The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-04-21
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS RELATIVE
TO BUILDING AIR RAID SHELTER

Z OCii ClOQQDQISlS.
/ AT the two ends of the trench.
the tops of the four uprights
should be anchored back by
/ means of wire lashings to the
anchor posts
8. If the number of persons to
be accommodated exceeds 6, an
extra length of l it. 6 in. per
! person should be added to the
10-foot length of the shelter
Similarly if the number is less
than 6, the length of the shelter
can be reduced by / #. 6 in. for
every person less than six.
9. The length of the shelter
shown in this design is the mini
mum required to accommodate
six persons when sitting close
together. With the gas curtain
and trap closed, the air in the
trench may become oppressive
after some time, and it may be
necessary to open the entrance
and admit air, after the occu-
pants have put on their respira-
tors. If the trench is extended
to provide length of 2 #. 6 in.
per person in the shelter, the six
occupants should be able to re-
main therein, with the gas cur
tain and trap closed, for a period
of three hours.
10. 1t is important to provide
drains to prevent surface water
from running into the trench,
and. as mentioned earlier, and
shown on the plans, dam
should be constructed entirely
around the entrance trap door
ii. If, when digging the
trench, water is found before
the depth of 6 feet is reached
work should be stopped above
the water level and the extra
height required should be OBJ
tanned by banking UP earth above
ground level. The earth NAV
be retained in a steep mound
by revetting the sides of the
mound with sand bags. logs of
wood, bundles of brush, turf sods
This mound should go entirely
around the entrance to protect
the occupants Of the shelter from
flying bomb splinters, etc.
IL. In some loose soils it NAV
be found that the sides of the
trench begin to fall in before
the full depth is reached, and in
this case it will be necessary to
use some. of the revetting mate
rial as temporary supports to the
sides. while the full depth is be-
ing dug.
IS. The design of the shelter
is SO simple that it should be
possible for most persons to con-
/ struct it themselves, and it will
probably be feasible for home
owner to use old materials he has
around his place as substitutes
ior the materials specified here
in.
II new materials have to be
bought, the average cost of the
materials alone Excluding la
bor) will be about thirty dollars
($3O provided no sand bags are
required for revetting mound
above ground level. If the ground
has to be built entirely above
ground level the cost of sand
bags for revetment will increase
the cost of materials to about
ninety dollars $500, but as men
toned in a previous paragraph
other and cheaper materials NAV
be used for this revetment
/ IA. If circumstances do not al
low OF the trench being COM
pleted as shown in the plans. il
can be brough. into use as a
means of refuge from blast, splin-
tiers and weather, if dug to a
/ depth of say 4 #. 6 in. Walls
! can be built on the ground at
the sides of the trench about Is
inches high and corrugated iron
sheets laid on the walls as shown
in the sketch of a temporary
shelter. A few inches of earth
can be spread over the CORFU
place.
The shelter thus made is, OF
course, not gas-proof, and, if
after a period, the sides show
signs of falling in. some sort Of
lining will have to be provided.