The times., 1890-02-14
THE DANGEROUS DAMP CELLAR.
How 1t Can BE Improved When Not Pos
sible to Entirely Avoid 1t.


How 1t Can BE Improved When Not Pos
sibie to Entirely Avoid 1t.
Not one person in fifty realizes how
important bearing the cellar has
upon the health of those who live over
it. The consequence is that part Of
the house is generally more or less me-
elected, being either damp by reason
of i'll construction, or otherwise un-
healthy from lack of care and cleanli
ness Here in Boston damp cellars
are the rule, especially in certain To-
calities, and, yet, in hiring 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 to DO
damp, builders go 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,
J the subsoil is clay, and it is doubtful.
if any one knows to what depth that
extends. Old masons in that region
say there is scarcely dry cellar there,
and that it 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, one can
by a system of drainage keep q cellar
free from water, but there is no sure
way of perfectly drying it; and if it is
at all damp, then it 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 to have at
least two feet of solid concrete under
his floor timbers. 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 will say to the
contrary. Simply filling it up will do
no good whatever, for the filling will
soon absorb the moisture like sponge.
If one will not raise the house and
make radical changes in a cellar of
that sort, he can improve its condition
much at comparatively trihing eX-
pense.
1.-The first thing is to look to his
drain. In former times stone drains
were used almost wholly, and, al
though drain pipes have, to q great eX-
tent, displaced them, yet in draining
cellars the old style of drain is the
best, being much less likely to choke
up. But in making drains of stone
our forefathers did not always show
the best judgment and build them
properly, but oftentimes they were so
imperfectly constructed they soon
filled up.
Soevery cellar drain ought to be care
fully examined and, Of course, relaid
if defectiye. 1t is next to impossible
to make water tight an old cellar wall,
which is banked up with earth, without
going to considerable expense. Really,
about the only way would be to lay
an inside wall of brick, raising it about
two feet at a time, and filing the
space with cement, ''tamping" the
same in solid. But something may be
gained by pointing" well an old
wall
If the floor is not cemented, of
course it must be SO, and besides
pitching toward the opening in the
drain it would be well to make 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 to ruin into the
drain there must be 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 cellar with clay bottom,
The best means which suggests IT.
self to obviate the dampness and foul
air under these conditions is to build 4
fireplace in the cellar and connect it
by 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 little
fire 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
hey, and it would also be much drier.
Boston Herald.