106 Report from the Board of Works 
Mr. Davis’s Report to me, upon the several experiments he has 
made, to promote this very desirable object ; 
and have the honour to be, sir, 
Your most obedient servant, 
B. C. STEPHENSON. 
Dover-street, 31st Dec. 1818. 
Sir,—Having attended to several experiments made to sweep 
chimneys of intricate construction by machines, without the use 
of climbing boys, I am of opinion, that though it will be difficult, 
and perhaps impossible, to construct a single machine which will 
clean every chimney, yet by the use of various machines almost 
any chimney may be swept clean ; and that expetience would, in a 
short time, render the operation quite easy: but I do not think the 
use of climbing boys can be wholly dispensed with, the pargetting 
or plastering of flues will require repairing; new buildings will 
require to have the mortar and knobs of bricks which stick to 
the plastering cleared away, which I think cannot be done by 
any other means than boys. I beg also to observe, that till the 
use of machinery shall by experience be made easy, and the 
adopting of the most efficacious form of the different machines 
shall be ascertained, much damage will be done te the plastering 
or pargetting of the flues, which will require climbing boys to 
repair. I should advise also, that a clause be inserted in the 
Building Act, that all chimney funnels hereafter to be built, or 
old chimneys when taken down and rebuilt, should have the flues 
made circular in form; there would be then little difficulty in 
cleaning them with any machine ; and if tubes like chimney pots 
were worked upon the walls as funnels for the smoke, they would 
be a great security against fire, having few joints and no plaster- 
ing to require repair. 
I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant, 
The Surveyor- General (Signed) JoHn NasH. 
of the Office of Works. ' 
_ Lincoln’s-Inn Fields, 4th January, 1819. 
My dear Sir,—In reply to your letter respecting climbing boys, 
I beg leave to state, that as far as my experience goes, a very 
large portion of the chimneys now constructed may be cleaned 
with machines ; but that it will not be possible to do away en- 
tirely the service of climbing boys. 
I am, dear sir, 
? Your very obedient and faithful servant, 
B.C. Stephenson, Esq. (Signed) JoHn SoaneE. 
Albany, November 17th, 1818. 
Sir,—In compliance with your desire that I should report to 
you 
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