Anyone looking from below a building might think that the individual was dancing as the worker moved from one section of a roof to another. Like you see in the Mary Poppins song “Step in Time,”In densely populated cities, buildings were right next to each other, and chimney sweeps could move from one rooftop to another to clean the next chimney. Today they still use these special brushes as well as more modern tools such as vacuums, cameras, and other special chimney cleaning tools. Removing the soot from a fireplace and a chimney was a dirty task, and a worker used long brushes to remove the buildup of debris. No one had a metal liner inside a chimney shaft to prevent internal fires, and a rooftop’s chimney was not protected from moisture or invading wildlife with a cap. The interior surfaces of chimneys became dirty quickly from soot and debris. Previously, chimney sweeps were required because every building used fire or coal for heat, and each person’s meals was prepared over an open flame in a fireplace. In 1778 there began to be restrictions to protect these boys - sometimes as young as 4 - but the practice wasn’t completely banned until 1875 when it took an act of parliament to stop the practice. These little boys didn’t wear masks to avoid toxic chemicals or dust, and in some cases, they suffocated while trying to perform their jobs. This was a dangerous job, and many of these children didn’t receive enough food because if they gained weight, then they couldn’t fit inside a fireplace and its chimney. Children were horribly neglected and abused in chimney sweep history How They Were Treated in the Pastīefore Bert, chimneys were cleaned by “climbing boys” who were small enough to climb into a chimney’s shaft to clean it with their specialized brushes.
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