165 
Since the time of Doctor Franklin frequent and varioiis 
attempts have been made to put his principle into operation, 
fifteen or twenty years ago, I am informed, the latklGeneral 
Schuyler of this place, endeavored to apply it to a hall stove 
In his house, and also to one in Mr. Stephen Van Rensse¬ 
laer’s house. Three or foiir years ago, in travelling through 
New-Jersey, I saw several fire-places of cast-iron, said to be 
patent, erected with a view to derive the benefit of this prin¬ 
ciple. And with the same views Pollock’s patent stove, and 
Gould’s patent fire-place have been constructed. But the 
public have been disappointed in all these inventions. They 
have failed to produce the desired effect, from a radical 
error in the structure of the fire-places; and their error 
seems to have prevailed universally. The passages for the 
admission of air, in every instance, have been much too 
small to supply the requisite quantity of it. In some, the 
apertures for this purpose are not more than one ihch in di¬ 
ameter ; and they are nugatory in their effect. It is essen¬ 
tial to the successful operation of fire-places of this kind, 
that there should be a due prdportion between the openings 
for tiie introduction of air, and the opening or choke of the 
chimney by which it goes out of the room ; for if the f/in- 
dows and doors are perfectly closed, as much air must ne¬ 
cessarily come in at the former as escapes at the latter. If 
the room is tight, and the tubes for the admission of air are 
too small, but little heat and little air will come into the 
room; the chimney will not draw sufficiently, nor will the 
fire burn well. If on the contrary the tubes are too large, 
the air will be admitted too freely. It will pass in before it 
is sufficiently heated, increase the draught of the chimney 
unnecessarily, and produce too great a circulation of the 
cold air. So far as I can judge from observation and ex¬ 
perience, the circular o/iening , for the admission of the cold 
and condensed air under the fire-place, should not be less 
than five inches in diameter ; and the heated and rarified 
air should be admitted from thence into the room by at least 
Q 
