374 



NEW ENGLAND FAJIMER. 



Aug. 



of the defect alluded to ; and it may be calculated 

 from a multitude of similar cases, that an immense 

 loss is sustained, in addition to that of the calam- 

 itous fires, by the practice, which seems to be gain- 

 ing "favor with country gentlemen, of building their 

 chimneys of old bricks. These have but a ques- 

 tionable value any where ; in the chimney they 

 should be regarded with suspicion, as a source or 

 cause of fires. 



Unless the whole weight of the chimney is to 

 rest on the timbers of the building, no part of it 

 should thus be supported. With the best materi- 

 als, a chimney flue may be rendered defective and 

 dangerous, by resting a part of the wall on the 

 beams over which it is carried. Space should be 

 left under projecting bricks to allow the masonry 

 to support itself; whereas, by laying the wall part- 

 ly on the timber, the least settling of the work, or 

 shrinking of the beam or joist, leaves the wood ex- 

 posed to the direct action of the fire within. 



There are, probably, many chimneys, which, if 

 they were broken away in front, so that the rear 

 wall of the flue could be examined, would be found 

 completely separated under the beam ; thus leav- 

 ing a space to be filled with combustible materials, 

 ready for the fire. It may be asked, "if this is the 

 case, why do not such buildings more frequently 

 burn ?" They will certainly burn, whenever a fire 

 within is so violent as to counteract the inward 

 draft of the flues. The danger of such defective 

 flues, is greatly increased where chimney caps are 

 used, as sufficient space is not open above the 

 wall, to permit the flames a free course upward, in 

 case of violent burning ; consequently, the heat, by 

 the obstruction, is forced outivard, and thus sets the 

 timber on fire. With well-constructed flues, the 

 chimney cap or cowl is, -without doubt, a valuable 

 improvement. 



The loss of many valuable buildings may be 

 plainly attributed to the usual careless and slovenly 

 manner of inserting and "fixing" the stove pipes. 

 In the country, very few stove pipes are perfect- 

 ly secured in the chimney ; it being the usual prac- 

 tice to fit them in soft mortar, at their first setting, 

 which is necessarily broken when the pipes are re- 

 moved for cleaning, and when replaced, the soft 

 mortar, if not on hand, is dispensed with, and pieces 

 of dry mortar supply its place. In such cases, it 

 is not an uncommon occurrence to find cai'pets in 

 upper apartments on fire ; indeed, the utmost vigil- 

 ance is required by the faulty and inscure setting of 

 such stove pipes. In the progress of improvement 

 stove pipes will not be entered in the chimney at 

 all ; it being more safe and convenient to adjust 

 and secure them on cast iron collars, fitted on the 

 outride of the chimney. Such arrangement has fa- 

 cilities for closing the aperture when the stove 

 pipes and collars are removed, by an iron plate or 

 slide ; and as the collar, when in use, can be made 

 to fit nearly air tight, there can be no danger of the 

 escape of sparks of fire from the flues.* 



It is not generally known that wood ashes, taken 

 up cojd and placed in bulk or quantities, are liable 

 to burn again, and if kept dry, will, after a time, 

 take fire from a live coal or spark, and burn to a 



* The writer of this article has invented and caused to be 

 panted '-The Chimney Safe," for securing the stove pipes, 

 and otherwise improving the chimney ; which device, by the 

 ingenuity of the furnacemen engaged in its manufacture and 

 sale, will greatly aid in rendering buildings secure, where it 

 is used, from fires. See monthly Farmer, for Jan., 1857. 



red heat throughout ! In two instances, the writer 

 has witnessed this ; in each case the building would 

 have been burned, but for the timely discovery of 

 the fire. How unsafe, then, must be the practice 

 which prevails in many families, of storing ashes in 

 the fire-place, having fire-boards in the front, or in- 

 deed, in any place wliere danger of fire from such 

 a cause might be apprehended. 



Chimneys are usually too large, yet the eye ac- 

 customed to compare the size of these with that of 

 the building, is ready to condemn a small funnel, 

 as out of all proportion. Practically, the use of the 

 chimney is to convey away the smoke. If it does 

 that well, it is no matter how small its dimensions 

 are. For efi"ect, in perspective vicM', a balcony is 

 vastly more elegant than a large chimney, and, in 

 the end of 3'ears, it may be much cheaper. The 

 small flue has less surface inside to burn out than 

 the large, affords more space in the building, and 

 if commenced on upper floors, has less weight to be 

 supported on the timbers. 



In city buildings, it is well for each stove pipe to 

 have- a di.«tinct and separate funnel, where such an 

 arrangement can be conveniently secured, and these 

 may be so combined as to appear in the chimney 

 top in the usual form. The advantages of such sep- 

 arate flues cannot be too highly estimated, when it 

 is so easily demonstrated that only a part of the 

 chimney can burn out at one and the same time. 



Unless the room must be occupied during winter 

 — and such is not often required in country build- 

 ings — it is a bad arrangement, for store pipes to en- 

 ter the chimney near the roof of the building. In 

 such cases, the heat thrown off" from the pipe, with 

 a few hours' sunshine on the roof, will cause the 

 snow to melt, filling the eaves-troughs, and forming 

 large icicles beneath. To this daily melting of the 

 ice and snow, may be attributed the early decay 

 of the shingles, which so often require renewing on 

 country houses. 



From the scarcity of workmen in many places, 

 very young persons — mere boys, wanting in expe- 

 rience, and still more in judgment — are permitted 

 to build chimneys of costly buildings. In case of 

 fire in such buildings, ought not the owners to 

 blame themselves for not attending personally to 

 the work, or securing workmen whose skill and 

 honesly would render all fire-proof? Very few 

 chimney flues are finished smoothly within, the un- 

 touched mortar forming ragged projections, on 

 which are caught the dust and sweepings thrown 

 in the stove. Were there no lodging places afford- 

 ed for such combustible materials, the danger of 

 burning of the flues would be greatly lessened or 

 avoided. 



Such are some of the defects of the chimnej', 

 built in the usual way, and many more might be 

 remarked upon ; to which may be attributed many 

 of the fires, which, in the brief notices of the pub- 

 lic papers, are assigned to causes "unknown." It 

 is well to provide the best of materials, without re- 

 gard to the cost J also to follow the advice of the 

 most skilful workmen, and when the work is 

 completed in the best manner, the chimney is not 

 too safe from all danger of fire. 



Geo. Babcock Clakke. 



Leonardsville, JV*. Y., 1857. 



Varnish for Rustic Garden Seats.— First wash 

 the woodwork with soap and water, and when dry 



