Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1868-12-09
Some Suggestions on the burning of Coal.
From the Scientific AmericanI


valuable commodity must be useful.
Ne give, therefore, few brief suggestions.
drawn from experience, in regard TO the care
of ranges, heaters. CRATES, and cooking and
par.or stoves.
1t is false economy to be chary of the
use of kndling for anthracite fires Char
coal is probably the best kinder, but is not
always to be obtained, and then is costly.
In this and other cities, kindlng wood, of
pine, sawed short-hve or six inches in
iength-and split fine, is sold in convenient
little bundles, one or two of which is suffi
cient to start an anthracite fire for any house
hold purpose. 1t may be Obtained also in
barrels or boxes, or in quantity
La the country these conveniencies do
not exist, but every householder prepares
his own kindiing. One great mistake in its
preparation is in not cutting it short enough,
splitting it fine enough. More heat can
be obtained by using fine than coarse kind
ling. This preparation Is TO the stove, " hat
mastlcatlon Is 10 the stomach, an assistant
to combustion or digestion, In this case con
lertibie terms.
After the kindling is lighted it should be
allowed to burn until it is enveIoped in
night blaze aud portions have become live
Goa before particle OF coal Is put ON. Ii
the coal is heaped upon the unignted wood
Tue process OF combustion Is delayed By
chuh ing aud much of the carbon that would
otherwise produce heat Is carried off in the
form OF dense smoke or is deposited or held
as carbonic acid gas, the great est enemy to
intianInabiiIry Most persons have seen
chs when ill apparently well kindled fire
hi, been extiDgushed and had 10 be re-
made
he coal put on the kindlings should be new
coal, uoI the screenings OF former fire, and il
should be carefully spread IN thin layer.
The practice OF filing the fire pot or furnace
will materially delay the process of combus
Ion. La such cases we have seen an hour
elapse before bed of incande>cent coal
could be formed sufficient to brol a steak or
a fish, or to emit any sensible heat, while
with decent drai, a good coal tIc, with
judicious management, may be obtained in
fifteen minutes
Where Il fire IS kept all night, or for
days and weeks together, Us Is INV 80 fire
,ucnUly the case with base buruin. stoves,
aud even ;he common cylinder stoves, the
first thing to do III the morning Is to put
on fresh coal, without disturbing that in the
stove, open the draft and tue damper, and
do no rakIng until the new coal Is well igni-
ted Then he ashes may he ratified down
until the sparks drop through the crate.
Soon as these are seen the raking should
cease. Never POKE a cJal e-anthracite-
al the top. This rule, as the military men
say, Is general.
But greater fault than any other and "a
very common one Is choking fire by pilng
on CRATE or filling up crate when the fire
Is low. In all cases the coal should be ad-
ded in a moderate, even small, quantities,
aud it should be placed or spread evenly
La some cases it is well to deposit the humps
piece by piece by hand. Wnen dumped on
III MASSES the coal wastes rapidly without
giyi lug out heat, u large proportion of the
carbon escaping up tue chuney In the form
Of visible so1t Or as thick smoke. No an
thracile fire should ever he allowed to emit
visible smoke The gases In the form of
blush flame carry of enough of the heat
producing products. 1t would be well if all
this could be retained and consumed but |
we almost despair that this will ever De an
fact
,,I Il .l,rt
used without intelligent reference to their |
respective Offices Many leave the stove |
doors open, aLd close the chlmney damper. |
The effect Is, To be sure to retard co.nbus
ton, but at the same tine the gases evolved, |
fDd.ug no escape 10y the natural draft, are
forced out into the room, poisoning the at
and rendering the apartments un
healti y. inducing languor aud headache. Ii
the chimney danper Is closed, or the pass
age to the chimney, the door or aperture
above the fire sEould also be closed, while
the draft at the bottom oi the fire, or under
the CRATE, may be opened; for if the gases
escape through TINS opening, they will have
he II ueutrallzed by passing through rhe
fire.
In open CRATES the draft is frequently
found Insufficient. This Is cause too large
d portion of the fire Is exposed. \ sheet oi
boiler plate covering portion of the CRATE
TO tom will in many cases improve the draft
and reduce the consumption ef coal aud, at
he same tiuIe Increase the available heat.
Some persons, especially inexperienced
help, do not know how 10 distinguish be
tween umcnn>umed or coaked coal and val
uele-> cinkers, as the iorner may be coated
" In white ashes 1t may be accepted as
genera uulh tnat in CRATE, or stove fur
mace, or fIc box, the cinkers, being of
sem metalic naime, sink and the uncon-
>umed coal be left ON top. We have found
it Be economical to gather the top humps
by hand before disturbing the mass Thus,
most ol the uncoE>umed portions will be re
covered. and can he used again In many
cases ,his will prevent the necessity of sift-
ing the ashes an.l picking out the scora.
In sitting it Is good practice to drench
the ashes in the sieve with water. Much