The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-01-11
The Farmhouse Cellar.

This is one of the most important
looms of the house. being used for the
storage and self keeping of vegetables.
cured M ats. butter, often cream and
milk, fresh and canned fruits. a well
a. >unlry and various other articles
ascd in the family.
1t will readily ne seen that in brinc-
nr together such var et!es o. materials
of different character. each either giving
of or absorbing odors. thorough venti-
aton is of the utmost Importance, vet
It is one of the things apparently re-
ceiving the least thought or attention.
During the summer and so long a the
weather remains warm, open windows
a'lpw NC circulation Of air throu IN
lie cellar afford fair degree of ventila-
ton. But with the advent of cold
weather. when the cellar is perhaps
filed to It's full capacity with vegetables
and fruits, the windows have to be
closed and the cellar banked up to ex-
clude the frost. 1t is hrrmeticallv
sealed on five OF its six dimensions.
shut Of from any Introduction of fresh
ar from outside. and with no csc pc
for the gases generated bv derayinG
vegetables and vegetable odOrS except
into the living rooms above, where their
presence. though not always notired
by the sense of smell. not unfreGuently
vindicate their potency in bringing
down one or more members of the
family with typhoid fever. dphtheria. or
other poison disease. Such conditions
ms described above, while not to be
found in all farm-houses. still exist in
far too many, and should be remedied
in all eases where they do exist. Their
rem 'dy does not ncCeSSitatc any great
expenditure of money or complex con-
trivanceS for such a system of yentiia-
ton as will render the cellar not only
harmless, but inotlensive TO those who
occupy the living rooms above.
First. the cellar should be de-
prvcd of all excessive moisture by a
drain which Will prevent water from
ever stand ne upon its bottom tile
drain running across il Il few inches be-
low the tt,n, and ext 'nding outs de
10 proper discharge, will remedy this
defect whenever It exists. The cellar
should in all cases be divided into two
rooms, SO that milk. cream. butter. or
othcr products which absorb disagreed.
b,eodorS, will not be- exposed to those
arising from vc@c, abl"S such aS onions,
cabnagcs. turn;pS and the like, whose pc.
culiar Udors are all + ght in their place,
but not Just the thing for milk, cream
or butter. A mOuldy, muSiy smell i
apt 10 pcrvade tn" cellar, due TO cXccs-
>iyc mo sturc and insufficient vctilai on.
IA I
tons lime wash applied to the walls
and ceiling. viii h should have such IN
applica ion a. least twice i wear. But
some method of vent.lati"n. by which
the foul, StaTnant odOr-chargcd air can
be removed and its place supplied by
that win ch is pure and sweet, is of the
utmost Importance, and tbs is not
difficult thing 10 provide. If 4 chimney
starts from the bottom of the cellar with
an opening in the cellar. this furnishes
the means for the up drau@ht, since the
heat passing into it from the stoves in
the rooms aho e creates constant
draft, which will continually change the
ar of the cellar, provided air is let in &c
supply its plac'. In the absence of such
a chiuney in the cellar. its place can be
supplied by a pipe reaching up through
the floor and connecting either with q
chimney above or Il pipe of one of the
stoves. If the cellar is under the kitch-
en-, the pipe can pass up directly in real
of the COOK stove and connect with is
pipe by I Joint. Still another method
is to have 4 pipe pass out through
the wall iuSt be ow the sill and
extend up the outside of the house to
the height of the roof. 1t can be run
up on the rear of the house or in an an
gle. so as not 10 be unsI@htlv. Its top
5 Ould have bonnet TO keep ont the
snow and s!cct and its bottom end
should be carried Gown at least halt
way to the bottom of the cellar and
have a funnelshaped mouth. One four
inches in diameter would probably he
large enough. Galvanized iron would
hc he bet material, though roofing tn
would last 4 good many years. and
would not cost 81 much. Zach OF these
methods reQUi 'cS some plan for admit
ting pure air. Otherwise Il circulation
can not be kept up. In the summer
this will be supplied by tie windows.
which are either left open or prote ted
by wire-scrceus. But in wint"r these !
a closed up. and there is needed some
means o! admitting air in sufficient. but
not excessive quantities. which VIII bt
nj all times undcr control. a three
inch le running through the wall ust
under the sill on each of the four sides /.
Of the cellar will cheaply supply this
want With a stopper to fit their bore,
they can be opened or closed at pl, as
ure, and while the up-draft- pipe az
lakes on the foul odor-,harged
4 a. much o. little # the pure outside
lis place, and thus keep up the cirrula-
ton. 4 cellar so protected would he
robbed OF all danger to those living
above, and if some such plan wer,: in
universal use in every dwell no house
we should hear of fewer INV >tcrious
of Providence by which
of families come to an I'M
timely death. when the real ca Sc Of
their taking of was the fact Of living
over a foul, unvrntiatcd cellar. which
was nothing moe or less than death
rap 20 them.- turner's EeC'ew.
About ten years and eight months ago
John Garnet, a cOlor,t resident of l'Oca
ionla> COUNT, West Virginia, lost hi
,ye>ight. Since that time he has been
entirely blind and a county charge. \
hort time AFRO his wife went away from
he cabin to d some work for the neigh
'nrs. leaving Garnet IN the care of one
If the children She did not return I'M
| late N Intervening. and Il, she Reared