Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-19
THE HUMIDIFIER.
observations Upon Indoor and Out
side Atmosphere.
h, PhiladelnI,ia Ledger

Observnt Ons Upon Indoor and Out
side Atmosphere.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
At the needing of the American Public
Health Association recently, the platform
held what appeared TO be miniature tele-
phone cage, but which proved to be the
hunnioifier referred to in the paper by DIR.
Hlnry j. Barnes. Boston, upon the Lack
of Proper Humidity of Indoor Atmos-
pierre" read before the association. This
might have been labeled continuance
for insuring greater feeling of warmth
at less expenditure for coats, as this is
what is claimed for it. 1t is not patented.
being simply d device by which DR.. Barnes
lessons the cost of winter firing and in
cieases the comfort of his home This
hufnidlficr Is about p inches square, the
top ana two sides solid, the third side
tight door and the fourth or front in part
of open work brass, the bottom is open. the
whole teirg intended to stand over regis
ter in the floor. One-harf of the interior
is taken UP with a galvanized iron water
tank With broad edge at the too. on which
rests a brass frame to hold several rouS
at the top. from which are SUSPENDED
strips of Gotten felt almost the width of
bottom of it. When in use the tank is
flied with water and the strips of felt
dipping into it become wet The hot air
coming UP through the register into the
these wetted strips and becomes charged
with moisture.
Ii the air OF the room becomes too moist
is to be seen by the deposit of dew or
fIt.St on the window panes. then. by SIM
pie bit Of mechanism acting automatically,
the strips are lifted from the tank and the
hot air dries them. and, passing beyond,
rights matters in the atmosphere of the
room. when the strips dip back again into
the tank When the register Of a room is in
the side wall. DIR. Barnes said. the side
opposite the brass work would be open
ard MADE to fit close about the register.
With this humidifier 1t was possible dur
ing sixteen days Of last February uhe time
icing designated because the record was
kept them to obtain a mean of 53 per cent
relative humidity iE mean temperature
of 65.3 through the evaporation of from
two quarts to two gallons of water per
diem. During this period the outside mean
temperature was 81 degrees. with relative
humidity of 49, per cent. This tempera-
ture was perfectly comfortable, whereas.
without the addition Of the moisture. from
20 to II degrees was required.
More tnah this relative humidity would
have been attended with deposit Of mois-
trre on the window panes either vapor
or frost. more abnndantly with single
than with double sash.
The window glass, DR.. Barnes said, will
serve guide in determining the number
of evaporating surfaces required in a room.
and when the required area is known the
apparatus works auto matically.
1o show how far wrong the heating ar
rangements Of me dern dwellings and public
buildings are. and that we are sacrificing
comfort and health in substituting condi-
tiors that are not based upon natures
laws. DIR. Barnes did not enter into arEu-
ment. but simply gave few facts and
figures
A mean relative humidity of IS per cent
at Fort Yuma, in 1873 he said, is the low
est annual mean recorded for any station
in the United States since the establish
ment of the weather bureau.
Parts Of India and the Sahara noted for
aridity OF climate have a mean ranging
from 40 to 50 ner cent. while in Death VAL
ley, Cal. in 1891. from May to September,
a mean of % per cent was observed. Only
twenty-four stations of the 141 In the
United States in 1885 had a mean below
90 or above so per cent, 80 being between
IS and Is. Observations in Philadelphia
Tor period OF twelve years. gave a mean
of 6S1s per cent. and in England of about
20 The mean relative humidity Of the
United States ranges from 90 to 80 per
cent.
In the northern states during winter
he continued. the atmosphere of our homes
as measured by the hygrometer shows q
Why wide departure from the normally
constituted air. We raise the temeera-
ture. but disregard the abundant provision
Of moisture there Is when heat 10 increased
by natural causes In free atmosphere
and consequently we live In air containing
less per cent OF moisture than that Of
desert regions, and not unfreuuently less
than that CT the kiln fr which lumber 81
artificfally dried.