MESSRS. EDITORS:--I am satisfied that a great many fires originate
through poorly constructed chimneys; and, although not a bricklayer
by trade, I would offer a few hints how to construct a fire-proof
chimney. Let the bed be laid of brick and mortar, iron, or stone; then
the workman should take a brick in his left hand, and with the trowel,
draw the mortar upon the end of the brick, from the under side, and
not from the outside edge, as is usual. Then, by pressing the brick
against the next one, the whole space between the two bricks will be
filled with mortar; and so he should point up the inside as perfectly
as the outside, as he proceeds.
By drawing the mortar on the edge of the brick, the space between
the ends will not always be entirely filled, and will make (where the
inside pointing is not attended to) a leaky and unsafe chimney, which,
if not kept clear of soot, will, in burning out, stand a good chance
of setting the building on fire. The best thing that I know of, to
put the fire out in a burning chimney is salt; but the matter of first
importance, after having a chimney properly constructed, is to keep it
clean.
AUSTIN B. CULVER.
Westfield, N. Y.
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