Evening star., 1939-10-15

of smoke IN any room lndlCateS Hut
cracks which should be Immediately
reDalred. In the case OF hot-air fur-
mace, heat pipes should be closed dur
ing this test
Sometimes it is possible to put
mirror into the iluc at the bottom,
observing the condition OF the lining
above by the aid of the light from the
sky. In anv case, after the furnace has
been started. 1t is wise to go through
the house feeling the walls around the
chimney IN each room. If IN any place
the wall is unComiortably hot TOR the
hand. YOU have a hazard that should
be promptly corrected by qualified
chimney man.
Of course SCOT acCumulatlons IN
chimneys are prolific trouble breed
ers. especially with oil burners that
have gotten out OF adjustment, and an
annual chimney cleaning is a wise
precautlon The householder can do
tfllS IlIllSSil IL llSNtSoSil Wy q
tangle of CHAINS bag of bricks or
some such sweep down the chimney
from the roof But the most salts
factory method IS to have depend
able professional take care OF the Job.
Recently several prepared "soot re-
movers" have appeared on the market
10 simplify this Chorc for the average
man. but an increasing number OF
accidents has prompted the National
Board of FIRE Underwriters TO issue a
warning regarding the Use OF any OF
these preparations that contain potas-
SUM Chlorate, zinc OXIDE or other
oxidlz,ng agents These chemicals COM
hlne with the carbon IN SCOT to produce
the equivalent of a powerful blasting
powder, and several serious explosions
have already resulted from their use.
More detailed advice on chimney
care is available IN a circular called
Make Your Chimneys Safe" dis
tributcd gratis by the National Fire
Protection Association, Boston,
Massachusetts,.
While you're at It. however. don't
stop with the chimney - go on over
the rest of the heating plant. Heating
boilers and hot t-alr furnaces. for exam
pie, should be enclosed IN an lnCom-
INCH
thick
If yours isn't, then be very. very
Combustlble junk that are apt to
gather dangerously near the furnace,
to be touched off on some very cold
night when the furnace is going full
blast.
iicat-Conveylng pipes should be at
least SIX inches away from wooden
beams. partitions or wooden laths and
plaster ceilings. No steam or hOtwater
pipe should be closer than one inch
to any woodwork Where they pass
through walls, floors. etc. such pipes
should be Sheathed in a metal tube
one inch larger than the pipe itself
and htted with snug metal caps at
either SIDE.
Is there a tire-reSistant door at the
head of the basement stars? Usually
there ism - which accounts for the
sad fact that no less than seventy-fOur
per cent of our reSldentIal-h fire deaths
occur on upper floors due to fires that
originate IN the basement.
Finally. how is the ceiling over your
furnace? \ prominent citizen near
Washington. frightened by a fatal
dwelling blaze few doors away,
asked his local Fire Prevention Bureau
to make an inspection of his residence.
The first thing the inspector saw was a
large, charred area above the furnace
from which the plaster, baked dry by
the heat. had fallen, leaving the
wooden Iaths to be slowly converted
into charcoal. \ cold night - hotter
furnace than usual -- and another
home would have gone up IN smoke
and flames.
There should be a free space OF at