Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-10-12
Saturday,, ostooer II, ls,s.
THE DANGEROUS DAMP CELLAR.
How u Can lie Improved When Not Pos
sible to Entirety Avoid IT,

-"F - 49, '-
sible TO Entirely Avoid u
Not one person in City realizes how
important a bearing the cellar has
upon the health of those who live over
it. The consequence is that partof
the house is generally more or less ne
elected, being either damp by reason
of i'll construction, or otherwise un-
healthy from lack of care and ~clcanli-
ness. Here in Boston damp cellars
are the rule, especially in certain To-
calities, and, YET, in hiring a house, if
that grave defect exists, it has COM
paratively little influence SO long as
the location is satisfactory. And, be-
sides that, i'm the section in which,
considering the character of the soil,
an underground cellar is sure 10 be
damp, builders 60 on putting them
under houses Just as was done half a
century ago, when less WAS known Of
the dangers of such defects than there
is now.
In Dorchester district, for instance,
the subsoil is clay, audit is doubtful
ifaDy one knows To what depth that
extends. Old masons in that region
say there is scarcely Il dry cellar there,
and that il is practically impossible TO
make one underground which will be
dry; and still almost all new houses
there have them under them. OF
course, where the soil is clay, Que can
by system Of drainage keep a cellar
free from water, but there is no sure
way of perfectly drying it; and if it is
at all damp, then il is absolutely un-
healthy, and no one can live long
over it without suffering evil conse.
quences.
The wise builder on a clay soil
makes his cellar above ground, using
exceeding care in the construction of
his foundation, being sure 10 have AT
least two feet Of solid concrete under
his floor timbcrS. As for drying an
old. damp cellar in a clay soil. as in
timated. the one who undertakes it is
going TO fall short of absolute Success,
although many maSons viii say tothe
contrary. Simply filling itup viii do
no good whatever. for tie filling will
soon absorb tie moisture hkcaspOngc.
If one will not raise the house and
make radical changes in a cellar of
that sort, he can improve lis condition
much 1T comparatively triiing tx;.
pense.
"The first thing is 10 look to his
drain. In former times stone drains
Were used almost wholly. and. al
though drain pipes have, to a great ex.
tent, displaced them, yet in draining
cellars the old style Of drain is the
best, being much less likely 10 choke
up. Bat IN making drains of stone
our forefathers did not always show
the best judgment and build them
properly. but Oitentimcs they were so
impcrfccily constructed they soon
filed up.
Soevery ccllardrain ought to be care.
fully examined and, OF course, relaid
if defective. Il is next to impossible
10 make walcr tight an old cellar wall,
which is bauSsdup with earth, without
going to ousIGcrableexpensc Really,
about the only way would DC to lay
an inside wall Of brick, raising it about
two feet at "a time, and filling the
space with cement, 'tamplng" the
same in solid. But something may be
gained by pointing well an old
wall.
Ii the floor is not cemented, Of
ours it must be SO, and besides
pitching toward the opening in the
drain it would be well 81 make a shall
low gutter in the cement floor all
around the walls, the same TO end in
the drain. Then any water which
came in would quickly run off. At
the point where it is 10 run into the
drain there must be a trap. These are
the provisions for keeping an old eel
lar clear Of water. But they do not
insure freedom from dampness,
which, as said before. is sure TO exist
in a cellar with a clay bottom.
The best means which suggests IT,
self 10 Obviate the dampncss and foul
air under these conditions is 10 build a
fireplace IN the cellar and connect it
by a drain pipe with the chimney, en-
tering the same above the kitchen
stove, Dampers must, Of coure, be
put in There will need TO be a little
lire kept in the fire place-two cords
OF wood might last the year round.
BY that means all the bad air would
be drawn from the cellar up the chin
ncy, and it would also be much drier.
Herald
Good Lord, Deliver u.