The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-26
KEEP THE HOUSE COOL

Exclude the Light and Air During the
Scorching Hours of tho Day.
However mild the first day Of summer,
July and August generally blast all.
hopes for a cool season, and it is a rare
and exceptional year in which these
months are not a fiery furnace OF en-
durance, so far as the weather is con-
cerned.
The main question then for those
who, from choice or necessity remain
in town, is how to keep the house cool,
SO that when night comes some part
of the discomfort of the day may be for
got in sleep.
No one needs to be told that the main
element of success in this effort lies
in the total exclusion of air as well as
light during the scorching hours of the
day The breeze is very tempting when
ever it comes, but it is also very reach
erous and deceptive, for, in t long
run, it is more heating than cooling,
es it blows over streets where the Their
mometer is marking 90 in the shade.
OF course, we must have light and air,
for if we remain in the house We must
employ our time in a thousand and one
ways which require both, but the out
side heat is the foe TO fight, and it enters
by every crack large enough for an
atom. The best generalehip selects GER
tain rooms to be kept open enough to
live in, those of the second story being
usually preferred.
AS soon as the light grows strong in
the morning all the other windows on
the house should be fastened tight, the
shutters bolted. the sashes in place and
even the dark shades lowered SO as to
exclude as nearly as possible the rays
of day.
In the second story the shutters should
be bowed in and the rooms made as
dark as feasible, while on the parlor
floor the only windows open should be
those of the dining-room- these
are fastened tight between the hours
for meals.
The cook needs light and air to make
her hot kitchen still hotter, but the
work Is rendered more tolerable If a
large gas stove or an "Aladdin's oven
is substituted for the fierce fires OF
the range. This deprives the bath
room of hot water. but it also prevents
the heating of the house by the pipes
which run from the boiler to different
rooms. and hot baths are not advisa-
bic in hot weather.
A very important factor In keeping
the rooms cool is the power 70 get rid
Il L
of heated air, which rises toward the
roof. A trap door which can be set
open is almost a necessity for this, but
it must be carefully watched II there
are any empty houses in the row, lest
by these means burglar should be
tempted into devious paths
A house that was con sidered intoler-
ably bot was made more habitable by
the audacious extravagance OF fts owner
who had a long, narrow window cuo
in the wall near the roof at the head or
the last fight Of steps. The window
was supplied with grating aud with
Slated shutters, so that slNair was ex-
cluded, end the hot air found pas
sage from the hall to the outside, while
burglar-proof grating made it possible
TO leave the window open all night
The front door might readily be 30
arranged with grating that il, too.
could be left open at night, and N ell
cases il should besupplied with an avn
ing TO prevent the intense glare Of the
marble steps and the pavement, and at
the same time. to afford shade TO thu
visitor and tradesman who must wait
there till the bell is answered.
As soon as the sun has ceased to beat
upon the house-either directly or BY
refection-all these processes can be
reversed. What is needed then is air.
which. however heated. is sure to Iose
a degree or two Of its temper as night
comes on. All windows then should
be thrown wide open and remain so IN
I'll late. the upper stories, IN fact, be-
ing left open until sunrise next morn
Ing announces the battle once more
Philadelphia Ledger.