the flue, which doubled back and formed sort of a radiator around which warm air circulated. It cured most smoky chimneys, thus protecting both the eyes and the furniture. He turned over his model to a friend with an iron furnace, who cast the plates for the stoves. They were soon in great demand as people learned about them through a pamphlet Ben wrote and printed. (Osborne pg.66)Benjamin was as much interested in ventilating rooms as in warming them. He believed it healthier to keep windows open and let in fresh air, a practice that annoyed many of his friends. To keep rooms warmer in cold weather, he developed a damper, a metal plate that fits horizontally into the base of the chimney passage and can completely close it off, or when opened a small distance, creates a slight draft, allowing smoke to go up the chimney while keeping most of the warm air in the room. (Meltzer pg.116)To improve the lighting of rooms, he devised a new candle made from whale oil. It gave a clearer and whiter light, could be held in the hand without softening, and its drippings did not make grease spots. His candles lasted much longer and needed little or no snuffing. He also developed a four-sided lamp to light the city streets. The lamps stayed clean much longer and thus gave more light. (Meltzer pg.116)Franklins experiments in so many different fields were completely original and crucial. The way he went about his research displayed his analytic powers and his objectivity. He never rested with merely amplifying what someone else had done. His work on electricity is the best example. Before he began to think about it, electricity was a mass of uncoordinated observations and confusing theories worded in obscure and puzzling language. His mind was able to unify what was already known, and then to add his own original findings so that he came out with a new and simple theory that would stand the test of time. The very vocabulary of modern elect...
