The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-02-27
Stealing Hot Air.
From the Washington Republic.

| From the Washington Republic.
Heat was said by Professor Tyndal to
be impenetrable, and in substance identi-
cal with light. Whether it can be the
subject of larceny is question which may
probably be brought for adjudication at
one of the coming terms of the Criminal
Court of this District, or the transaction
detailed below, if not compromised may
give rise to Il civil action, as in that case it
will come under the jurisdiction of the
Justice holding the Circuit Court. The
circumstances, which will probably soon
form the subject of our court reports, are
detailed to us somewhat in this wise: No.
702 adjoins No. 7O4, with but a nine-inoh
intervening wall. No. 7O2 has found that
within the past few years much more fuel
was required than during the previous
winters since his house was built, but at
| tributed it to the establishment of the sio-
nal stations at several points below zero,
and their constant communication with
| 'Old Probabilities" here, thus keeping
open the way to the polar regions and
leading the Arctic winds in this direction
However, % tons used to suffice, and 81
tons have been lately required.
Accurate observers of things in that
neighborhood, to wit: Miss X, who lives
opposite, and Mrs. P. who lives near the
corner, both now declare that they have
| thought it the ''strangest thing in the
world" that No. 704 bought so little fuel.
| They both will declare on oath that they
have watched that house, and every one
| that their front windows could command
for several years, and are confident that
less fuel went to 704 than to any other
| house in the neighborhood Miss x,
upon further examination, testfies that on
meeting with 4 like calamity with Oakes
Ames. and, recovering her memory, she
distinctly recollects that but little fuel has
gone there since fixing the furnace at 7O4
in 1869. Neither of these ladies, however,
mentioned these facts until the denounce-
ment mentioned below occurl ed, averring
as a reason to the detective, who called
| upon them, that they9' never liked to
meddle with the affairs of their neighbors"
The present cold snap, however, led to a
remarkable discovery. The heat of the
furnace proved totally insufficient at 7O2,
and pater tamilias was compelled to visit
the cellar. The furnace was glowing like
blast of an iron mill, yet the thermometer
above showed 50 degrees Fahrenheit only,
| There must be something wrong with the
connection pipes, and upon proceeding to
examine the furnace, which was built
against the wall, it was found that No.
| 7O4 had only made pretense of repairing
| his own furnace, but had occupied his
| time in making connection between his
registers and the furnace Of his neighbor
Not only this, but there had been con
structed through the wall an ingenious
valve, by which the supply of heat at 7o2
! could be regulated in the cellar of 70l
Here was clear case.
| 1t is needless to say that Mr.. O., who
has been unwittingly heating two houses
instead of one, was ''lired up'' at this dis
covery. He says he felt hot enough at the
time to serve as furnace for a square of
houses. He does not so much object to a
fair divisi5 of the heat, especially as he
is accustomed to do things on the square,
but uses several oaths in connection with
his description of the ingenious contriv-
ance for throwing all the heat into the
other houses, which he STYLES as Il d N
internal machine to freeze him to death
with his own furnace. 1t is fair to say that
No, 704, who is often absent from the city,
| disavows all knowledge of this artifice.
and says that he always intended a fair
division, but that his wife, who is n close
woman, had the cutoff turned on because
| she was afraid that if this weather contn-
ued the coal would not hold out. and so
cut OF, he thinks very unfairly, No. 7O2
from a fair share. Tie wuihmen are nov
engaged in building an eighteen inch wall
between the cellars of 702 and 704. aud
Barrister b. who has been consulted on
the legal aspect Of the affair, thinks it u
clear case OF trover and conversion.