Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-02-13


the outside air, and being also under the
influence of the breeze, 1t rises approx
mately in a parabolc curve; until, at the
greatest height attained, equilibrium of
temperatures is restored And now, re-
tanning one uniform level. it drifts slow
ly northward as far as the eye can reach.
sad farther. A dark satanic incubus. re-
cumbent in the midday air. creeping.
crawling like a long unfoided snake upon
the ground, defilng heaven and earth
alike and striking wakeful venom into
alf around.
''Viewed from the south, this relic OF
serpent worship takes the form of an
arch. whose span is equal to the width
of the city, and its height of our para
bolic curve.
Anywhere within this tunnel of smoke
what is the use of talking about old
fashioned local ventilation? All we can
do is to cause current of bad air TO
move round and round in a circle, becom-
ing worse every time round and throwing
dust in peoples eyes all the while. Dust
is at once the cause and consequence OF
death; fresh air, the breath and spirit OF
life.
| Vast armies of microbes float about
in the air; their sphere of influence lies
about five feet above the ground, or Just
on a level with our breathing apparatus
+ The worst possible arrangement for u.s.
but providing a happy hunting ground
I for these savage marauders. Every
j breath we draw is loaded with them;
every breath we exhale is almost entirely
free from them. What becomes of them?
t Where do they lodge? l am surprised
that every one of Us is not forced to car
ry corkscrew, 50 that every five min
utes we may pull from our throats
massive wedge of ordure and amalgamat-
ed microbes. We may expect to see
every peecant Peter Piper pick out and
kexpectorate a peck of picked Shiny dirt
every hour of his short, unnatural life
l coughed in Piperian and apologize
fashion.
I'm ordinary fresh air. went on Mr..
Horsfall, there is always present about
.04 per cent. of carbon dioxide; but after
1t has been breathed into the lungs the
percentage is raised more than hum
dred times. This deadly gas is Il times
heavier than air; if left to itself it would
fall at once to the ground and flew away
into the drains. But unfortunately, py
the act of breathing it's temperature Is
raised about 20 degrees: 1t therefore be-
comes lighter. mixes with the surround
ing air, and adds its weight and infiu-
ence to the necessity for ventilation. NO
one ever dreams of venttlating the
streets The very place most thickly
charged with smoke and dust, worse
than fumes from some internal volcano
and heavy laden with dried expectora-
tions, full of disease ana death.
Gould we but pierce the pure air of
heaven then from that long-hidden
source of mercy, full of balmy, healing
odors. we might hopefully induce pure.
sweet air to flow and flood our ebbing
tide of life.
Now let us make a scientific use of
our imagination. We will suppose a
sheet of plate glass 100 yards long and
100 yards high. standing upright upon
one of it's edges in the very center of
Hume. Three other sheets of like size
stand corner to corner, edge to edge,
about the first one, forming a box, open
at the top, that holds exactly 100000 cu-
bic yards of air our scheme is made OF
glass SO that everyone can see through
it. and the box is used to prevent con-
D
we succeed in purifying its contents.
Our box Is supposed to be high enough
to project into the pure air above the
fog bank. And now we will draw upon
our Imagination for few more facts.
Smoke must no longer go out through
hole in the roof to pollute the sacred air.
No, it must short-circuit into the drains,
the only place fit for it. Our little game
now is TO remove that boxful of bad air
Every cubic yard we take away from the
bottom of it is instantly replaced above
by the same quantity drawn from the
purest font available. This must be So
for Nature abhors vacuum, especially
when she has 10000 square yards of space
to conjure with.
VERY we'll, then, We start our fan
The worst air is in the cellars, and with
/ in few yards of the flags. Soon great
t Improvement is perceived. Men in motor
cars, men with brooms, and rapidly-re-
volving dust scatterers strive in vain TO
raise a sinking cloud. But now, coereed
by the suction created by the fan, the
smell. fumes and the dust, drawn down
the many wayside grids, must gradually
disappear and leave not reed behind.
Street ventilation points the way. Do
you see the point? Cellar grids ana
street grids fall direct into the drains.
The outlet for the sewage is so arranged
that no air can be drawn inward at that
point Those ingeniously useless death
traps, those ambrosial little gooseneck
cesspools and the nasty nectar they con-
tain are no longer needed, breathing out
contagion not only on the midnight air,
but all the year round. But, when they
come to be scraped out and their con-
tents spread out upon the street, ha!
NO rushing mighty wind at loo miles
an hour required, but just gentle
zephyr-three feet a second-aimost' II
not quite, imperceptible, easily tempered
to suit different cases, especially all SICK
persons and young children. The supply
of air for the fires can be regulated oy
dampers-this refers also to that re-
ouired for ventilation. In the latter case
the damper will be placed at the lowest
point in the house-the cellar-and SO
constructed that it cannot be entlreiy
closed So that whether occupied OF
empty the house or workshop will always