The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-08
READY FOR CYCLONES
RESIDENTS THE STORM BELT GUILD
HOUSES THAT DEFY THE GALE.

The Approach of the season of Tempests
Anticipated by Texans-How storm
house Is Constructcd--A Whole school
Can Hide In the Earth.
The industry Of stormhouse building
is now in full blast in Texas, and the
great prevalence Of cyclones in many
other parts Of the county during recent
years has awakened a widespread inter
est in this branch Of architecture.
Ever since the 10Th Of last May, when
a tornado swept across a portion Of the
outskirts Of sherman, Tex, and destroy
cd So human lives the stormhouse
maker has found a steady demand for
his services in that town, but within
the past few weeks this demand has
quickened into n boom Of large proper
tons
To begin with, there is Professor "A.
O. Nash who claims to have the largest
and best equipped stormhouse i'll Tex
as and perhaps i'll the world. Who
knows? Professor Nash is in charge of
one of the four female colleges of this
place. He has IA good chance TO be some
what Of an authority ON cyclones, for
his school building is within 100 yards
! of the track of the storm of last May,
and he was Rn eyewitness of that dis
! turbance throughout its whole passage.
The storlnhouse in question has been
built for the purpose of accommodating
| the whole school if necessary. 1t is 30
( feet long, feet wide and 6 feet deep
( in the clear and has an easy seating ca
pacity of zoe There is Il long seat run
/ ming lengthWise along each wall, street
car fashion, with room for quite large
| number of chairs in between. 1t is heat
ed by steam pipes and lighted by cleo
tricity. The rafters of the roof are OF
heavy bois dare timbers, ceiled with
oak planks The walls and floor are al
so of oak. The floor is made a little
lower in one corner than elsewhere, SO
that any moisture which may seep Ill
will collect here. An arrangement Is
made for spraying it out with steam.
Tie whole structure is under the gym
nasium building, from which it may be
entered without exposure to the wealth
en- by going out of doors. Professor Nasl
is careful to explain that he built the
stormhouse not so much as means OF
protection against storms as for means
of allaying the excitement and nervous
ness of his pupils. He feels more or les
competent to hold his own against amy
thing no worse than tornado, bu
when it comes to getting along witt
100 or so badly scared schoolgirls Ia
feels compelled. to draw the line. In
expense of the stormhouse ran well VI
into the hundreds of dollars.
The question of moisture is the mos
serious one that confronts the storm
house builder of limited means i'll tn
black waxy soil of Texas. Brick an
cement cost considerable and are nc
always effective The Texas soil III tn
black belt is said to be the worst III III
world for seeps. Sometimes even III
D most expensive devices fail to keep tn
water out. One prominent citizen
D this town has an elaborate cement rool
e which cost him $500. 1t has not leake
D as yet, but he is quoted as saying Una
he never knows what moment IL ma
= begin to doso TIE average stormhou'
4 builder doesn't Try to keep the waite
i ont. He contents himself with arrani
: ing to remove it as rapidly as possible
n The favorite way to accomplish TINS
to have barrel sunk i'll the ground
It the lowest corner of the room. AS tn
y fills with water it can be dipped on
J. Sometimes pump is put III to accoI
y plish this the more readily.
For $50 you can have good stori
, house made, feet long, 6 feet wide al
IS feet deep, neatly finished with plai
Up floor and walls, properly rooted and co
g cred. This will answer every purpose
lg until the first time it rains. The ne
le morning after this happens you w
t. probably find about six inches OF wal
Il. ON the floor However, for 20 cents y
can hire an ablebodied man to dip
out for you, and by repeating this pre-
I'd ess about twice week during the "
lie season you can enjoy all the advantas
IL of having stormhouse and still
be afraid of your children being droW
I'd ed in it if they should happen to fall
d. st. Louis Globe Democrat.
All Navies Have Their Troubles.