The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-12-13
WATER ON RADIATOR
WARMER DIETER
Moisture In Air Means More Heat
with Less Coal and Better
Health

Aberdeen News-Medical authorit-
les and heating experts are unanim-
u in emphasizing the importance of
moisture In the air in cutting down
doctor and coal bills" said w. G..
Bickelhaupt, federal fuel adninistra-
tor for South Dakota, today.
Pans of water should be on every
radiator and a boiling teakettle, with
its spouting steam. is like the annie a
day that keeps the doctor away"
says Lewis Edwin Thesis. In an arti-
Gle in q current number OF the Out
look, More heat with less Coal"
Mr.. B~ickelhaupt urges every house
holder in the state to read Mr.. Thesis
article which follows:
TO paraphrase a popular definition
OF life, war is just one form of conser-
walton after another. Hardly had the
clamor and the shouting as to the
conservation OF garden truck died be-
fore we were cautioned to "go easy on
coal We car all help IL we will use
less anthracite and more water In
heating our houses.
The heating of the w~orld-and
with 1t our houses-depends largely
upon the amount of moisture in the
air. That moisture is like a blanket
over a person in bed. The thicker
the blanket, the warmer the sleeper.
A summer temperature of IS degrees
will cause more discomfort on a hu-
mid day than a temperature OF 100 de-
grees on a day Of dry atmosphere.
1T Is not the actual amount of wa
ter present, but the relative amount,
that counts. Since the capacity OF
the air for holding water increases as
the air becomes warmer, 1t Is neces-
sary to add more water to air rs we
heat II. in order to keep the relative
humidity constant.
ESSentldl 10 uehitn
I'm nature we find an average de-
gree of relative humidity: and this av-
erage is essential to health as well
as for warmth. But in building u
houses we have entirely overlooked
this fact. We plan to heat the air in
our homes, but make no provision to
wet il. The resulpis that the warper
our houses grow, the lower becomes
the degree of relative humidity. And
the lower the degree Of relative hui
nudity, the greater the amount of
heat we need to experience the same
degree of warmth. With sufficient
blankets, a sleeper can be ~perfectlv
comfortable in a bedroom with a tenn
p~erature of 40 degrees. Take away
his blankets. and the temperature
would need to be nearer so degrees
before nc feels sufficiently warm.
But waste cs coal IL the least Of
the evils that follow. In normal air we
find perhaps so or 65 per cent Of rela-
tive humidity. But scientific investi-
gators have found that in rouse
heated to ~ degrees the relative hui
midityoften falls to IS or 20 per cent.
This dried-out air Immediately begins
to suck moisture out of everything in
the house. But our bodies suffer most
in the house. Furniture cracks, door
panels shrink, gas tubes grow stiff as
bone. Hut our bodies suffer most OF
all. Our skins become dry and rough
and cold cream is needed to keep
them soft. Our nasal passages. in
stead of remaining moist to catch
dust and germs, as nature intended.
dry out; so we take into our lungs
harmful particles. The shock that
follows the change from indoor air to
normal air often results in illnesses.
Use q Little Camouflage
ITO overcome the effects of our
faulty heating systems we must add
water to the air in our homes, A boil
ing teakeattle, with Its spouting
steam. is like the apple a day that
keeps the doctor away. Kissing steam
radiator cocks are q blessing rather
than a nuisance. Hot-air furnaces
now haze w~ater-pans in them. These
are inadequate. but should always be
used. Pans OF water should be on
every radiator. These need not be
eyesores. Brass bowls or other orna-
mental containers can be used and
camouhaged with real or artificial
flowers. And proper ventilation
which lets In moist air. is a great
help. Many quarts OF water lei be
evaporated into the air daily.
an these days OF war prices It be-
hooves us to . everything we