Atkinson's Experiments on heating by hot Water. 425 



In the year following the making of this experiment, Mr. 

 Atkinson was introduced to the late Mr. Anthony Bacon, who 

 lived then at Benham, near Newbury, where he had made 

 some experiments in heating forcing-houses with hot water ; 

 but no house had been heated to prove how far Mr. Bacon's 

 plan would answer. His first attempt was made at Abearnen, 

 in Glamorganshire, in 1822, with a piece of large cast-iron 

 pipe about 12 ft. long, closed at both ends {Jig. 165.), having 





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an open tube, rising from the upper part, for the reception of the 

 water. A fire was made under one end of the round pipe, and 

 in time the water got heated to the other end ; but this was 

 found not very manageable ; for, if the water got over-heated, it 

 boiled over from the upright tube, and, from the fire acting 

 upon so small a surface only as one end of a round pipe, the 

 waste of fuel was very great. To remedy this, Mr. Bacon 

 had a model made of tin, with one pipe only (Jig. 166.), 





166 















similar to Mr. Atkinson's, except in using one pipe instead 

 of two ; and, after that, he had a boiler fixed in a green-house, 

 similar to the model, with only one pipe. This was tried, but 

 it took several hours to heat the water in the pipe moderately 

 warm, and had very little effect on the temperature of the 

 house ; and that winter being remarkably mild, there was 

 seldom occasion to use it. 



Upon Mr. Atkinson's explaining the principle of action in 

 his model, and the necessity for having two pipes to cause 

 a circulation, Mr. Bacon allowed him to adopt his own plan 

 for the forcing-houses at Elcot; and I was employed under 

 Mr. Atkinson's direction, and executed the boiler and pipes 

 for one vinery, which were made of strong sheet-iron, tinned, 

 as being the least expensive, in case the plan should not 

 answer upon a large scale. When this house had been tried 

 with success, Mr. Bacon had other houses and a pine pit done 

 upon the same plan, with cast-iron boilers and pipes, which 



