Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1847-12-22

t;rmed opinion. The cause. and sole
cause. Of this nnhealthiness was the want
of ventilation: and. from what he had SUI
f,red himself since in the room. although
the door had been frequently opened, he
was ONLY surprised that the condition OF
the scholars was not infinitely worse than
he understood twas. Though not wish
ing il to strengthen his own convictions.
vet as il might better convince others, he
would proceed to set the matter III
stronger light before them.
The Doctor. then. while every ear ana
eve were REGARDING his words and move
ments with intense interest. calling on
Locke to ascertain the number OF cuo'c
feet contained in the empty space OF the
room A carpenter present, who happen
ed 10 have a bundle Of his tools with HIM.
having called into the meeting while on
his way home from some finished Job. pro-
duced a rule, took the different dimensions
l,f the apartment with great exactness:
when Locke. from the data thus furnished.
quickly ascertained and told off the num-
her of cubic feet. as required. IhiS num-
her. owing to the ill-advised construction
of the school-roon!. in which the floor rose
from one side at so great an angle as TO
take up about one-sixth part OF what would
have been the space with level floor. "a
mounted ONLY. with proper deduction for
s,oye seats. &c. to sixteen hundred cubic
feet.
..\ow let me observe said the Doctor.
..tha1, from the latest and most accurate
experiments ofchcmsts and medical men.
il has been ascertaincd that one person,
bv RESPIRATION from the lungs alone. des-
trovs all the oxygen. or vital principle. III
thirteen cubic feet Of space per hour
How many scholars have YOU, MIR. ANS
DEM
Sixty. upon the average, perhaps more,
say sxty-four,
..Ascertain, then. how many cubic
fact of vital air these all will destroy,
in one hour.
Both Locke and Bunker. the latter OF
whom now began to be in his element. al
most the next instant gave the same an
swer-eirht hundred and thirv-two feet.
! GLOW long do you generally keep them
in without intermssion. in which the doors
would necessarily remain open moment
while they were passing OUT.
! .Gencrally an hour and hall, some
times two.
Then. gentlemen" said the Doctor,
..thc true, but greatly msconceived. cause
of your trouble and Just alarm is now
plainly before YOU You see. by our cal
culaton. that. in less than, two hours. all
The air that can sustain life moment
would be. in this new and almost bottle
tirht ROOM if not renovated by opening
the doors or windows. entirely consumed.
And taking into the account the quantity
of this vital principle inhaled by the pores
4 of so many persons. and the PROBABLY
greater portion destroyed by the fire and
rejecting surface Of the stove and pipe. |
presume one hour is sufficient to render
the air extremely unhealthy; an hour and
! a half. absolutely poisonous; and two hours.
] 50 fatally as to cause your children TO
drop dead on the floor
..Thunder!" exclaimed Bunker. ''can
this be so1 | long since knew that we
were put upon our allowance. when IN
close rooms. for the right kind OF breath
ing air: but never supposed there was SO
much death in the pot as that comes to-
But that fact which you build upon-tle
amount of vital air a person destroys an
hour-I am afraid, Doctor. you get 1t only
out of the books. which | am rather shy
in trusting for what call gospel
| Both from books and my own ilnper-
feet experiments" replied Lincoln, land
| am satisfied that the proportion IS not
rated too highly But | have not quite
done all that proposed III this case
! We have now been in the room, perceive
by my watch. but three-quarters OF an hour
while there arc not probably over thirty
persons present. And yet. even IN tins
time. and with this number. | will ask You
all, if YOU do not feel oppressed and un-
easy from the lmpuritv Of the air here.
.:ldo-and land too. responded Sc
veral while others. as the case was thus
now brought home to their own senses
which plainly spoke in the affirmative
sprang in alarm TO throw open the doors
Not yet-not yet said the Doctor. in
terposing. We can live awhile longer
and wish in some degree to satisfy you
and particularly Captain Bunker here
whose thorough mode Of coming at results
much admire. that what have said Is
not altogether incapable Of proof. ever
with the means at hand Cannot our car
penter here. with few minutes work. SC
alter castings. that the upper sashes OF those
windows can be lowered some few inches!
i Locke-who felt both panied and cha
CrlnFd. That MS lnaltellOn u iHiS iHdt'ti
in which he SO well knew all the principles
involved. should have SO nearly led TO dis
aSif,?uS consequences. ana whose acllFt
mind. having seen through the whoie SUB
iect at a glance. the moment the Docte
nut him on the track. had long since beer
engaged in devising a ready remedy 10
the discovered evil-here interposed. ant
suggested that an opening made IN thu
centre of the ceiling, would best effect the
object in view.
IF it can be done'" ;nquiringiy said thu
Doctor. o
BE done," said Bunker. Ives it can
Here. carpenter. up in this chair with you
tools. and make a hole through there. in n
time. This business is just beginning t
get through my hair"
; 4 few moments sutficed to make al
ipohoS