The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-04
THE WRONG WAY.

obviously, TOO, the aim OIL the teiltl-
lating engineer should be to furnish
maximum in the air quantity with mini
mum in draft effect. Usually he has
gone about his task by what appeared,
on first examination of the problem, to
be the easiest and simplest way, though
in the end either wholly or partly inef-
fective. That is, he has introduced his
fresh air at the ceiling OF the audito-
rum, as being removed farthest from his
audience his flow Of air extending
thence downward, in an area which
might be lillened in shape OF huge tent
covering the floor OF the theatre or au-
dience hall, the. overplus of air esca ping
that is, at vents scattered equally over
tho floor.
The method looks reasonable enough
at first, but it is essentially faulty. For
instance, it ignores the influence OF the
audience itself, each member OF which
may be compared to big lighted candle,
contributing to heat the surrounding air
Thus Professor Woodbridge states that
il through theatre seating 1000. 10000
cubic feet Of air an hour are passed, the
ultimate rise of temperature from TINS
aggregate human heat may be safely es-
tn1ated as II or i degrees fanrennelt.
1t is clear enough. then, that the cooler
ALI, entering at Vic lop VI eAiS .SA4NHN>NN'
with the humanity overheated air at the
bottom of the room, will create state
OF unstable equilibrium, and that by an
iumutable law the cooler air at the top
must fall while the warmer and lighter
sir at the bottom must rise. he re-
suit will be drafts, fitful or steady as
the case may be. And the higher the
ceiling-the place. that is, which has been
selected as being most remote from the
audience and therefore the most un-
likely to produce drafts-the more violent
these drafts will be. The remedy Is to
reduce the air quantity, in itself con-
fession of weakness, or to increase the
temperature OF the air supplied, which
is much the same thing.
UNHYGTENIC.
It is further pointed out that currents
Of unequally heated air are not only
unlygienic. but that they seriously In
terfere with the transmission of sound
from the stage or platform. the finer
qualities OF the singers or speakers
voice being often quite lost as result.
Even more important is the question of
air impurity. Not only does each mem
Der of the audience influence the tempera-
ture, but he takes to himself a proportion
of the vital properties of the air. and
returns to it his own semi-poisonous ex-
halations: besides throwing off a certain
amount Of what Professor Woodbridge
APPLY calls :'persona1 Debris With TIL.
imperfect methods OF downward ventila-
ton as it is called. just described It
will be seen that a. large part of these
noxious elements-wllich in the main
cause the greater part of the immediate
discomfort to an audience in an ILL
ventilated room-cannot be eliminated
from the atmosphere Immediately sur
rounding the breather.
BY substituting upward ventilation, so
called. for downward. however. it Is
evident that the amount of fresh air
| needed to maintain a definite standard
OF purity would. in the first place, be
much less. Professor Woodbridge. for
example. gives the following illustration.
in which the candles. Of course. repre-
sent the human audience: An other
wise. tight small chamber has been fitted
with perforated floor and ceiling:
candles have been closely placed upon
| the floor and lighted. and the chamber
! has been furnished with just enough air
through the floor to- bring and keep the
candle flames at full brilliancy. When
this same air quantity was SUPPLIED
through the perforated ceiling the flames
owindled almost to the point OF extin-
| guishnent, the candles were smothered
and softened. drooped. and bent double
! in their own vitiated air and heat brought
back upon them by the downward move
ment Of the ventilating air. Gas jets
| equal in number tothes candles were then
used and supplied with air by the up
ward method until the flames ached
! their maximum brillancy. and when
| again the direction CT the ventilating cur.
rent was changed. the quantity of air
remaining constant. the flames became
small, pale and sickly.'
GENTLY. sDIFFUSED.
The necessary air supply being SO much
smaller with upward ventilation. the
problem Of the ventilating engineer. Pro-
| lessor Woodbridge points out. is to sup