112 THE PRODUCTION AND USE OF HEAT 



IX. DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSE HEATING 



127. The Roman Hypocaust. The houses of the Romans 

 were heated by hypocausts. These were fire rooms con- 

 structed in the cellars (Fig. 86). From these rooms clay 

 pipes led to various rooms of the house above. Through these 

 pipes all of the smoke and heat from the burning wood passed 

 to the rooms above. This method of heating would seem 

 very disagreeable to us, especially when the volatile matter 



FIG. 86. A Roman hypocaust. (From Stories of Useful Inventions. By 

 permission of The Century Company.) 



was distilling from the wood. Crude as this method of 

 heating was, it was the best method known until comparatively 

 recent times. The use of the hypocaust perished with the 

 civilization of Rome. 



128. The Fireplace and the Early Stoves. Mention has 

 already been made of the use of the fireplace in house heating 

 and cooking, and of Franklin's invention of the stove. Stoves 

 did not come into general use in the United States until after 



