Iron pipe designed to consume smoke
Date
10 March 1686
Creator
Henri Justel (1620 - 1693, French) , Royal Librarian, Librarian
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p1
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 199mm
width (page): 142mm
width (page): 142mm
Subject
Content object
Description
An engine designed by one Mr Dalesme which absorbed smoke, shown at the Saint-Germain Fair in Paris. Henry Justel reported in his letter to Edmond Halley that the engine was shown to the French King. The letter was read at the meeting of the Royal Society on 10 March 1686 and printed in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 16. no. 181 (May 1686).
Copies of the figure can be found at LBO/31/164 and EL/I1/89/002.
Copies of the figure can be found at LBO/31/164 and EL/I1/89/002.
Object history
At the meeting of the Royal Society on 10 March 1686, ‘The notes of Mons. Justel were read, concerning an engine, that consumes smoke, and prevents all sorts of the most foetid things cast into the fire from being offensive, were read’ (Birch 4:465).
Printed as fig. 1 in H. Justel, ‘An engine that consumes smoke, shown lately at the St Germans fair in Paris’, Phil. Trans. vol. 16, no. 181 (May 1686), p. 78.
This engine ‘is composed of several hoops of hammered iron of about 4 or 5 inches diameter, which shut one into the other: it stands upright in the middle of the room, upon a sort of trivet made on purpose. As is the place where the fire is made, where if you put little pieces of wood, it will not make the least smoke, neither at A or B, over which you cannot hold your hand within half a foot, there comes out so great a heat. If you take one of these pieces of wood, out of the fire at A, it smokes presently but ceases immediately so soon as it is cast in the fire again. The most fetid things, as a coal steeped in cats-piss, which stinks abominably when taken out of the fire, notwithstanding in this engine makes not the least ill scent. The same did red herrings broiled thereon; on the other side all the perfumes are lost in it, and incense makes no smell at all, when burned therein. We have since learned that this is not shown, but when the fire at A is well kindled, and the tunnel BD very hot, so that the air that feeds the fire cannot come that way, but must all press upon the open fire, whereby the smoke and flame is all forced inwards, and must pass through the heap of burning coals in the furnace A, in which passage the parts thereof are so dispersed and refined, that they become inoffensive both to the eye and nose.’
Printed as fig. 1 in H. Justel, ‘An engine that consumes smoke, shown lately at the St Germans fair in Paris’, Phil. Trans. vol. 16, no. 181 (May 1686), p. 78.
This engine ‘is composed of several hoops of hammered iron of about 4 or 5 inches diameter, which shut one into the other: it stands upright in the middle of the room, upon a sort of trivet made on purpose. As is the place where the fire is made, where if you put little pieces of wood, it will not make the least smoke, neither at A or B, over which you cannot hold your hand within half a foot, there comes out so great a heat. If you take one of these pieces of wood, out of the fire at A, it smokes presently but ceases immediately so soon as it is cast in the fire again. The most fetid things, as a coal steeped in cats-piss, which stinks abominably when taken out of the fire, notwithstanding in this engine makes not the least ill scent. The same did red herrings broiled thereon; on the other side all the perfumes are lost in it, and incense makes no smell at all, when burned therein. We have since learned that this is not shown, but when the fire at A is well kindled, and the tunnel BD very hot, so that the air that feeds the fire cannot come that way, but must all press upon the open fire, whereby the smoke and flame is all forced inwards, and must pass through the heap of burning coals in the furnace A, in which passage the parts thereof are so dispersed and refined, that they become inoffensive both to the eye and nose.’
Associated place