The anti-monopolist., 1877-03-29
HOW TO BUILD WARM HOUSES.

In our cold, northern climate it be-
comes matter of considerable moment
to know how to construct our dwelling
houses so as to keep in the heat and
keep out the cold. In this connection we
would refer our readers to the following
article:
different bodies, exhibit very great
degree of difference in the facility with
which they conduct heat; some SUBJ
stances oppose very little impeachment to
It's passage, while through others it is
transmitted slowly. ALI bodies are di-
vided into two classes in respect to their
condition of heat. viz: into conductors
and non. conductors. The former are
such as allow heat to pass freely
through them. The latter comprise
those which do not give an easy passage
to it. Dense, solid bodies, like the met
ais, are the greatest conductors OF heat !;
light, porous substances, more especially
those of fibrous nature, are the least
conductors of heat. The conducting
properties of fbrous aud porous sub
stances are due almost altogether to the
air contained in their interstices or be-
tween their fbres These are so dis.
posed as 10 receive and retain a large
quantity of air without allowing it to cir
culate. Air in this condition is one OF
the greatest non.conductors of heat. An
apartment is rendered much warmer for
being furnished with doutle doors and
windows, because the air confined be-
tween the two surfaces opposes the es-
cape of heat. AS a non>conducting
substance prevents the escape of heat
from within, so it is equally efficacious
in preventing the access of heat from
without. Sawdust, when not too much
compressed, is one of the most perfect
non conductors Of heat. Straw, from its
dbrous character, is an excellent non
conductor OF heat, and is for this reason
extensively used by gardeners for en-
casing plants and trees which are ex-
posed to the extreme cold Of winter.
IAN ingenious plan was adopted by
Count Rumford for ascertaining the rel
alive conducting power of different ma
terials employed for clothing. He
enveloped q thermometer in glas;
cylinder blown into a ball at its extrem
ity, and filed the interstices with the
substance to be examined. Having heat
ed the apparatus to the same temperature
in every instance by immersion in boil
ing water, he transferred it into melting
ice, and observed carefully the number
Of seconds which elapsed during the
passage of the thermometer through ia
degrees. When there was air between
the thermometer and cylinder the cool
ing took place in SIC seconds; when the
interstice was filled wife fine lint it took
place in ,032 seconds; with cotton in
l,046 seconds; with sleeps wool in /, ;.
lis seconds; with beavers fur In | .I2t
seconds; with elder down in 1905 sec
onds; with hare's fur in 1875 seconds. :
This experiment proves to . demon
stration that an empty air>space is no
near as good q non>conductor as IN air.
space filled with some proper material.
advantage is taken OF the imperfec
conducting powers of bodies to proven,
the passage of heat in any direction
particularly in confining it. Hencs
double windows, as in Kensington Pal.
ace, England, and double doors. with ar
interposed stratum of air, are sometime.
used. Ice.houses are constructed witt
double walls which have these interstices
filed with fine charcoal, or some Other
non-conducting substance, to prevent the
influx of heat from without.
have seen it stated, editorially, in the
Western Rural, that six inches of fine
charcoal is as good as foot of saw dust
or tanbark to keep the heat out of ar
ice>house. II this be so, it appears to
me that people who use wood for fuel
would do well to make part of it into
charcoal, and fix their houees so thai
they never need ito burn q quarter as
| much as they do now.
think that the whole theory Of ther>
NAL architecture is taught in the above
quotations; that any ingenious person,
by studying this 2rticle, can construct a