidmouth, “‘ to ascertain, by experiment, how far .it is 
safe and practicable to supersede the practice of climbing boys in 
sweeping chimneys, by the use of machinery;” and I beg leave 
to-acquaint you, for his Lordship’s information, that upon the 
receipt of your letter, I proceeded with as little delay as possible, 
to secure by every means jm my power, a fair and impartial trial 
of all the different machines that had been collected, for the pur~ 
pose of sweeping chimneys without the aid of climbing boys. 
From the many difficulties 1 had to encounter at the com- 
mencement of this undertaking, I found it necessary, in order to 
secure a faithful execution of the commands I had received, to 
appoint Mr. Davis, an active and intelligent clerk in this office, 
to-superintend personally the progress of each separate experi- 
ment, and to give such directions and’ assistance, in the use of 
the different machines, as circumstances and situation might re- 
quire. 
It will not; I conceive, be necessary for me to enter into a de= 
tailed'statement of all the numerous trials made by Mr. Davis, 
tosweep chimneys, without the aid of climbing boys; and 'I shall 
therefore only submit, for his Lordship’s information, the follow~ 
ing: list: of experiments, where machinery has succeeded in effec- 
tually cleaning such chimneys, as presented particular difficulties 
in sweeping, from the size, situations, and peculiar construction 
of the flues. 
‘Swept by the|Swept by the 
| Machine. |Ball & Brush.) Tora. 
At Kensington Palace... ‘| 5 2 7 
— the Queen’s Palace....) 43 34 77 
— Windsor Castle .... 20 sd dig 20 
—the Royal-Mint .... 5 5 10 
— The Speaker’s house .. 4 sities 4 
— Mr. Huskisson’shouse..| 13 | 4 17 
— Mr. Nash’s house ....| i 2 3 
— Lord Liverpool’s .... 9 2 Il 
' 100 49 _| 149 
This 
