Central Heating

Te Ao Hou, Autumn 1953, Page 29

Central Heating But there is nothing like that in Korea. The Koreans are behind in many things, but yet, he said, in others they are far ahead of us. Mr Kahui particularly admired the heating system in the houses. Especially during the first winter, he had often been billeted in Korean homes. The floors are constructed of thin flagstones, resting on flues extending over the entire length of the house. The flues run off from the fire- 1 “My deah! Until you've seen Seoul you know nought about building restrictions.” Cartoon by Sgt. Roy Ryan. 2 This old grand piano being played by L/Bdr. T. Roa, Te Awamutu, was found in a wrecked condition in a bombed out Seoul building, but with parts of another wrecked piano he went to work and reconditioned it. Although there are one or two notes off key it has been a valuable asset to 161 Battery, particularly when they are camped in the one position for a number of weeks. 3 “Come and get it.” A Korean mess boy, Kim, rings the bell for dinner at Regt. H.Q., 16th N.Z. Field Regt. 4 Gunner meets gunner and they talk shop. Sgt. C. Neville, of Palmerston North, finds plenty of interest in the Centurion's 20 pounder. The tank commander of the Kiwi crew, Cpl. T. George, of Te Kuiti, shows a few points.

place in the kitchen, and end up at the chimney at the far end of the building. There are usually three parallel flues. The heat circulates from the fireplace, through the flues, and heats the rooms through the floors. The flagstones are covered with plastered mud and grass mats for sleeping on. The bigger houses are L-shaped; sometimes there are two heating systems starting at each end of the L. Fierce Tiger, by Sim Sa-Jong (dated 1774). Mr Kahui told how, the first night when the met with this heating system—a very cold night it was—the men threw some big logs on the fire. Soon the floor was so hot they could not sleep on it. The stove is meant to be fed on little pieces of fuel at a time, to maintain the heat needed. In a Korean home, he said, the women-take turns at feeding the fire with the little pieces during the night.