The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-05-10

THIIRSpAY ..............MAY 10, 1877.
How the Temperature Of the EarsI
,,,sx no utilised to Cool Apartments
ar.s structures I'm the Heat Of SUM
n,er and Warm Them in the Winter
To the Editor Of the Chicago Times:
uKRyARp. ILL.,, May 1.-THE temperature
~ tho atmosphere in this region varies
in wear from go Fahrenheit below
zero to 1000 Fahrenheit above 1t. ihcse
figures represent the extremes OF inc WIN
ter and summer sols;iccs. During tn". pe-
Rod the surface OF the earth Is ahec1eo 10
but very slight depth, being frozen oi
warmed alternately but distance OF icM
feet. At icpth say OF nine feet 1t IS never
affec,ed. but preserves all the year round an
nnbroken Temperature of 40 Fahrenheit.
Therc WAS a discussion some years ago,
which was carried on with great deal OF
shirt by several leading Journals, on Tue
subject OF cooling our dwellings, IN summer;
n was urged. to begin with, that clflllZeu
neonle should be able to secure TO them
solves in summer the same immunity from
heat that they sought i'll winter from co'd'
1t was conceded that 1t was easy enough 10
cool house by the aid OF ice, upon the
same principle used in the British houses OF
Parliament: but the chief object apparently
of the discussion was 10 devise some cheap
method which should prove within the COM
mass of people OF ordinary resources. AS
far as known it would cost a great deal
more to cool a house by the aid Of ice in
summer than it would to heat with fuel
in winter. The suggestions were many
and impracticable, the best probably
being those which contemplated cooling by
eyaporation Of water. OF these some OF
great ingenuity appeared in Tie Nation
One gentleman suggested chamber In the
lower part of the house in which should be
loosely suspended large quantities OF moss
upon which water should be continually
distributed and the cool air transported
through the house III wooden tubes. There
were several more OF the same sort, theo-
reticalv brilliant but practically absurd,
and, as a citizen Of Chicago would say, en-
numbered with healthy water-rate. The
articles. however, made agreeable reading,
the journals, if rightly recollect, having
chosen for their publication season Of en-
aSperating heat.
1t does not seem TO have occurred TO any
one that the earth afforded 4 constant rcSer-
yoir, by means OF which a practically I'M
limited volume of air might be cooled and
devoted TO the purposes Of ventilation. IL
NAV interest readers OF the Times to know
how easily this can be accomplished and to
what useful ends it may be devoted. The
use OF sub-earth air-duct was, L believe,
first devised by q Mr.. John Wilkinson,
rural architect, for the purpose of temper
ing the air of dary-rooms. 1t is pretty
generally known how haraSSing to the dairy.
man are the dog-days, when one hundred
degrees in the shade and frequent thunder
storms try his soul. The percentage
OF loss by SECURING" to the farmer
OF Illinois has been very great. and
many OF them have already adopted,
with most gratifying results, the system Ct
sub-earth ventilation. or its practical work
ings have been for some time cognizant,
and they are really worthy OF being more
generally known; for all who have under
taken to watch the agricultural history OF
our State have come to the conclusion that
it will be essential to develop our dairy in
terest in no common degree. Besides. there
has been so much in the matter OF climatic
considerations to discourage our people,
and dairying has been pursued with so
many vicissitudes, that any avenue that
promises immediate and thorough relief
should be thrown open as soon as possible.
have been visiting the farm OF Mr.. c.
W. Sylvester, near Marengo, and among
other features Of pl progressive husbandry
found dairy with q sub-earth duct. This
duct was constructed last November. 1t is
40 feet in length, about S feet depth, and
is made of limestone flags placed in the
shape OF an inverted V, II inches in height
and II inches wide at the bottom. 1t dis
charges through grating in the floor OF
the dairy and there is q wire screen over the
end at which the air enters to keep out
leaves and other objects which the wind
might carry into it. found the thermome-
ter at height of 8 feet from the floor OF the
dairy to register go, Mr.. Syivester's favorite
temperature for cream-raising. placed it
upon the grating, at which the duet was
discharged, and it stood at 4So. 4 small
stove readily supplied the IA additional
degrees, which made the milk-room tem-
perature steady at $50. The stove, &c.
Sides, heated the chimney, and so created
the draught which drew the AR in and out
of the duct at 4So. 1t should be remem-
bered that the external temperature was $50
in the shade. ! examined Mr.. Sylvester's
butter-book, in which the daily range OF the
thermometer is reco1 ded, and found that
between December 9Th and April oath it
had varied frsom 23o below zero to $40 above.
The air discharged by the duct had never
varied half a degree. A heavy thunder
storm occurred on the 10th, and the milk in
all the neighboring dairies soured and the
cream was lost. In Mr.. Sylvester's dairy it
was not affected in the least.
1t is to be hoped that our dairymen may
generally adopt system so full of promise
and encouragement, and so beneficial to the
butter and cheese interest Of the Northwest.
have personally examined and watched
for some time the operations of this system
OF ventilation, and for cheapness, economy,
and effectiveness, it is impreguable. Mr..
Sylvester is quite proud OF it, and am sure
would gladly give any information in re-
gard to it. There are several farmers in the
neighborhood Of Harvard and Byron, and
also at Geneva Lake, who are using the
same system, or constructing diaries to do
so, and it is hoped that it may come into
general use at an early date. W. N. L.