Economy of Fuel. 325 



its resistance to corrosion and for the cheapness of the material. A 

 stove or furnace, formed of either of these materials, may be placed 

 in the basement, and surrounded, except in front, with any substance 

 suitable for forming a chamber to receive air at the bottom, which, 

 after ascending around, and over the surface of the iron, may pass 

 up through openings in the floor. The front part of the furnace may 

 be made to join the enclosure allowing access to the fire, but not ad- 

 mitting a communication with the hot air chamber. 



The air to supply the combustion may be taken from the apart- 

 ment immediately around the furnace, or, what is perhaps preferable, 

 may be conducted to the grate through a trunk descending from the 

 floor of one of the upper heated apartments. In the latter case, it 

 serves to carry down the colder parts of the air of the room in pro- 

 portion as the warm air rises from the furnace to take its place. 



By the arrangement above described, the fire is left open, and at 

 liberty to be used for culinary purposes, while the posterior part of 

 the stove or furnace is employed to heat the air for supplying par- 

 lors, chambers and passages. 



The air to be used for this latter purpose should be derived from 

 a source not subject to any species of contamination. It would gen- 

 erally he advisable to receive it through a conducting tube from the 

 open air, and to keep it separate from that which supplies the com- 

 bustion. 



Pipes of conduit may be used when several stories, not connected 

 by an ample stair case, are to be kept at uniform temperatures, but 

 the opening or closing of doors will often be sufficient to regulate the 

 heat. It has been found by experience, that when once admitted 

 into the lower apartment, the warm air will soon make its way into 

 every open apartment in the house. 



The annexed figure exhibits the arrangement above described 

 with the exception of representing the gas-pipe as passing upwards 

 through the entry passage, where it is enclosed by a metallic col- 

 umn C, instead of being carried into the kitchen chimney according 

 to the actual arrangement, of which this is a representation. 



The advantage to be attained by the plan here delineated, is, that 

 a portion of air from the first floor may be allowed to enter the me- 

 tallic column at an opening c, seen on one side, at the bottom, and, 

 ascending between it and the gas pipe, may be discharged into any 

 of the upper rooms where it may be required. 



