much
heat to warm both flues, and if the room in which the grate or
fireplace is situated should be pretty close, so that there was no
other entrance for air, there is danger that it would circulate down
one flue and up the other, forcing smoke out of the fireplace into the
room.

* * * * *

IMPROVED FURNACE FOR BURNING GARBAGE.

The refuse matter and garbage of large cities is in the main composed
of animal and vegetable offal of the kitchens; of the sweepings of
warehouses, manufactories, saloons, groceries, public and private
houses; of straw, sawdust, old bedding, tobacco stems, ashes, old
boots, shoes, tin cans, bottles, rags, and feathers; dead cats, dogs,
and other small animals; of the dust and sweepings of the streets, the
condemned fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish of the markets, all of
which compose a mass of the most obnoxious and unhealthy matter that
can be deposited near human habitations.

The inventor of the furnace shown in the accompanying engravings aims
to produce a change of form and of chemical nature and a great
reduction in bulk of all such refuse and garbage within the limits of
the city where it accumulates, without screening, separating,
preparing, or mixing, without the expense of using other fuel, without
any offensive odors being generated in the operation, and to produce
an entirely unobjectionable residuum or product that may be made
useful.

[Illustration: Fig. 1.--FOOTE'S FURNACE FOR BURNING GARBAGE.]

As a rule organic matter largely preponderates in the refuse, being as
high in some instances as 94 per cent. There is always more than
enough to generate sufficient heat to fuse the earthy or inorganic
portion, which is mainly composed of sand, clay, and the alkalies from
the coal and vegetable ashes, etc.

By producing a high degree of heat in the combustion of the organic
portion of the refuse with a forced blast or forced draught, the
non-combustible elements are fused, and form a vitreous slag, which is
entirely inodorous and unobjectionable, and which may be utilized for
many purposes.

The upper section or cone of the consuming furnace is built of boiler
iron, and lined with fire brick resting upon an iron plate, which is
supported by iron columns.

The hearth is made of fire brick, and is in the form of an inverted
cone, being smaller at the bottom and larger at the top, as shown in
Fig. 2.

The sides of the hearth are perfor