Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-07
HOW To KEEP COOL.
GONE or THE METHODS EMPLOYED
BY NATIVES OF THE TROPICS.
Htrtifcial Swampc of New G~uinea-Isdiat
"FioasinE Observation-Disclosures Dwell
ings Of the Syrians-The King Of siaa's
Ciass Honse,

ings Of tho Syrians-The King Of SLAMS
Ciass H,use.
If people viii only profit by example
they can keep cool. just see how the
other fellow, who lives where 1t is al
ways hot, manages TO be comfortable,
and then you will have struck the key
note.
For centuries the inhabitants of the
tropics have been devising ways to
keep cool. Not only have the natural
Of their own countries been
converted into methods Of cooling
schemes. but the mechanical skill of
modern science has also been introduced
by the abulousiy wealthy rulers Of these
semibarbarous lands.
The natives Of New Guinea, who are
compelled, owing To the intense heat,
to 60 almost naked during most of the
year, have hit upon . scheme that is
claimed to make life moi only bearable,
but highly enjoyable during the long.
hot days when the broiling sun is send
ing down seeming rays of fire.
While their plan does not tax the
brains of modern science. it is. never
theless, unique and involves the labor
of an enormous army of workers. Their
method is to take q broad stretch Of
land adjoining their large villages and
convert 1t into u swamp This Is done
by clearing the land thoroughly Of all
vegetation and underbrush, only the
trees being left standing. By months II
nafIanf labor in |. hs.t. oil s.t,ta,sg
of the village, both mel and women,
JOIN, they dig u canal from the nearest
lake N drain it into their artificial
marsh. The depth of water in these
marshes varies from 10 tn 20 or 80 feet,
according To b excavation tone before
hand.
Trees are then cut and carefully strip
ped of both bark ana branches and
driven iii groups in numerous parts of
the marsh, leaving about 10 or IL feet
above the water. On the tops If these
stills, or piles, the houses are then built
and SO overhang the marsh.
In some parts of India floating viii
lagos have been constructed with great
success. The inventors Of this mode Of
keeping o came from inland tribes Of
natives, where the heat killed of hun
dreds every year. These men j~ourneyed
to the river shores and there built their
houses on large flat RATS. Some of these
villages y Eow grown TO large pro-
portions, and one near MacCiuer's inlet,
or gulf of Ouin, AS il is now called,
numbers cver 0 houses. They are all
connected by ropes, with some 90 feet
/ of x-nfDr hnr--n... .r.1 ,.r-a .,-.,l a..
current. This huge excursion fleet, as il
appears, lazilv floats from one shore to
the other and up and down the stream,
catching all the air that comes from the
neiSh6Oring forests. The difference IN
temperature between the land ard the
RATS averages - degrees.
In Syria the latest and most effCctucl
scheme of escaping the sitting heat has
e found III the subterranean passages,
of which the country has many. Large
forces of Syrians have made mammoth
deep down in the bowels of the earth,
built abodes. 1t is very cool down there.
the rocks oftentimes being actually cold.
This is largely accounted for by their
contact with the numerous su~bterranean
waterways, which flow along under
mountains and rents in the rocks caused
by internal volcanic eruptions.
Down there, hundreds of feet beneath
the earth's surface and III, as it were,
n gigantic tomb. tie Syrians pass the
heated portion Of the day in quiet Sc.
clusion and peaceful rest.
The Chinese, although a backward
ana prprrO-c-Srrn r,ca have pn,-arst,,
less tried many experiments for keeping
cool, and think they have solved tho
question ly their tree dwellings" At
least it is the most satisfactory method
that has ever been put i'll operation in
the Flowery Kingdom.
Taking advantage of the tremendous
growth of trees in some parts OF the vel
low empire, the natives nave built their
houses, Ike nests, in them. This they
do by splitting the large and topmost
branches and fitting the foundation OF
these houses securely i'll these splits.
Perched up there, a hundred feet in
the air and in the direct sweep IF the
wind when there is any, the Celestials
dream away the tedious summer day.
The type of architecture is more preten-
tious than that displayed in the simple
log cabin. The walls IRE decorated
with curiors designs. and the inter.
woven latticework Of palm and bamboo
which form the houses give them a de-
lightfully cool and airy appearance. 1,
is an ideal nest. and one In which the
Celestial never tires Of lingering.
The king of Siam has n scheme on
which that swarthy ruler laborcd 70.
many years. and which. besides being
wholly original, represents an oxpcndi.
ture of money that would make - dozen
men wealthy for life. In substance. it is
a mammoth glass room. measuring
some 90 feet square by Is feet high,
constructed on the surface 81 a lake.
into which it is submerged on hot days.
With the exception Of the floor. IL j.
entirely of heavy plate glass closely fit.
ted into steel frames. Ii o over five
years of steady labor to make this re.
markable room, and $ jealous Of the
secret was its imperial inventor tina,
1..l, -.~,,o1.. 80 tho ypppa xxas nun,rf..