Fire-places and Kitchen Utensils. 383 



part of that rim ; and it may be made higher or lower, 

 according to the size of the room that is to be heated 

 by it. That represented in the foregoing figure is 

 26 inches in diameter and 24 inches high, which gives 

 17 square feet of surface for heating the room. 



This steam-stove may be made of common sheet iron ; 

 but in that case it should be japanned within and with- 

 out, to prevent its rusting. In japanning it, it might 

 be painted or gilded, and rendered very ornamental. 

 The portable fire-place might likewise be japanned and 

 ornamented ; but in that case it would be necessary to 

 line that part of it with clay or cement with which the 

 smoke comes into contact, otherwise the heat in that 

 part might injure the japan. 



There must be a small tube about \ of an inch in 

 diameter in one side of the steam-stove, just above the 

 top of the steam-rim of the boiler. This tube should 

 be about 2 inches in length, and it should project in- 

 wards, horizontally, into the cavity of the steam-stove. 

 Into this tube one end of another longer tube should 

 be introduced, which is designed to carry off the redun- 

 dant steam into the chimney. 



The reason why this tube should be placed near the 

 bottom of the steam-stove will be evident to those who 

 recollect that steam is lighter than air. Were it placed 

 at the top of it, no steam would remain in the stove, and 

 the object of the contrivance would be defeated. 



This small steam-tube at the lower part of the stove 

 may, with safety, be kept quite open ; for, unless the 

 water in the boiler be made to boil with vehemence, 

 little or no steam will issue out of it; for the greater 

 part, if not the whole of it, will be condensed against 

 the top and sides of the steam-stove. 



