Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1879 — COAL FIRES. [ARTICLE]

COAL FIRES.

How to Maimge a Coal Fire—How to Start One, anti What Kind of Coal to Use. [From the American Agriculturist.J So much of comfort, health and economy depend upon the proper management of coal fires during winter that we offer a few common-sense suggestions, which may be new to some of the readers of the American Agriculturist, who have not given thought to the subject. In renewing a fire in a stove or furnace, it is customary to dash in a lot of coal, entirely covering that already on the fire. The result is a cold spell, cessation of cooking, etc., for half an hour, more or less, depending upon the kind of coal, its size and quantity, the draught, and the amount already ignited. Often the fire vexatiously goes out. This can be avoided by piling all the fresh coal upon half or so of that already on fire. The burning portion will partially maintain the heat, will keep up a draught, and rapidly extend through the fresh coal. When this is well on fire, it can be spread over the whole, or, if needed, more coal can be put in on the other side, leaving the new coal well burning. In this way a continuous heat can be maintained, with far less risk of extinguishing what we have. This may seem a small matter, but it will often contribute a great deal to comfort, and often save weak or sickly or damp persons from taking or increasing a cold. In the kitchen it may save the spoiling of good cooking or baking. In large steamships a steady power is kept up by haying several fire-boxes under tlje same boiler, and replenishing only one at a time. When a coal fire is almost out, it can be started afresh by first adding a little fine coal over the fire, with a bit or two of dry wood, if needed, and covering all around it with coal enough to concentrate the draught upon the little fire remaining.

In starting a fire, a great point is to concentrate the draught. If kindling-wood is abundant and cheap, a large quantity may be thrown in, fired, and, when well ignited, the coal thrown on freely. But usually it is better to put on a little kindling in a pretty compact heap in one place at the middle of the grating; when w’ell started, put over it a little fine coal, and cover all the rest of the grate with at least coal enough to turn the draught of air through the kindling point. It will ! bum more certainly and more rapidly, and extend to the rest of the mass much sooner, than if the kindlings were spread out so as to give no strong heat to the hard coal at any one point. The best kindling for hard coal is a few shavings or paper to catch from the match; over this a little pine, cut short, and over this charcoal, or dry hardwood only half a foot or so in length, and split fine—all the kindling in one pretty compact mass. The point is to get heat enough to ignite the hard coal. When the draught is not | strong, or one is in haste, cover all the grating with a few thicknesses of waste newspaper, or any coarse paper, with some coal upon it, except right under the kindlings. This will concentrate the draught at that point, and greatly hasten ignition. The paper will bum off as the fire spreads, and admit the air to other points. in mild weather much may be saved in large stoves, or furnaces, orgrates, by covering a part of the grating with brick, or flat stones, or clay, even, or by covering part, of the coal with fine ashes, so that the draughtof air can only pass through a part of it. A little skill and care in this will effect a great saving of fuel, and supply an amount of heat adapted to the weather, or to the rooms to be warmed. We prefer a pretty large fire-box in a stove or furnace, and, in the cookstove even, the burning portion or surface to be con- > tracted or regulated as above; we then have ample room for a large fire when it is wanted in extreme cold weather, or for any emergency. The brick or clay can be readily removed from any part of the grating as desired. The smallest coal that will not drop through the grating is usually the most economical for all fires, even for large heating furnaces. Large lump, or egg coal even, requires a considerable depth of mass to burn well, or indeed to keep ignited at all.