The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-05-18
Communication of 1,Ili,nneYs.

Nothing is more common in the erec.
tion of dwellings. than the unskillful and
unscienti6c construction Of fChimneys.
meet such everywhere in my trsvels--in
cities and the country. In cities they are
very frequently The work 1.-THE bricklsyer
who has no pre,ensioDs TO knowledge of
the principles on which they ought to be
constructed. but who builds them as nee.
essary part Of his work in constructing
the walls Of the house--the fues being
carried up in the walls: in the country
they are more frequently the work of ig.
norant and self.couceited pretenderS to
mechanical skill. l-.i 1...
Last summer had occasion to build a
chimney for my own dwelling house. and
notwithstanding the great pretensioDs
and officious interference of many who
asserted their great skill in the matter. |
determined to have my own way. Self.
cOnceiied or not. | believed knew how
the thing ought TO be done, though had
not the requisite skill to perform the me-
chanical work. .. I.. a.....
! adopted these principles. and resoIv-
ed to carry them out in building Vay Chin
ney; ...- Ca. . 81 a,..
LIST The Care of my chimney to be not
less than oDe.tenth of a circle. This
would allow the heat to be fully reflected
into the room and not from one jam to the
other. "a. -... ............. ...........
Cd. To bring the throat Of the Hue as
near the front of the fire place as pussi.
BILE, that is, not 10 have more than four
inch wall over the arch bar
Sd. To have the throat the entire width
of the fire pace.and as narrow as pos.
sible, so that its area should not exceed
one.third the area of the aue above
il. .... ... t..... .... ..,....... ...-.
4lh. That when the hue was once set,
its area always measuring at right an
gles to its sides, should never be dimin-
ished in the least, but OIL the contrary,
gradually aud regularly enlarged to the
apex of the chimney, no matter to what
height ii may be necessary to carry it,
and, . II .. ...r.r ty. ...I
9th, To have the sides Of the Hue as
smooth as possible. and to take. when
carrying it up, every possible Precaution
that falling mortar, clippings or other ma
terials, should not adhere to its sides
and thereby partially obstruct it.
Taking these principles as my guide.
hired workman who made no pretensiont
to chimney-building, but who agreed tc
follow my instructions, and charge me fol
his labor "by the cay" What was the
resultl Why. that a fire extending
Twenty-Five inches outside the jams.pour'
its entire smoke into the chimney.
laid outmy fire place eighteen inches
deep; on the back It's 20 inches wide, il
front. from jam to jam, al inches; from
hearth to arch it is SO inches, to the toI
of the throat A inches; the throat is Al:
inches by 32; the fue varies in shape
but. it's superficial measure is 450 inche
at the recess above the throat, and with
gradual but regular increase to the apex
81 feet, where it is exactly two inches il
diameter each way larger than at its com
mencement. .- .rI r.ui q
As the work was progressing, ] ha
the inside of the fiue carefully plastere'
with mortar made ofclay (instead of sand
and lime, and when the fue varied from
a perpendicular line, was careful t,
have it KEEP; of full and regular size
not by measuring as is generally the case
across the top of the work, but at righ
angles to the diverging sides. 1 ais
took the further precaution to sprinkle tn
sides of the Aue, as soon as plastered
with dry ashes, to prevent the adhesio
of small masses of falling mortar, an
when had got above the place wher
it diverged from the perpendicular,
filed it with damp straw, to catch tn
rubbish that was continually falling. Th
result is that have fire place an
chimney that are the envy Of my neigf
bors.-- VALLEY Farmer. .