El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-25

a THE meeting Of the American
~ Society of Heating and Ventilat-
ing engineers now in session in
New York, the subject receiving first
consideration is the establishment of a
standard and uniform method Of de-
termining steam boiler ratings through
out the world. The present ratings are
apt to vary with the Individual con-
tractor or manufacturer, and these dis
crepancies in the calculation of heat
sustaining qualities ar largely re-
sponslble for the boiler explosions and
kindred accidents which are so fire.
quent- As means to this end the So
ciety is endeavoring to secure in all
states uniform legislation which shall
require proper qualification certifi-
Gates from every person permitted to
install heating or ventilating plant.
There is no art or trade bearing more
directly upon the health and comfort
of the public than the heating and ven
t1lating of the buildings 1t occupies.
Ventilation Now Science.
The recognition of the necessity for
fresh air in all buildings occupied by
humanity has reduced the system Of
modern ventilation to a science. At
mospheric purity is as essential to
health as the proper temperature so
ventilation and heating have been com
hiped in the minds Of most contrac-
tors and the economic advantage OF
the combination is understood by all
modern builders.
The new tenement house law in New
York requires an average Of 700 feet
OF pure air for each person. Where
this is not supplied by mechanical
means there must be window space
Of not less than II square feet in each
! room averaging 20 feet square. The
4crI1f
feet high. Most buildings, however.
have been found to require some venti-
lation facility IN addition to the win
dows. In buildings used for manufac-
turing, there should be supplied to
| each workman an average fresh air
supply Of 80 cubic feet per minute,
and some apparatus is required for
forcing this air into the room and at,
the same time exhausting the bad air.
This can best be done in connection
with the heat supply. 1t has been
demonstrated that a burning gas Jet
vitiates the air to an extent eQuiva-
lent to the breathing of five persons,
so that in making calculation for
room lighed by gas the manufacturer
must supply five times as much air
for each workman as if daylight or
electric light were used.
Does Array With HardshiDs.
The enforcement of these laws is
doing away with the great hardships
of cheap labor in eOngested districts
The poor girls and women who toll
for long hours over the production OF
artificial flowers, ready-made clothing
and other articles, Will at least not
suffer in the future from the effect OF
poisoned air. No better proof of the
harmful effect of ventilation upon
health can be furnished than is shown
in the records Of the United States
pension bureau. In its old badly ven
tilated room the annual sick leave ag-
gregated a loss Of time to the clerks
Of 1876 days This was reduced to
1914 days per year after the bureau
had been moved into the properly ven
tilated building it now occupies.
Air Is Washed
Every large building now erected
had a plant installed which provides,
adequa tely for its heating and ventil-
ating, If not for its lighting Fresh
air is secured By tanning in air from
the outside. generally near the street
level 1t has been proved, however,
that outside air is not always pure,
so the modern plant makes some pro-
vision for purifying this air before ii
Is introduced into the rooms Of the
| building. For the past ten years
washing the air" has been a subject
Of study to the ventilating engineers
and they now recognize this as the
best and most practical method for
publication. The washing is accom-
| plished by various systems. The one
most generally in use provides a large
bcx into which the air is turned to
meet sprays of water, which cause all
the pollutiOns to fall to the bottom
when they become wet. The amount
| of dirt taken from the air is incred-
ible. II a hand is passed inside the
| box it becomes as --ack as If plunged
into mud puddle, while at the bot
tom of the box are collected great
quantities Of filaments OF cotton and
wool, splinters OF wood and straw and
various other substances.
Great drums covered with water