200 



FIRE MARBLE FIRE WORSHIP. 



accurate account of its composition. To judge from 

 its effects, neither naphtha, sulphur, nor rosin were 

 principal ingredients; but saltpetre probably was. 

 It does not appear, from the accounts of the ancients, 

 that it burned under water, as has been supposed, but 

 merely that it burned upon it. Cardan invented a 

 species of fire of this description. According to a 

 notice in the Magazin der Erfindungen (Magazine of 

 Discoveries), the baron Von Aretin of Munich has 

 discovered in a Latin MS. of the thirteenth century, 

 in the central library in that city, a dissertation on 

 the Greek fire, which contains the receipt for its 

 composition, so long supposed to be lost. 



FIRE MARBLE. See Marble. 



FIRE ORDEAL. See Ordeal. 



FIRE-PLACE. We often see old fire-places of 

 an enormous size, capable of containing seats, and 

 having the sides at right angles with the oack, which 

 is perpendicular. This construction was attended 

 with very great loss of heat, as the size of the mouth 

 occasioned a great current of air up the chimney, 

 and, consequently, into the room ; and almost all the 

 radiated and conducted heat was carried off. The 

 application of modern practical science to the com- 

 fort of common life has been of the greatest benefit 

 in this respect. It is advantageous to make the 

 perpendicular height of the fuel as great as is consis- 

 tent with safety. A stratum of coals or ignited wood 

 will radiate more heat into the lower part of the room, 

 if placed vertically, than if laid horizontally. The 

 fuel should also be so divided as to be easy of igni- 

 tion, and so placed as to give free access of the air 

 to all its parts, as the smoke is then more likely to 

 be burnt. Franklin's stoves are cast-iron fire-places, 

 and, when executed according to the inventor's direc- 

 tions, are a very economical contrivance. Most of the 

 articles, however, now sold under this name, are 

 very different from the original plan. Underneath 

 and behind the fire-place is an air chamber, into 

 which the air is admitted from without the house, by 

 an opening through the wall, and which is discharged 

 into the apartment by lateral openings, after being 

 heated by contact with the fire-place. The smoke, 

 being carried off by a circuitous flue, which passes 

 upward to the top of the fire-place, and then descends 

 to the floor, also parts with much of its heat before 

 it escapes by the main chimney. The Rumford fire- 

 place is a common fire-place, constructed with a 

 narrow throat to the chimney, for the purpose of 

 diminishing the current of air, an advanced back to 

 throw the fire further forward, and oblique sides (at 

 an angle of about 135 degrees with the back), which 

 radiate the heat more completely into the room. The 

 double fire-place is an ingenious modification of a 

 Franklin stove. It is formed by setting a soap-stone 

 rire-place into the chimney, leaving an air chamber, 

 as in the Franklin stove, behind ana beneath it, which 

 communicates with the external air, and opens into 

 tlie apartment. This fire-place is so constructed, as 

 to unite the advantages of the Rumford fire-place 

 with those of a Franklin stove. The air to be heated 

 should be taken from without the house ; for if taken 

 from an entry or cellar, the temperature of those 

 places would be very much reduced. The air 

 chamber should be from four to seven inches in 

 diameter, as more heat will be conducted from the 

 stone, and a great quantity of air moderately heated 

 is better than a small quantity made very hot, which 

 is apt to render the air of the apartment disagreeable. 

 See Grate, Stove, Furnace. 



FIRE-SHIPS are generally old vessels filled with 

 combustibles, fitted with grappling-irons, to hook 

 enemies' ships, and set them on fire. The following 

 is a description of .the fire-ships which were of such 

 essential sen- ice to the Greeks in their late struggle 



with Turkey : " The vessels usually employed for this 

 service," says Mr Emerson, " are old ships, purchased 

 by the government. Their construction, as fire-ships, 

 is very simple ; nothing more being wanted than 

 active combustion. For this purpose, the ribs, hold, 

 and sides of the vessel, after being well tarred, are 

 lined with dried furze, dipped in pitch and lees of oil, 

 and sprinkled with sulphur ; a number of hatchways 

 are then cut along the deck, and under each is 

 placed a small barrel of gunpowder ; so that, at the 

 moment of conflagration, each throws off its respec- 

 tive hatch, and, giving ample vent to the flames, 

 prevents the deck being too soon destroyed by the 

 explosion. A train, which passes through every part 

 of the ship, and communicates with every barrel, 

 running round the deck, and passing out at the steer- 

 age window, completes the preparation below ; whilst 

 above, every rope and yard is well covered with tar, 

 so as speedily to convey the flames to the sails ; and at 

 the extremity of each yard-arm is attached a wick- 

 ered hook, which, being once entangled with the 

 enemy's rigging, renders escape, after coming in con- 

 tact, almost a matter of impossibility. The train, 

 to prevent accidents, is never laid till the, moment 

 of using it ; when, all being placed in order, and the 

 wind favourable, with every possible sail set, so as 

 to increase the flames, she bears down upon the 

 enemy's line, whilst the crew, usually twenty-five 

 or thirty in number, have no other defence than 

 crouching behind the after-bulwarks. When close 

 upon the destined ship, all hands descend by the 

 stern into a launch fitted out for the purpose, with 

 high gunwales and a pair of small swivels; and at 

 the moment of contact, the train is fired by the cap- 

 tain, and, every hatch being thrown off, the flames 

 burst forth, at the same instant, from stem to stern; 

 and, ascending by the tarred ropes and sails, soon 

 communicate with the rigging of the enemy's vessel, 

 who have never yet, in one instance, been able to 

 extricate themselves. In fact, such is the terror 

 with which they have inspired the Turks, that they 

 seldom make the slightest resistance. On the dis- 

 tant approach of the fire-ship, they maintain, for some 

 minutes, an incessant random cannonade; but, at 

 length, long before she comes in contact, precipitate 

 themselves into the sea, and attempt to reach the 

 other vessels, scarcely one remaining to the last 

 moment to attempt to save the devoted ship. Some- 

 times, however, armed boats are sent off from the 

 other vessels of the fleet; but they have never yet 

 been able, either to prevent the approach of the fire- 

 ship, or seize on the crew whilst making their 

 escape; and, though fire-ships are, in other coun- 

 tries, considered a forlorn hope, such is the, stupidity 

 and terror of the Turks, that it is rarely that one of 

 the brulottiers is wounded, and very seldom indeed 

 that any lose their lives. The service, however, 

 from the risk to which it is exposed, is rewarded 

 with higher pay than the ordinary seamen ; and, on 

 every occasion of their success, each brulottier 

 receives an additional premium of 100 or 150 

 piasters." 



FIRE-WEED. The senecio hieracifalius, an Ame- 

 rican plant, belonging to the natural order composite^, 

 has received this appellation in the United States, 

 from its appearing abundantly wherever lands have 

 been burnt over. The root is annual; the stem upright, 

 about three feet high; the leaves large, clasping the 

 stem, unequally and deeply toothed; the flowers in 

 a sort of terminal corymb, erect, with a very short 

 ray, and the calyx cylindrical. The whole plant 

 possesses a strong and disagreeable odour. 



FIRE-WORKS. See Pyrotechny. 



FIRE WORSHIP; a species of ancient fetich 

 worship (see Fetich), or of pure adoration of nature, 



