Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-25
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EXPERT VENTILATION.
Required in Theaters and Moving Pic.
ture Places as in Schools.

/ Growing attendance at motion pic
fture houses and small vaudeville
theaters is emphasizing the import
| ance of arrangements for the proper
/ ventilation of these amusement places
| everywhere.
/ / believe the subject of the venti-
lation of moving picture places and
| small vaudeville theaters Is more inn
| portant at this time than ventilation
| of schools, in view of the fact that the
design and installation of ventilating
apparatus in the schools at present
is fairly well understood and in most
instances is not being neglected, while
| the ventilation of the vast majority
| of the small moving picture places
and vaudeville theaters has been al
most entirely neglected.
The New York public schools which
have been erected within the last Is
years or so have comparatively good
| systems of ventilation. If those who
are actually in charge of the opera
ton of the schools will use ordinary
care and follow Instructions In the
use of apparatus, the conditions in
many elassrooms will be much inn
proved.
This applies not only TO New York
public schools. but to many high class
private schools and other public or
semi-public buildings where good
ventilating apparatus is installed, but
poor results obtained due to care
lessness in operation.
An example of lack of appreciation
of what he was handling on the part
of an operating engineer was forci-
bly, called to my attention In large
institution, where the engineer said:
IF you had only specified larger di-
rect radiators in the rooms would
not have had to run the fans at all.
/ would have lots of heat without
them" Heat was his only concep-
ton of what was expected of this APP
paratus, and the question of ventila-
ton never entered his mind. =
If we could design and install
ventilating apparatus that could not be
tempered with or made ineffective by
poor handling, as is often the case
now, we should not have to worry
whether we gave each pupil 1900 cu-
bic feet, 1000 cubic feet or $500 cubic
feet of fresh air per hour.
As it is we design an apparatus to
deliver say 20oo cubic feet of air per
POPiA PEI fAOuty Ailo ny pun itrAaAAA6
at times no fresh air or very little
is entering the room, as / have found
in many classrooms. due to inatten-
ton on the part of those operating
the plant Some believe that no
ventilation Is going on unless papers
are blowing around while others im-
agine there Is too much ventilation
if some child sneezes.
A IT,. ~, H. <<tt.
er things which children have eaten
are mistaken for carbonic dioxide,
and some believe that window yen-s
tiiation' is the only way. We cam
not expect perfect ventilation" but
much can undoubtedly be done to iTIl-
prove conditions with proper atten-
ton to operating apparatus installed.
The question of humidifying and
o2onizing the air are subjects of In
terest and worthy of careful consid-
Grafton, but care should be taken not
to add elements that may become OBJ
jectionable for some reason or be-
come difficult to regulate and thus
make ineffective an otherwise good
ventilating system.
I believe the ideal way would he to
admit fresh air through many small
openings over the entire ceiling area
at slow velocities, the air being
warmed to 6S or 70 degrees, the vf-
tiated air to be removed through n
like number of small openings at
convenient points in the floor direct
ly below the ceiling inlet openings,
having. say, one 5-inch diameter in
let, placed in the ceiling over each
pupils desk and similar sized out
let below the desk close to the floor.
These inlets and outlets could have
caps somewhat similar to the mush-
room ventilating cap used in highe
class theaters to diffuse the air. At
a velocity of five feet per second
through the caps there would be no
perceptible draughts caused Such q.
system would require both an inlet
and an exhaust fan, which is now
used in most well-ventilated build
ings. With the air passing down
ward in such a manner as described
the air inhaled by the pupils would be
air which would not have come in
contact with the body or clothing of
other pupils. AS soon as this air was
exhaled 1t would pass downward be-
low the head line and would not again
be inhaled, assuming the exhausting
apparatus was in proper working or
der Such a system would necessarily
require changes in construction de-
sign of the building, as there would
have to be a double space between
each floor and ceiling, which would
act as fresh air inlet duct and*a
foul air exhaust duct.
To my mind, the most important
subject along the line of ventilation
is that of ventilating the moving pic
ture and small variety theaters which
we find all over the city--William ].
Baldwin in Engineering Review.
BULB PLANTS.