Excerpt from On the Smokeless Fire-Place, Chimney-Valves and Other Means, Old and New: Of Obtaining Healthful Warmth and Ventilation That in the last fifty years of the World's existence more important advances have been made in the arts of civilization than in any five centuries before, can scarcely be doubted by one Who considers that Within that time have sprung up - the application of Steam Power, itself a recent invention, to Railways and Navigation - Gras-lighting - the Electric Telegraphfl Photography, or sun pain'ting - the Penny Postage, and other things. There is no reason for thinking that this progress is at an end. Ou the contrary, as clear sighted men had lohg foretold the accomplishment of most of the results enumerated, before the popular mind had yet dreamt of the possibility of such wona, ders - so now are scientific men pointing to the quarters from Which other novelties worthy to. Be added to the list are likely to come. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.