New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-03

cellar communicates with the chambers anu his 49,
by inside doorway the atmosphere OF the cellar VIII DC
continually ascending 10 the upper part OF the hoase i
the nhabnt, Of the lower apartments Of the house VIA De
habiuay breathing the nOxious cellar atmosphere Some
years ago when occupying Of the most spacious ana
delightful residences in this city found the most de
porable condition from this very The entire space
under the house nearly fifty feet square. occupied by
large cellars which had but the usu amount Of cellar ven
taton the atmosphere being damp and moaldy and the
sunshine excluded This immense reservoir OF cellar at
mosphere had free communication with the halls above by
interior stairway the door Of which when closed did
not exclude the passage of the air The ordinary winds
and changes of the weather drove the cellar atmosphere
into the house and the cellar door being the Eastern
side the entire Eastern half otthe building acquired damp
and mouldy atmosphere from the cellar 4 long hail.
twelve feet wide prevented the passage Of the moGdyneSs
10 the Western part Of the building. except in very damp
weather when the whole house seemed partially affected
The oppressive and offensive character Of this cellar ex
haaton although due attention given to clean ness
was such that entering the western door OF the house
could instantly determine by the atmosphere Of the hail.
whether the cellar door had been LEFT open or closed
This houseone Of the Oldest residences in the ctyhad
always been occupied by persons Of wealth and inel
gence whose vigorous constitutions gave slight guar
rantee Of health yet large portion Of is former inhsb
ants either died Of pulmonary diseases suffered severely
from their attacks The majority of two generations died
Of Consumption and believe the third generation,
living would have shared the fate had they been
fined to the same residence. My family sudereifrom
pulmonary arrangement manifest NJ slight tabercu
lous tendency and experienced myself the severes pu
nonary attsck had ever known although adopted,hs
precauton OF occupying the apartment the most remote
from the source OF disease The entire disappearance OF
our unayorabe symptoms since removing to 4 he thier
residence. gave additional evidence of their source.
While would condemn cellars and easements entirely
tie common plan Of building. in their absence, be
condemned also. The house being built above the sur.
face Of the EARTH space is left between the lower door
and the ground which is closer and darker than
cellar and which becomes smaller scale the Of
noxious emsnaons Under floor space houdbe abolished
as well as cellars and Easements The plan that have
adopted with the most satisfactory success to avoid sil
these evils the following Let the house be built entirely
above the ground let the lower floor be built upon the
surface Of the nth least high the surrounding
soil Ii hed up with any clean material a few inches
abe the surrounding earth it would be better proper
foundation being p epared make your r floor by pave
ment Of brick laid hydraulic cement upon the SUFFICE
of the ground Let the be extended into your walls
So as to cut off the walls Of your house with water proof
cement from all communication with the moisture of the
surrounding earth Upon this foundation, build acco ding
to your fancy Your lower floor will be perfectly dry
impenerable to moisture, and to vermn not a single
animal can get Judgement in your lower story
The dry brick floor will well FOR the purpose into
yhich lower stories usually devoted, but wooden
floor may be laid directly upon the brick if you prefer
or if YOU wish smoother surface the bricks may be plls
tered over with hydraulic cement making perfectly solid
and smooth floor, when has hsriened Painting the
brick floor viii improve by preventing any absorption Of
moisture from the air.
BY adopting this pan your house will be dry and clearly
the atmosphere your ground floor will bcfesh and pure
you will be entirely relieved from that steady drain upon
life which is produced by easements and celsrs-and j.
you appropriate the groasd floor TO purposes of store
rooms kitchen, &c you will find that the dry apartments
thus constructed infinitely superior to the old easements
and cellars. And if you place your sitting and sleeping
rooms on the second and third floors you will be as thor
ouehy exempt from local miasma rs Architecture can
make YOU An additional advantage will be derived from
the dryness Of the was-accordng the theory of Sir
Murray Much of the masmatic influence of unhealthy
localities he ascrbes the frequent passage of currents
electricity between the earth and the clouds The driver
the walls of the house made the nearer approaches
that insulated condition which he considers necessary AS
preventive against what has been regarded az local sma
fall the interior ofthe walls ofan apartment painted
or papered and vanished be incapable Of mbbng
moisture it would be valuable addition to the heal,hflI
ness Of the Walls kept moist by leaks or otherwise
and thus subject to constant evaporation, are prolific
sources of cold Every knows how dangerous Is to
sleep in a freshly plastered apartment or even when
the walls oppareAay dry, ii they not really and
Aroushly dessicated.
Absolute dryness Of walls ceilings and floors and free
circulation Of air and light are matters which builder
shoudgcousider essential in every apartment for human
beings. JOS. L. BUCHANAN.
Cincinnati, April "a 1855
We have given DR. Buchanan's essay most conspcu-
Gus place in our columns having nothing of more gen.
era interest and Importance. That its cOunsels are
most needu and sautary will instinctyey be felt by al
most every reader We do not anticipate a general
disuse of cellars and Easements by those who have
them but that they should be avoided sleeping apart
ments made lighter, dryer and warmer, will hardly be
disputed their Ventilation is indispensable, and can
generally be effected by capable architect at a triaing
cost. Every house built a cellar should have
large fue in each chimney for ventilation only with an
aperture in each room, beginning with the cellar We
believe that our modern cellar furnaces both by en-
surrg the introduction Of fresh air into the cellar aud
by drying warming and expeling the foul air are doing
much where properly constructed, for the improve
ment of health. TED.
The Fire at Rochester.
The Rochester papers bring the particulars Of the fire
and loss Of life which took place in that city Thursday
night last Shortly before o'clock at night the washroOm
OF the Rochester House wooden building situated in the
rear of the south wing OF that edce discovered % be
on fire and the flames had already made such progress that
they caught the stone wing Spring st. and involved the
inmates Of that part of the house in imminent danger Mr
T. W Bryan of the prOpreOrs of the Hotel slept ia
this part with bis family and when aroused closely
beset by the thick smoke and advancing flames that he
barely escaped bearing out his wife in his arms without
waiting 10 take any clothing excepta blanket and leaving
his watch living the floor. -Four OF the dOmestc5
poyed in the Kitchen slept in the upper part Of the wing
al Of whom burned to death. Their chsred remains
burned beyond the possibility Of recognition and reduced
hapees taken out after the whole interior