Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-11-12

LOT good outside cellar which can be
easily and cheaply built Of concrete.
This can be used for a variety Of pur.
poses, such as milk-cooling cellar,
Ior the storing of roots and vege-
tables as well as any other use the
needs demand.
The cellar shown in the illustration
is OF handy size-eight by 70 foot
moor space and six feet to the bottom,
OF concrete roof beams, which are
eight by eight inches.
The walls are eight inches thick
and the floor and roof four inches,
the roof being reinforced with quarter
inch iron rods laid two to the foot
each way.
After excavating to depth of about
nVe and one-half feet, build form of
one-lnch boards, ten inches wide, that
is exactly eight by twelve feet square
and six feet eight inches high.
Set this in the excavation, the edge
OF the earth to be the mold for the
outside wall on three sides to the top
OF the ground level. Above the ground
level build the form of boards for
molding the outside edge of wall,
space for concrete to be eight inches.
For the front, or doorway, make a
form three by six feet as a casing to
mold the doorway and set in place
Board up where needed outside this
casing, which is eight inches thick
and boards may be nailed to same
for outside wall
For the side walls of the stairway
build forms as for the regular side
walls and of length of eight feet.
II you want a small landing at the
foot of the stairway, the side walls
may be eight inches thick, but If de-
sired to make as cheaply as possible
they may be built six inches thick.
The forms for this should be the
height of doorway at top, as shown
In illustration, and then slope down.
ward Is inches, if the ground permits.
AS soon as side wall forms are in
place fill with the concrete mixture,
which is best made of one part Port
land cement to two parts of fine sand
and four parts of coarse gravel. This
is tamped in thoroughly up to the
top of the forms.
Before the forms are entirely filled
on the sides make three boxes eight
inches square on the inside and eight
feet long. These are to hold the con-
crete. Place three feet apart, as
shown in Illustration, so the top edge
is even with top edge of side walls.
Brace up from below to hold in
place and fill with concrete and rein.
force with 3A-inch iron rods. This
enables the beams to bond with the
side walls and so make them stronger.
For the roof build four forms 81
inches wide by eight feet long, place
with top edge even with top edge of
beams in the four spaces between
beams and brace up from below to
hold in place.
Over this lay about two inches of |
concrete and then place your reinforc-
ing rods in position and cover with |
concrete until the roof is the required /
four inches thick.
1t is best to leave the side wall
forms in place, also the roof-beam /
forms, until the concrete on the walls
and roof has begun to set or harden.
This will require several days be-
fore the permanent set is sure to have
taken place. Then they must be re-
moved so the cellar can be completed
After forms are removed from the
side walls lay your floor in cellar and
also in landing, as Illustration shows,
to a depth Of four inches. II desired.
the bottom of the floor may be of
small stones of about two or three
inches in size, and over this a con-
crete mixture poured and leveled off.
If care is taken that the concrete
Is tamped down between the stone
and that the top course of mortar is
about ~ inches thick at least, the
floor will be as strong as If of solid
This can also be applied to the
walls. small stones of even six inches
In diameter can be INSERTED in the
mortar when forms are filled and thus
save the amount Of cement used, and !
Tor this class Of work the strength is I
ample for all needs and the expense :
If building is materially lessened.
For the steps of the stairs set an {
eight-inch board upright, 80 inches out [
rom the doorway and brace in posi-.
ion. Fill the space with concrete to 9
width Of Is inches and a depth of @
light inches. :
If you have not cut out the stairway
n the earth as shown in the illustra. s
ion, the step need be but four inches
n thickness.
As fast as one step is nodded move
ne board or use another, placing IL e
inches farther from the door. This 3
will give the steps width of IL inch. n
8 and a rise Of eight inches until the 4,
op is reached. >,
The work Of building the steps can :,
9 made easier II in ezcaVating you Ia