The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-01-19
Chimneys.

ChImneys seem so natural to us that
we forget that there was time when
thoy were unknown. Fney were in
vented about the same time with clocks
and watches. No house IN ancient Rome
or Athens had them. The Greeks and
Romans heated their rooms with hot
Goals in dish, or by flues underneath
the floor. The smoke passed out by the
doors and windows. You could always
tell zen a Roman was about to give a
dinner party by the clouds of smoke that
came out of the kitchen windows. 1t
must have been very unpleasant for the
cooks, who had TO do their work IN the
midst OF it.
The tail chimneys that rise over the
tops OF the houses IN New York and
Brooklyn, pouring out their clouds Of
smoke, would have seemed miracles to
our ancestors a few centuries ago. Even
the pipe of steamer or the chimney of
kerosene lamp they would have thought
wonderful. la England, In the time
of the Conqueror QO66), the fire was
built on clay floor or in hole or pit
in the largest room of the house. The
smoke passed through an opening in the
roof. AT night cover was placed over
the Goals. Everybody was obliged by
law to cover up his fire when the bell
rang at a certain hour. In French this
was ''cOuvrefeu," and hence the word
curfewr bell.
ChiTneys began to be used generally in
England, In the beginning of the relgE of
Elizabeth. No one knows who invented
them, or with they tlTst came into use.
We find them FIRST IN Italy. In Venice
they seem 10 have been not uncommon
as early as l347. In 1853 they had long
been in use al Psdua. They were at
first built very wide and large, 30 that
they could be easily clean ID, The WIDE
chimney-pieces of some of our Older
houses are very curious.
But as time passed on chlTneys were
n &c taller, narrow, and often crooked.
tn they had to be cleaned it wal
CT mary to send boys up into them Il
~ owe the SCOT and ashes. 1t was ther
hat the saddest stories were told Of th,
liCtle sweeps who were forced to climb u[
tue narrow hues, and come down torn
bleeding, and covered with SCOT. Thes
i poor creatures, who were often not MOI,
l than seven OF eight years old, were some
times sLffOcated in the foul chlmneys the,
attempted 10 clean. When they reachel
the top they were expected to look Oh
aud give shout. No boy would ever be
come chimney-swCep from choice, an
they were often driven to climb the chin
neys by the lear OF whipping. III
cruelty Of the master sweeps was fearful
: The little chimney sweeper has passe
I nj oh hu
Ie broom and a COloIed operator. Chimney
Ie are built two aud ,hr hundred feet hlgl
lf In Birmingham, England, one fell dow
y recently On large factory, killing an
3, woundIng thirty or lUty Norkmen al
ID Others, The ial!est chimney IN Ne
Sc York ID that OF tie Steam heating Cor
Iy pany.
~ The chimney il one of the most use
at of inventions. We cannot well undo
10 stand how the Greeks and Romans d
er without 1t. Bat with us 1t is everywhel
y Our lamps would never burn without
ut chime our steamboats, and engiI
or would be htlpless without it; our factor
be are moved by It; 1t warns our houses, a
y, gives employment to thousands of reop
lac In the days before chimneys were
nd vented men lived ia clouds of smOk
The walls OF he finest palaces in ancit
Rome were soon covered with sont a
Di. filth. II was impossible TO kesp tn
rs clean. The mOsaics and the painful
ar on the walls soon became discOlurt
ere in Tie Ga ties Oi & ,gland aad Fra
)rt was suIl worse. Here the huge
*, blazed in the center of the great h
to The smoke covered the roof with biz
al. drapery, and the savage knights a
FUR squires were forced either to endure
ril- cod, or to live aud breathe IN an
nat th at was dangerous To sight, health
nd. life itself.