Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/705

 1869.] Descriptions. 5G5 move a larger amount of air, at a much less cost, and in a more gentle, uni- form manner, causing less unpleasant draughts. There can be no doubt of the possi- bility of adjusting the velocity of the fan, and so distributing the inlets and out- lets of the moving air, and proportion- ing the sizes of such openings, that, by skilful management, almost any effect desired could be produced. But, as the traveler on the road, ask- ing if the direction he was going would take him to Boston, received for answer, " Yes ;" but, on inquiring the distance to that town, was told that "it was a little more than twentj r -three thousand miles in that direction ; but, if he would just turn around, and go the other way, it would be about ten miles" — so, while there is no doubt of the possibility of moving the air in any direction, or with any velocity, we please, by fans and steam-engines and skilful engineers, yet, if there is a shorter and easier way of accomplishing the same object, let us turn around and go that way. We should understand, in the begin- ning, that all artificial warming and ventilation is, we might almost say, a great nuisance. It is certainly much trouble to supply an abundance of fresh air, properly warmed in cold weather, and so distributed, as to create no un- pleasant draughts in any part of the building; and, as to change its tempera- ture materially, detracts from its fresh- ness and purity, it must necessarily be inferior to the natural condition of the external atmosphere. But, until we get to migrating, as the birds do, in spring and autumn, so as to keep in a warm climate, we shall have to continue sup- plying ourselves with artificial heat, no matter at what cost of money and care ; and it is almost time for us to commence making an attempt at supplying our- selves with partially pure air. We should take the natural conditions of the atmosphere for our guide, as far as possible. Man is an artificial animal, in many aspects. He can thwart, or reverse, some of the minor laws of his creation, but frequently pays heavy penalties therefor. To be sure, in all our buildings, the warming of them and their ventilation are almost entirely artificial ; but we should endeavor to imitate, as nearly as may be, the action of the great source of heat and motion, the Sun ;. and the nearer we can imitate, and follow, the natural movement of the air, the nearer we will come to perfection. By refer- ence to the accompanying plans, it will be seen, that all the heating, both by direct radiation and air currents, is placed around the exterior walls, at and below the floors ; because : In the first place, we want the greatest amount of heat, where the greatest amount of cold is, so that they will neutralize each other, and produce an uniform tempera- ture over the whole room : Secondly, the inlets of the fresh air are on the exterior, and the outlets for the foul are mostty towards the interior, because the Central Hall in this, as in all other cases, is the great natural ventilating shaft. Although it is very necessary to have other ventilating shafts, that can be definitely controlled, for special and specific purposes, yet, in a large public building, with the doors opening and closing continually, it is impossible to prevent a great central shaft, of that immense height, from becoming a grand ventilator; and, when all other arrange- ments are made in accordance with this fact, it is very desirable that it should be so. Now, if the arrangements for heating were placed in the interior, and near the hall doors, as is usually done, then, the moment those doors were opened, the heat would rush out there ; and the cold air would suck in, at the opposite win- dows, sweeping across the whole room to the hall, chilling every one, in its passage, and causing universal dissatis- faction and complaint. But, if the floors and exterior walls