420 
FOREST AND S T R E A M 
July, 1918 
A STONE FIREPLACE IN THE SUMMER CAMP 
THE MANY DULL, CHILLY DAYS EVEN IN THE PLEASANT MONTHS MAKE 
THE HEARTH OF THE OPEN FIREPLACE A MOST ATTRACTIVE SPOT 
By H. H. LE DREW 
N OT all the writers who have ever 
dreamed can exhaust the charms of 
an open fire, and surely if there is 
any place where these charms are abso¬ 
lutely unadulterated it is at the camp in 
the wilds by the lake-shore. No restric¬ 
tions of polished furniture, expensive rugs 
or scarcity of fuel limit the size of the 
blaze there. There extravagance of fuel is 
nearer a virtue than any place else, for the 
axe becomes a source of pleasure. It is 
there you may pile high the logs in glo¬ 
rious heaps and with feelings void of mis¬ 
givings enjoy the odor of bark and peat 
to the heart’s delight. And the setting of 
the picture is in a class by itself. No city 
home can compare 
with this. The call of 
the night bird, the 
creaking of the 
branches, the lapping 
of the water, the con¬ 
scious embrace of the 
wilds all serve to ac¬ 
centuate the picture 
and afford an exhilara¬ 
tion experienced under 
no other conditions. 
People unaccustomed 
to camping might think 
that a fireplace in a 
summer camp would 
be an ornament and 
an unnecessary ex¬ 
pense. Those, how¬ 
ever, who are familiar 
with camp life know 
that there are many 
dull damp days, even in 
the most pleasant 
months of the year, 
when an open fire 
would be very wel¬ 
come. There are clear, 
windy days in the 
self of this comfort, if he is not afraid of a 
little work and can obtain the few simple 
materials enumerated in the following para¬ 
graphs : 
The first requisite is plenty of stone, 
which must be within easy reach and of a 
size convenient to handle. When you have 
gathered what you think will be sufficient 
go and collect as many more. You are sure 
to underestimate the amount it will take. 
This also applies to the sand. 
Of next importance is a supply of sand 
which can usually be found by the lake side. 
Mine was lifted out of several feet of 
water and dried on shore before being used. 
But all foreign matter such as dead leaves, 
All the tools required are a long-handled 
shovel, a stone hammer, a trowel ■ and a 
mason’s level. 
I 
Excavation 
T is absolutely necessary to get below the 
frost line, and in the colder parts of the 
continent this often runs to a depth of 
four feet. If, however, bedrock comes 
nearer the surface, one can commence to 
build as soon as this is reached. But in any 
event, all loose earth, sod, humas, decayed 
wood, etc., must be removed. Excavate a 
space as large as the combined surface di¬ 
mensions of the chimney and hearth. It 
may not be a necessity to go quite so deep 
with the hearth por¬ 
tion of the excavation, 
but it is very desirable. 
If the chimney is to be 
3x7 feet as shown in 
the diagram, then the 
whole excavation will 
be 5' x 7'. 
The Foundation 
latter part of the season when the hearth 
would be the most attractive part of the 
home. When the cool evenings set in, then 
the open fire is no longer a luxury—it is 
a prime necessity, if one is to have com¬ 
fort, to say nothing of cheer. There are 
few people who are not gladdened by the 
blazing log and there is no place it sheds 
its charm to better advantage than in the 
cabin in the woods or at the cottage by the 
shore of some picturesque lake. 
I shall attempt to describe, in this article, 
how I built my fireplace with my own 
hands, and how you may do the same, at a 
cost so small as to be almost negligible in 
comparison with its value. Let me say, at 
the outset, that I knew nothing of build¬ 
ing; had never had experience with cement 
work; had never handled a trowel, a stone 
hammer or a level; and as to the construc¬ 
tion of a fireplace, I had seen nothing ex¬ 
cept what one observes when reclining be¬ 
fore the open grate. Therefore, any man 
of average physical strength should be en¬ 
couraged by my experience to possess him- 
Interior view of completed fireplace; dotted lines indicate chimney opening 
mud, etc., must be carefully 
twigs, shells, 
excluded. 
The other materials required are cement 
or lime, a hundred firebricks, two bars of 
iron and a throat damper, all of which, of 
course, will be purchased at the nearest 
store and taken to the camp. In my case 
the cost of these materials worked out as 
follows: 
100 hard bricks. $2.00 
17 bags cement at 70c. 11.90 
Throat Damper . 1.00 
Two bars iron } 4 " x 3" x 4'. 5.50 
$20.40 
The last item is not a necessity, but for 
an amateur, it may ir^ean all the difference 
between success and absolute failure. By 
using this device he need not worry about 
the most difficult part of the whole struc¬ 
ture. It is so designed that by building 
according to its lines you cannot make any 
mistake about the draught, which is the 
sine qua non of chimney building. 
HEN you have 
completed the 
e x c a v ation, 
commence to build by 
rolling in the largest 
and roughest stones 
you have gathered. 
When you have filled 
the space to within 
eighteen inches of the 
surface, level the part 
you have built with 
smaller pieces of 
broken stone, and 
make sure that all the 
crevices are filled by 
spreading a couple 
inches of sand or 
gravel over all. Then 
mix enough concrete in the proportions 
of “three sand, one cement, and four 
of broken stone or gravel” to make a 
layer two to three inches thick. Before 
this sets, throw in enough rough stone to 
raise the foundation one foot, and again 
pour in enough concrete to fill the inter¬ 
stices and level all with about two inches 
concrete. Begin now to use the better qual¬ 
ity stone, raising the foundation to about 
eight inches of the floor. See that this sur¬ 
face is level and square and the dimensions 
true. This complete the foundation. 
Plan now for the two front piers, the 
back and sides of the fireplace. The lat¬ 
ter will be lined with the firebricks. The 
stone part of the back wall will be about 
8 inches wide, which together with the brick 
facing will make the wall 12 inches. 
Measure 3 feet forward from the outer side 
of this wall and draw a line parallel with 
it. This line will mark the front edge of 
the piers. Select two stones each 21 inches 
in length and as thick as can be procured, 
for the two corner stones of the piers. Fix 
