Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-26
4 nrATlNc SUGGESTION.

Mr.. ]. d. Morrison, of Reinbeck, nav
ing read the EDITORS complain against
the inefici.ncy Of modern heating meth
DDS, Is moved to make the following
very practical suggestions:
Reinbeck. Ia, Dec. "a, 1so1.-Ecdtor
Times Republican,: In a recent issue OF
vonr paper you minated that the pres
ent methods OF heating dwellings ana
other buildings are not what We ought
"a expect In view OF the progress made
I'm 80 many other directions l do not
pretend to be the genius VINO, accord
ing to your article, is to revoiutionaze
present methods. but / Wish to osfer
few sugges lions which may. or may not,
be Of interest to many OF your readers
I have given the matters OF building,
heating and ventilation, some thought
and / am satisfied that there is plenty
OF room for Improvement without call
ing to our aid the inventive ability OF
your tardW genius" In the first place
all dwellings OF the better class should
be 30 constructed as to be practically
frost proof and aid tight. That is to
say, all walls should be made with at
least one or better still with two, abso-
lutte dead air spaces and the openings
should also be made as nearly frost
proof and air tight as possible. To ac-
complish the latter 1t would be neces-
sary to make all sash solid and double
glazed with air spaces between and all
doors should close against rubber stops
and open Into halls or vestibules also
provided with air tight doors. Having
built a house along the lines indicated
above, it would be necessary to provide
for heating and ventilating 1t. / would
accomplish the latter mechanically and
absolutely by the use Of Il blower oper-
ated by a water motor on other power
and a system OF pipes to carry the air
to every part OF the building. In cold
weather the air should he warmed by
passing 1t over steam coil and In
warm weather. 1t could be cooled, II de-
sired, by passing 1t over the same coil
filled with cold water. Having made
house that is practically frost proof and
air tight and provided for constant
and Uniform supply of fresh air artifi-
cially warmed to any requisite degree 1t
only remains to Install such a heating
plant as will maintain in all parts of the
building q uniform degree of heat and
this can DC. accomplished by the use OF
either hot water or steam with very
little fuel Tor the obvious reason that
the style of construction employed has
stopped thy. leaks common to all houses
as now built. In short my idea is that
the walls, windows doors and roof of
house should be as nearly as possible,
nom conductors of heat and absolutely
air tight, that ventilation should be me-
chantcal, automatic and positive instead
OF being accidental spasmodic and un-
certain, at is present. Given, such a
house as I have described the matter Of
heating becomes very simple affair
because the quantity OF cold air to be
warmed is limited to the requirements
of the occupants and 1t is not necessary
to warm slll outdoors because OF bad
walls and worse openings. Drafts and
dust would be eliminated, the temper
allure could be easily kept uniform and
the supply of fresh aid would be posi-
tive and regular. In general terms, the
above is my idea of what a twentieth
century dwelling ought to be.
j. D. MORRISON.
Mr.. Morrison strikes at the root OF
! the trouble when he starts hds ideal sys-