The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1885-11-18
FARM BUILDINGS.
eaegessions Looking to Their ProparT PRO


Isolated country dwell ng in this conn
EY appears to be destruction by FIRE.
The older houses burn as regularly
from defective chimneys" as acct
dental deaths follow the use of the gun
that ..he didn't know was loaded"
The new houses are comparatively
exempt from fires of this class, and the
conclusion might be reached that the
old builders did not know how to COM
struct perfectly safe fiue; this, how
ever, woali be al error. Many of the
defective fues require time for their
product on Whei new thew were
probably as perfect as any that are
bu Ii now. Where wood Is used as
fuel large amount of .screosote, or
pyroligneous acid as 1t Is termed BY the
chemist, Is formed. 1t passes from the
fire IN the form of steam. but as il
reaches the higher parts of the chin
ney is condensed upon the walls and is
absorbed b. the sooty lining. The
liquid is very corrosive and readily at
lacks the mortar. in time COM
pletely destroTng it. The de.
st-uction is aided BIZ the rains.
which wash down the SCOT and mortar
which has been dissolved. This proc
ess usually cont nues unit the whole
upper portion of the chimney for fifteen
or eighteen feet. and in some cases
even a greater distance. is little better
than q pile of bricks with wide and
open Joints. Under ordinary cond :
lions there is an in-draught into the
chimney at all points. and the only eff
| feet which these cracks have Is 60 lessen
the power of the .'draught" 10 some
extent. In stormy weather. however.
the gusts of wind which cause a puff of
| smoke to be thrown from the fire place
/ or the stove force the smoke out of
these openings. and the fatal spark is
| blown out against some old and tinder-
dry beam to smolder and break into
| fame hours after the mischief has been
1 done Fires of this class almost always
| start in places where the fire itself can
not be reached. and even with au ef-
/ ficient fire department house thus ell
| dangered could hardly be saved.
Another source of danger Is to be
| found in the beams and woodwork rest
ing against the hot brickwork or against
hot fiues from furnaces As these Chin
news and fiueS never become hot enough
to light match. no alarm is felt in re-
gard ID them. and. usually. no effort is
made 10 secure protection. There is
danger, but it is of kind not usually
suspected Wood when kept for a
| long time at a temperature con-
siderably below that of boiling
water undergoes a very peculiar
change. and is finally converted into a
brown or black charcoal During this
/ conversion il gradually acquires one of
the characteristic propert es of fresh
charcoal, that of absorbing oxygen
from the ar so rapidly as TO become
heated and at last to burst into flame
| BY sort of spontaneous combustion.
Beams. partitions and other woodwork
undergoing the charring process may,
| after some years, begin TO sm0lder, and
burn for hours. or even a whole day.
before finally bursting intofiame. The
fire has. in the meantime. been spread
ing along out of sight and reach. and
| when discovered Is usually quite be-
yond control The ash-barrel. when
| wood has been used for fuel, has caused
an immense number OF fires. These
and the eating of matches by nice and
rats, nav be claSsed as dIsgracefuI
causes of fires, because perfectly pre-
ventable Spontaneous combustion
from oily rags and papers causes a few
fires. Faulty ightning-Tod connec-
tons form another class of some I'M
portauce.
The question now arises: What rem
edies are TO be applied, and how may
country houses be rendered more Sc
cure against fire without entirely re-
constructing them? The simplicity of
the directions are very likely to lead
10 their neglect. Old chimneys should
be pointed up from top to bottom;
that is. the Joints in the bricks should
be filed with fresh mortar. When the
flues are large they should
be plastered inside as well
as out. Sometimes round tie:
can be put in so a. to make continuous
fiues- These are safe and give an ex-
cellent draught. The essent al point
is 70 make the chimney tight and keep
il so: this i imperative If safety Is to
he secured. Woodwork must not be
allowed TO come against flueS and
chimneyS in such way as 10 cause il
TO feel hot o. warm TO the touch. Six
inches clear space betwe N a stove
pipe and a beam or partition is none
too great. A sheet of zinc is not 2
protection unless it has an air space
in addition. Dig into beams. etc, thai
have heen long exposed TO heat and
see what cond ton the timber is in.
If charriag has begun il is high time tc
reform the obstruction.
Take up hes only in metal vessels
and # a metal barrel or its eluiva
lent can not be had carry the ashes a
once TO q store-house, which should
be of brick or stone. or made fire
| proof by some method of construction.
A barrel plastered ins de is better thar
one with no protection. In these DAYS
when spices and many other things OF
the kind are put up in tin boxes OF
cans. no excuse exists for keeping
matches in wood or paper packages
When in { n boxes they are out o.
the way of mice. To leave them scat
tere upon mautels or tables Is /:
or minal act. which too frequently
brings its own pun Shment. Sponta 1e
Gus combustion does not often Occur
in country houses, but barns are
frequently DESTROYED by bea ing o
wet hay. or are struck by lightning Oh
account of the column of steam anC
vspor which rises from their damp and
heating contents. When ha; goes into
: the barn in damp condition the
farmer runs MANY risks VIII ch be cal
, not well afford to take.
The lightning rod should have larg,
: and heavy metall C connect on witt
damp earth. and this should be spect