Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-11-13
HISTORY on HEARTHSTONE.

Ih6 0re on the neartn IS one OF tn6
Oldest of human institutions, and has
become symbolic of the traditions and
associations which are dearest to the
heart of man. ~
The primitive family gathered
about the single hearthstone of the
rude hut, and legends were told;
the history Of the race was preserved,
while the unity of the family strength
ened, and the good fellowship of the
community was kept alive. To the
modern the thought of the open fire
has two-fold happiness Of sugges-
tion; OF genial, oompanionship when
the hearth is shared with others, and
sits alone; says the New York Evening
Post
Certain it is that by no other means
indoors can the illusion Of being in
the presence OF nature be so potently
preserved as In watching ths fire.
and listening to the moaning and
cracking OF tho logs, driven by
natures most capricious handmaiden
to the final silence of "ashes to
ashes. = s0
After centuries OF Improvement in
| the way of heating houses, down
| through the time of the stove, the
| huilt-in range, steam, gas and cleo
tricity-the open fireplace has come
back into favor as prominent part
] OF the decorative architecture of
| modern houses. Even where comfort
is supplied by the steam radiator in
one corner of the room the instinct for
the picturesque is satisfied by the
often elaborately tiled and manteled
fireplace built in the wall
In spite of the fact that the open
fireplace is one Of the most ancient
devices in history, the upright fiue for
carrying off smoke is a comparatively
recent invention.
The original form was large stone
in the centr of the hut, later the hall
--on which the logs were burned, the
smoke passing out Of a hole in the roof
immediately overhead. Soon the stone
was raised above the level of the floor,
to escape the strong and constant
draft from under the door. Later a
central hue was brought down from O
hole in the roof, to- within safe
distance from the flames. The black
ceilings of some ancient raftereo
"halls' are due to this primitive way
of carrying off the smoke. As late q:
the middle of the nineteenth century
some of the irish peasants still lived in
huts with the hole in the roof as de
scribed. The College hall in West
minister school had one of these RAISED
hearthstones in tine middle of the hal
until recent times. About the earliest
mention of a fireplace built in the
wall, with upright hue. is in an ac
count of house in the old town o
Cluny, France, in the twelfth cen
l %,,. I, aI Ir,, ..-s
dows containing small leadad panes o
glass, diamond shaped, set in swinging
sashes, above the deep window seats
on either side of the hearth. BY thi.
arrangement the family could look ou
on the highway while enjoying the
warmth of the fire.
Another fashion for the comfort o
the fireside was an arrangement o
screens, SO placed as to rake an ante
chamber of that part of the hall con
tanning the hearth, and within thi
inclosure, protected from draughts, th'
, family sat about in the long winte
evenings, telling and listening to tale
of ancient valor and wonder. In tn
thirteenth century the kitchen becam
! a part of the main house, and was nj
longer a separate apartment in which
whole sheep and oxen were roasted
Then the fireplace in the main hal
underwent notifications and was in
creased in size 10 accommodate thu
dual purpose of cooking and heating
Simplicity was combined with massive
ness, and granite was the materia
most used. The keystone of the arcl
often had, the Family coat of. arms Gu
upon it. Some Of the fireplaces in thu
baronial halls of the middle ages wer
30 feet long and 10 feet high.
As late az the sixteenth century tn
fireplace built in the wall and havin,
an upright fiue'' was novelty ant
occasioned surprise. In an account 0
Bolton Hall Leland says: Zone thyng,
muche notyd in the hands of Bolton
how chimneys were conveyed by tun
nels made on the syds of the wall
: betwyxt the lights in the hawle, an,
by this means, and by no covers is thu
smoke of the harthe in the hawl
wonder strangely conveyed. -
Although so long in being invented
they became very popular when ono
introduced. In 1.-THE reign of Queen
Elizabeth they were SO highly appre
ciated that accounts are found o
apologies from host when he coul'
not supply all his guests with room
| phc1lif eShNi bllp iudico MDl
: often accommodated in neighborin
? houses where this luxury could b
! given them.
9 Tho limitations of the knowledge @
: the arrangement of draughts made som
\ places near the fra more desirable thai
others, and an old book contains a
? account of gift by Henry VIII of tn
! revenues of convent he had confis
Gated to a person who placed a chai
for him 'commodiously before the fiji
and out OF all draughts 2
In 1897 Count Rumford, who wrot
much on the subject Of sanitary fire
, places, says in one of his books: g
I never view from distance as | com
9 into town this black cloud whic
+ hangs over London without wishin
9 to compute the immense number {
u chaldrons Of coals OF which it is CON
't posed; for could this be ascertained
/ am persuaded so striking a fact woul
= awaken the curiosity and excite tt
y astonishment of all ranks of the il
u habitants, and perhaps turn their mint
J. to an object of economy to which the
9 have hitherto paid little attention. =
y In spite of many modern designs
n elaborate accessories to the old foru
} of mantel and side jambs the moi
simple the fireplace is kept the mo
artistic is the effectachieyed.
ii John Satterfield a fInion Republ