The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1881-03-17
Msefal aud Curious.
How to Build q Chimney.
BY Az OLD M,srrR-pr,LpED.


Having read lately, in Hearth and Home sew
eral articles On the construction of ehimneys.
| which fail to give full aud correct account of
| the principles involved, want tn give, in brief
| terms may be, the aodas opeTdRdi and rationale
| of building a chimney that will draw. Nv re-
| marks apply to all ehimneys, but more partieu-
| larry TO those with fireplace, where wood or
| coal is TO be used fuel.
Regard should be had tn the proportion exis-
ting between the size of the room and fireplace,
and have found in my experience that, for
room l6x0, the fireplace (if for kitchen) should
be feet 6 inches wide in front between lambs
and 3 feet high to mantel bar, and IL to Is inches
| deep, with flare of about inches To each iamb
50 To leave the back of the fireplace about )
feet 6 inches wide; and this should he carried up
plumb feet, and then inclined gradually for
| ward inches, to level with the mantel-bar
then plumb two courses of brick; at which point
make an Offset as far back as the depth Of the
chimney will allow, and leave four inches thick
| ness for its back. This offset shOuld not be the
full width, but about "a inches will answer. and
the fiue, which begins at this point l2x24 inches
may be gradually reduced TO l2xl6 inches, and
| carried up, of this size, to within IL inches of
the top, when it must be gradually reduced to
l2xl2 inches, and well pargeted throughout
Thus constructed, chimney will "draw,' and
serve its purpose well, although il is better
where practicable, to have an additional offset
or even two or three of them, formed in the fiue
these offsets lying at right angles, and FORM
ing a shelf about inches wide, the iue being
gradually reduced again to its former size
These offsets usually made at that point
where the course of the Hue is changed for the
purpose Of making additional fire-places rs is
the ease in buildings of two more stories
When a building carried to the height of sew
eral stories, the opening at the top of the Chin
ney may be reduced to l0xl0 inches Fireplace
for parlor, or sitting room of usual size should
not be more than feet ~ inches or ) feet be
tween jambs, and feet inches TO mantel-bar;
and Hue propOrtionately less. Our chimney be-
ing built in the manner prescribed, We start a
lire upon the hearth, and combustion proceeds
the column of air in the flue, hitherto inert or
nearly 81, becomes rareiied by the heat and seeks
TO rise, smoke-laden; and were the column of air
in the fine larger, or of greater volume in the
upper than the lower portion, the resistance
wonld be too great, and were there no offsets,
the cold air, seeking To restore an equilibrium
disturbed by the heat below, would rush unim-
peded towards the disturbing element and fill
the room with smoke, presenting all the unpleas-
ant phenomena of a smoking chimney; but
our chimney, not being built wrong-end-up, the
column of cold air is gradually overcome and the
smoke rises beautifully, and whatever struggles
there may he between the heated and cold col |
nmns of air, take place at the Offsets where the
cold air, in its course striking upon the shelf,
forms an eddy, and the hot and cold air and
smoke intermingle, and soon the whole column
is sufficiently rarefed to find its way to the Chin
ney-top and escape.
Where houses are not well supplied with at
mospheric air, it should be brought by pipe to
a convenient point and regulated by u register
Hearth and Home.