Settlers Laughed at His Roman Underground Heating — Until It Kept His Floor 45°F Warmer

Settlers Laughed at His Roman Underground Heating — Until His 'Gloria' Tunnel Kept His Floor 45°F Warmer Based on the Gloria System (a medieval evolution of the Roman Hypocaust used in Castile). Instead of a fireplace in the room, he dug a combustion chamber outside the wall. A long brick channel ran under the floorboards to a chimney on the other side. The fire's hot gas traveled under his feet, heating the floor mass. He could regulate the heat by opening or closing the "gloria" mouth outside, keeping the floor hot for 24 hours with brushwood.