Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 19, Scripture-SUG

S T O
[ 7.35 1
S T O
Stove. be made in pieces on detached frames, which could be
^ 1 'joined by iron ftraps and hinges, any part of the hove
could be laid open for repairs at pleafure.
We have no hefitation in faying that a ftove conftruc-
ted in this manner would be greatly fuperior in power
to any we have feen, and would be free from many of
their difgufting defers. We beg leave therefore to in¬
troduce here the defcription of one which was to have
been erefted in one of the churches of the city of Edin-
burgh. .
rig, pjg, /^, is 3. fketch of tho plcin of tlio cliurcli contained
in the parallelogram AFED. P marks the place of the
pulpit, and LMNO the front of the galleries. Thefe
are carried back to the fide-walls AB and DC. But at
the end oppofite to the pulpit they do not reach fo far,
but leave a fpace BFEC about 12 feet wide. Below
the back of the galleries, on each fide, there is a paf-
fage ABGH, K1CD, feparated from the feated part
of the church by partitions which reach from the floor
to the galleries, fo that the fpace HGIK is completely
(hut in. The church is an ancient Gothic building, of
a light and airy rtru&ure, having two rows of large win¬
dows above the arcades, and a fpacious window in the
eaft end above the pulpit. The congregation complain
of a cold air, which they feel pouring down upon their
heads. This is more particularly felt by thofe fitting in
the fronts of the galleries. We imagine that this .arifes
chiefly from the extenfive furface of the upper row of
windows, and of the cold ftone-walls above, which robs
■the air of its heat as it glides up along the fides of the
church. It becomes heavier by collapfing, and in this
; ft ate defeends in the middle of the church.
The ftove S is placed againft the middle of the weft
■wall at the diftance of a few inches, and is completely
inclofed in a cafe of lath and plafter. The vent, which
is to carry off the fmoke and burnt air, is conveyed up
or along the wall, and through the roof or fide-wall,
but without any communication with the cafe. In like
manner the fire-place door is open to the paffage, with-
,out communicating with the cafe ; and care is taken that
the holes which admit the air into the cafe are fo dif-
pofed that they lhall run no rilk of drawing in any air
from the fire-place door.
From the top of this cafe proceed two trunks Q^, R,
each of which is two feet broad and fix inches deep,
coated within and without with the moft fpungy plafter
that can be compofed. For this purpofe we ftiould re¬
commend a compofition of powdered charcoal and as
much clay and quicklime as will give it a very flight co-
hefion. We know that a piece of this may be held in
the hand, without inconvenience, within an inch of where
it is of a glowing red heat.—Thefe trunks open into
anpther trunk XVTYZ, which ranges along the parti¬
tion immediately under the galleries, and may be form¬
ed externally into a corniche, a little maflive indeed, but
not unfightly in a building of this ftyle. This trunk is
coated in the fame manner. It has feveral openings
<7, a, &Cc. which have Aiders that can be drawn afide by
means of handles acceflible from the outer paffage.—At
the extremities X and Z of this trunk are twTo perpen¬
dicular trunks which come up through the galleries, and
are continued to a confiderable height. At their junc¬
tion with the horizontal trunk are two doors large
enough to admit a lamp. Each perpendicular trunk has
,alfo a valve by which it can be completely flopped.
The ftove is managed as follows: Early in the morn¬
ing the fuperintendant ftiuts all the Aiders, and fets a
lamp (burning) in each of the trunks X and Z, and
Ihuls the doors. He then puts on and kindles the fire
in the ftove, and manages it either in the Ruffian or
German method. Perhaps the latter is preferable, as be¬
ing liable to feweft accidents from miftake or negleft.
The lamps fet in the lower ends of the upright trunks
prefently warm them, and produce a current of air up¬
wards. This muft be fupplied by the horizontal trunk,
which muft take it from the cafe round the ftove. Thus
a current is begun in the direftion we wifli. By and
by the air in the cafe acquires heat from the ftove, and
the current becomes extremely brifk. When the ma¬
nager perceives this, he removes the lamps, ffiuts the
valves, and opens the holes «, a, &c. beginning with
the moft remote, and proceeding flowly towards the
ftove from each extremity of the horizontal branches.
The heated air now iffues by thefe holes, glides along
the ceiling below the galleries, and efcapes, by rifing
up along the fronts of the galleries, and tvill be fenfibly
felt by thofe fitting there, coming on their faces with a
gentle warmth. It will then rife (in great part) ftraight
up, while fome of it will glide backwards, to the com¬
fort of thofe who fit behind.
The propriety of {hutting the valves of the upright
trunks is evident. If they were left open, no air would
come out by the holes a, a, &c.; but, on the contrary,
the air would go in at thefe holes to fupply the current,
and the ftove be rendered ufelefs. The air delivered by
thefe holes will keep clofe to the ceiling, and will not,
as we imagine, incommode thofe who fit below the gal¬
leries, But if it ffiould be found to render thefe parts
too warm, holes may be pierced through the ceiling,
by which it will rife among the people above, and muft:
be very comfortable. It will require the careful atten¬
tion of fome intelligent perfon to bring all this into a
proper train at firft, by finding the proper apertures of
the different holes, fo as to render the heat equable
through the whole fpace. But this being once afeertain-
ed the difficulty is over.
The air trunks muft be very capacious, but may be
contrafled towards the extremities as their lateral dif-
charges diminiffi ; and the row of holes which admit
the air to the cafe round the ftove muft be fully able to
fupply them.
It" muft be obferved, that in this conftru&ion the
afcenfional force is but fmall. It is only the height of
a ffiort column of warm air from the ground to the gal¬
leries. At firft indeed it is great, having the unlimited
height of the perpendicular trunks at X and Z •, but
during the ufe of the ftove it is reduced to nine or ten
feet. It is neceffary, therefore, that the ftove be highly
heated, perhaps confiderably beyond the Ruffian prac¬
tice, but yet inferior to the heat of the German iron
ftoves. But ftill we ftrongly recommend the brick or
pottery ftoves, on account of the wholefome fweetnefs of
the air which they furnifli : and we are certain that a
ftove of moderate dimenfions, eight feet long, for in-
ftance, by eight feet high, will be fufficient for warming
a church holding 1200 or 1500 people. If the ftove
could be placed lower, which in many fituations is very
pra&icable, its effeft would be proportionally greater,
becaufe all depends on the rapidity of the cuirenV
When we are limited in height, we muft extend the
ftove
Stove,