Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-10-29
FARM BUILDINGS.
Suggestions Looking to Their Proper Pro.
lection.

suggestions Looking to Their Proper Pro.
lection.
The destiny of every farmhouse OF
isolated country dwell ny in this coun-
try appears to be destruction by fire.
The older houses burn as regularl,
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 con.
struct a perfectly safe flue; this, how.
ever, would be an error. Many of the
defective flues require time for their
product on. When new they were
probably as perfect as any that are
bu 1t now. Where wood is used as q
fuel large amount of ''creosote." OF
pyrolignecus acid. as it is termed by the
chemist, is formed. 1t passes from the
fire in the form of steam. but as it
reaches the higher parts of the CHM
ney is condensed upon the walls and is
absorbed by the sooty lining. The
liquid is very corrosive and readily at
tacks the mortar. in time COM
| pletely DESTROYING it. The de-
struction is aided bv the rains.
which wash down the SCOT and mortar
which has been dissolved. This proc
ess usually continues until the whole
upper portion of the chimney for fifteen
or eighteen feet and in some cases
even greater distance. is little better
than pile of bricks with wide and
open joints. Under ordinary cond;-
tons there is an in-draught into the
chimney at all points. and the only eff
feet which these cracks have Is to lessen
the power of the ''draught"'to some
extent. In stormy weather. however.
the gusts of wind which cause puff of
smoke to be thrown from the fireplace
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
flame hours after the mischief has been
done. Fires of this class almost always
start in places where the fire itself can
not be reached, and even with an eff
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
i&gagainst the hot brickwork or against
hos flues from furnaces. As these Chin
news and tlues never become hot enough
to light match. no alarm is felt in re-
gard to them. and. usually. no effort is
made to secure protection. There is
danger. but it is of kind not usually
suspected. Wood when kept for
long time at 4 temperature con-
siderabIy below that of boiling
water undergoes very peculiar
change. and is finally converted into
brown or black charcoal During this
conversion it 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 smolder, and
burn for hours, or even a whole day,
before finally bursting into flame. 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 mice and
rats. may be classed as dIsgraceful |
causes of fires. because perfectly pre-
ventable. Spontaneous combustion
from oily rags and papers causes a few
fires. Faulty lightning-rod connec-
Ons form another class of some i'm
portaHce.
The question now arises: What rem
edies are to be applied. and how may
country houses be rendered more Sc
cure aga INST fire. without entirely re-
them? The simplicity of
the directions are very likely to lead
to their neglect. Old chimneys should
be pointed up from top to bottom;
that Is. the joints in the bricks should
be filled with fresh mortar. When the
flues are large they should
be plastered inside as we'll
as out. Sometimes round ties
can be put in so as to make continuous
flues. These are safe and give an ex-
cellent draught. The essent al point
is to make the chimney tight and keep
1t so; this Is Imperative. II SAFETY IS to
be secured. Woodwork must not be
allowed to come against tlues and
chimneys in such a way as to cause it
to feel hot or warm to the touch. Six
inches clear space between stove
pipe and beam or partition is none
too great. A sheet of zinc IS not
protection unless it has an air space
in addition. Dig into beams. ETC.. that
have heen long exposed to heat and
see what cond ton the timber is in.
If charring has begun it is high time 20
reform the construction.
Take up hes only in metal vessels.
and if metal barrel or its eJuiva-
lent can not be had carry the ashes at
once to a store-nouse. which should
be of brick or stone. or made fire.
proof by some method of construction.
A barrel plastered inside is better than
one with no protection. In these days
when spices and many other things of
he kind are put up in tin boxes or
cans, no excuse exists for keeping
matches in wood or paper packages.
When in tn boxes they are out of