The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-08-14
The Enemx Am .rhe Homo.

II Il be true that mans home il his
c.stle, everybody will agree that the castle
ought to be well guarded against the as
ssnlts Of an enemy. The enemy may
"come as thief in the night" and seek an
entry by force; he may sneak in through
the open door; he may endeayor to do dam
age in many ways. Knowing the evil that
is in the world. what would be thought OF
man who should take no care to defend
his home against possible assaults Of what
ever kindP
There is an enemy which prizes open no
windows, picks no locks, and is not armed
with knife or revolver; but bolts and bars
do not stay him. and he prostrates
aud kills. He is Of various origin, is
keen to detect an opportunity, and his
work is thorough. His victims sleep in
countless graveyards. His progress is the
conaueror's march. Comparatively few
people think OF shutting him out Few
think to inquire whether he is in the neigh
borhood and on the rampage. The name
oil this enemy is Feul Air,
Not many householders take the trouble
TO inquire whether their houses are fit to be
homes; whether it is safe to live in them,
and whether it wouldn't be better to camp
on the outside Of them. To begin at the
bottom, the cellar is worth looking to, to
see whether 1t is damp, and 80 likely to
produce rheumatism, consumption, diph-
iberia and other things not pleasant to
have about It is well to see what is under
the cellar floor; whether any Of the drains
have been broken or become disjointed 80
that they no longer drain. II there be a
fault here 1t is certain to send foul gases
up, and they will not stop at the first flight
OF stairs. Perhaps there are cellar drains,
untrapped or badly trapped, connecting
with cesspool or sewer; cesspools under the
house, with no provision to carry of the
drainage. 1t seems to be the rule that some
thing must be carried of; II not the drain
age then the persons who live in the house.
There may be an improperly arranged
watercloset in the sellar; the best arrange
ment Is to have 1t somewhere else. The fur
mace fittings may be out Of gear; cold.air
boxes open so that coal dust, particles Of
various kinds and assorted lots Of foul air
ara carried up into and through the house.
Perhaps there are worn out lead pipes, or
pipes gnawed by rats, tile drains or iron
drains which need repairing or replacing;
untrapped and unventilated soilpipes hav-
ing direct communication with cesspool
or sewer; kitchen and bath room pipes
connecting untrapped or badly trapped
with disease breeding soil pipes-all these
things are worth looking to II health and
life are worth having.
The house can be, and ought to be, Be-
curely guarded against the insidious
enemy, and very few city houses are.
Country houses are beset by dangers too,
but they are not due to plumbing arrange
men.s. 1t will pay any householder to
give the necessary time to the.inquiry; and
having located the faults, to have them
made right at once. Right here an ounce
Of prevention is worth ton OF cure. Pre-
vention is possible always; cure, some
times. The poet who wrote: {.
Look to your hearths. my lords. for thtre hence.
Shall it for household gods shapes hot from Tar
tAruA.
Doubtless had in mind the noxious
househrld gases.