1 36 Of the Management of Fire 



which would be attended with a saving of heat, and 

 consequently of fuel. 



The furnace for heating the irons used in smoothing 

 the linen (or ironing, as it is called) is a kind of oven 

 built of bricks and mortar, the bottom of which is a 

 shallow pan of cast iron, 18 inches square and about 

 3 inches deep, which is nearly filled with fine sand. 

 The fire being made under this pan in a closed fire- 

 place, as the sand defends the upper surface of the 

 pan from the cold air of the atmosphere, the pan is 

 commonly red-hot ; and the irons, being shoved down 

 through the sand and placed in contact with this plate 

 of red-hot metal, are heated in a very short time, and 

 at a small expense of fuel. 



This contrivance might be used with great success 

 for covering the hot plates on which saucepans are 

 made to boil in many private kitchens. 



This stove, or oven, for heating the smoothing-irons, 

 projects into the drying-room ; but the door by which 

 the irons are introduced, as well as that leading to the 

 fire-place, and that leading to the ash-pit, all open into 

 the ironing-room. 



The smoke goes off through the drying-room in an 

 iron tube, and assists in warming the room and in dry- 

 ing the linen. 



As it may sometimes be necessary to heat the drying- 

 room when neither the wash-house boilers nor the stove 

 for heating the smoothing-irons are heated, provision is 

 made for that, by constructing a small closed fire-place, 

 designed merely for that purpose, which opens into the 

 flue, by which the smoke from the boilers is carried 

 round the drying-room. This fire-place (which is never 

 used but when it is wanted for drying the linen) is situ- 



