The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-13
History OF THE Hearth.

The FIRE on the hearth is one Of the
( oldest Of human institutions and has be-
8 come symbolic Of the traditions and as
sociations which are dearest 10 the heart
OF man.
The primitive family gathered about tn
single hearthstore OF the rude hut. and
+ legands were told: the history Of the race
{ was preserved. while the unity OF the
I family strengthened. and the good fellow
/ ship OF the community was kept alive
( To the modern. the thought Of the open
T FIRE has : twO-fOlG happiness OF SUgSes-
{ ton. Of genial co1npsnionship when The
hearth s shared with others. and or 10
1 sorbed waking dreams when he sits alone.
! Certain IL Is that by no other means IN
/ doors can the Illusion Of being IN the
! presence CT nature he 50 pote1tly pre-
| served as in watching the fire. and lis
! tening 20 the moaning and cracking of the
] legs. driven by Natures most caPricious
! handmaiden 10 the final silence OF
ashes TO ashes.
After centuries Of Improvement in the
way Of heating houses. down through the
time Of the stove. the built-in range,
steam. gas. and electricity-the open FIRE
place has come back into favor as prom
trent part OF the decorative architecture
/ of modern houses. Even where comfort
Is supplied by the steam radiator in one
, rner Of the room. the instinct for the
i picturesque IS satisfied by the often elab-
! oratelv tiled and manteied fireplace built
/ in the wall.
In spite Of the fact that the open fire
( place is one OF the most ancient devices
/ ir history. the upright fige for carrying
/ OF smoke is q comparatively recent in
yention.
/ The original form was large stone in
] the center of the hut. later the hall-on
which the logs were burned. the smoke
passing out Of a hole IN the roof immedi-
/ aiely overhead. Soon The stone was raised
above the level OF the floor. TO escape
/ the strong and constant draught from
| under the door Later. central fiue was
! brought down from hole in the roof. 10
/ within a safe distance from the flames.
! The black ceilings Of some ancient raj
/ tered halls are due 70 this primitive
/ way Of carrying Off the smoke. AS late
/ as the middle OF the nineteenth century
/ some of the Irish peasants still lived in
/ huts with the Gle IN the roof az de-
! scTibed. The College Hall in Westmin
4 ster school had one Of these raisei
/ hearthstones in the middle Of the hall
until recent times About the earliest
mention Of a fireplace built in the wall.
| with upright fiue. IS in an account Of
\ q house in the old town Of Cluny, Franco,
/ in the Twelfth century An Illustration
shows low windows containing small
| loaded panes OF glass. diamond shaped.
window seats on either side OF the
hearth. BY this arrangement the family
could look out on the highway while en-
| ioying the warmth Of ne fire.
Another fashion for the comfort Of the
fireside was Sn arrangement OF screens.
so placed as to make an ante-chamber Of
that part OF the hall containing The hearth
and within this enclosure. protected from
draughts. the family sat about in the
long winter evenings. telling and listening
to tales of ancient valor and wonder. In
the Thirteenth century the kitchen be
came part OF the main house, and was
no longer q separate apartment in which
whole sheep and oxen We're roasted. Then
the fireplace in the main hall under
went modification and was increased in
size TO accommodate the dual purpose
OF cooking and heating Simplicity was
I combined with maSsiveness and granite
was the material most used The key
stone Of the arch often had the family
coat-of-arms cut upon IL. Some OF the
hrcplaces in the baronial halls of the
middle ages were thirty feet long and
ten feet high.
As late as the Sixteenth century the
fireplace built in the wall and having an
upright flue" was novelty and occa-
stoned surprise. In an account of Bolton
Hall. Leland says: "One thynge / muche
nOtyd in the hands Of Bolton. how CHM
neNS We're conveyed Ul tunnels Iidlt OH
the syds of the walls betwyxt the lights
in the hawle and by this means. and
by no covers is the smoke of the harthe
in the hawle wonder strangely con-
veyed."
Although so long in being invented. they
became very popular when once intro
duced In the reign Of Queen Elizabeth
they were so highly appreciated that ac-
counts are found of apologies from host
when he could not supply all his guests
with rooms containing them. and the la
dies We're often accommodated in neigh
boring houses where this luxury could he
given them.
The limitations Of the knowledge Of the
arrangement Of draught made some places
near the fire more desirable than others.
and an old book contains an account OF
gift by Henry VIII Of the revenues Of
convent he had confiscated to a person
who placed a chair for him "commodi-
Dusty before the FIRE ana out Of all
draughts."
In 1877, Count Rumford. who wrote
much on the subject Of sanitary fire.
places says In one OF HIS books. Il
never view from "A distance az I come IN
to town this black cloud which hangs
over London. without wishing 10 com
pute the immense number Of chaldrons of
Goals OF which il is composed. for could
this be ascertained. I am persuaded 50
striking a fact would awaken the curl
osity and excite the establishment Of all
ranks Of the Inhabitants; and. perhaps,
turn their minds to an object OF economy
70 which they have hitherto paid little
attention
In spite OF many modern designs Of
elaborate accessories TO The old forms 81
nnantel and side jambs. the more simple
the fireplace is kept the more artistic IL
the effect achieved.
In the odd grill st the SalmaEundi club
OH Twelfth street. there IS a mammoth
fireplace. surrounded by dark wood man
telpicce and side supports. Polished cop
per pans and kettles give a br;ght note
or contrast 80 they catch the light from
the great bed 81 Goals which stands about
two feet above the level ~ the moor.
when not feiug used for cooking. a great
copper Indian kettle. with "A diameter u
top measuring two and q half feet. and
being about the same depth. stands on
the floor before the CRATE.
n the upstairs ~ the same club - enc
81 the most Interesting drepiaces IN New
Torir II presents q facade ~ blue and
white tiles. each II which vas made from
sketch by an artist member - the
club. Some are signed others arc not,
and DESPITE The Esrlety ~ theme. ~ the
separate r.otlfs az the ties range from a
sketch ~ Ola fshira-5oats through peace
ftl landscapes with browsing cattle o.
the head ~ q Par.san grisette ferF
reminiscent - THE 1uester the Who'll
eject Isl very Harmonious Set zraorT
these rersenal ties arc some Bearing
che words As the sun coiors GoV-rs.
% art should co3cr .ife taken frcnl the
book plate = Almz TaEeua.
Near New YORK ir some = the Old
homes on Long Island. there sui are