sweeping and other causes, and which arises in clouds if the valves are closed with suddenness. Architects object to them on the ground that they make another difficulty in the way of fire protection. In a matter of this sort the owner must weigh the pros and cons, and of two evils choose the lesser. The cold-air box of all furnaces should open directly on the fresh air and draw its supply from out of doors. In some old houses the supply is drawn from the cellar; which is all wrong, as the air from the cold pipe is disseminated through the entire house and should be as pure as possible. Take the greatest possible care to have the mouth of the cold-air box away from all piazzas. It frequently happens that it draws its supply from the damp space between the piazza and the ground, where all manner of noxious odors abound. This is not the sort of air to introduce into one's house. A protection from dust is made by introducing into the coldair box a screen of cotton wool held between two leaves of wire netting. It is needless to say that the perfection of heating, as well as ventilation, is reached when rooms can be heated sufficiently by open fires. Unfortunately there are many parts of the world where other heat is needed, but even then there is no reason for banishing a grate fire, which seems a necessity as a heartopener in the library or general sitting room. A cheerful blaze in the diningroom makes of breakfast a delight and of luncheon a feast, while a fire in the bedroom is a thought-producer in the quiet hours. A word about the chimney draughts. If Chimney the propordraughts. tions are wrong between the chimney flue and the size of the fireplace opening, there will be no draught, and an open fire will refuse to burn. Then, unless one abandons an open fire altogether, there is but one alternative, a gas-log. This, by the way, although resting under the ignominy inseparable from all imitations, is in some places a useful and beautiful addition to a room. Careful housekeepers who have had their drawing-rooms decorated in white, with delicately tinted brocades on walls and furniture, find the room cold in appearance, and fearing the smoke and ashes of a real fire, adopt this very cleanly substitute-the gas-log-which, after a few times using, loses its look of fire-clay and asbestos. By using a damper which covers half the flue, just above the fireplace, the heat from an open fire can be thrown into the room, instead of wasting itself up the chimney, after the smoke has burned away. Two or three essentials of a good chimney are that the flues shall be straight, that the opening shall rise from the centre of the fireplace, and that the chimney shall be as high as Walls of Brick, Stone, Clapboards, and Shingles. the highest part of the house. Also, if the proportions are wrong between the size of the flue and the size of the fireplace opening, the draught will be insufficient. The proper proportion is as one to nine, the larger number applying, of course, to the fireplace opening. Smooth walls are to be regarded as important inside the chimney; and, as a preventive against fire, the owner should see that no floor-beams project into the chimney. This culpable mistake has led to numberless fires in carelessly built houses. Walls. Walls of city houses are of common brick, and the law stipulates a certain thickness in proportion to the height. In an ordinary fourstory and basement house, it is required that sixteen inches be allowed for the basement and first two stories, and twelve inches for the rest. Party walls are of the same thickness, but are built half on the owner's property and half on that adjoining, an arrangement whereby a few inches in width is saved. Two sixteen - inch walls taken from a twenty or even twenty-five foot city lot, diminish very perceptibly the width of the interior. The expedient of a party wall is thus an economy in space as well as in expense. All this is, of course, different in the country, where frame houses are the rule. With astonishing quickness the timbers and joists are raised and covered with rough boards, and a victorious evergreen tree expresses the pride and satisfaction of the workmen when the house is topped out. The erection of this tree is a German custom which foreign workmen have introduced here, and is a good-natured appeal to the owner for a keg of beer. VOL. II.-6 81 Beams and joists for all building purposes should be of old stuff where it is possible to obtain it. For the suburban house designed for residence all the year round, every precaution should be taken against weather. The best walls are lined with brick-that is, a brick wall is built up between the outer boards and the laths. Of course, the expense of building is in this way increased, but there is a subsequent saving in fuel and illness. When bricks are not used, a layer of sheathing paper or asbestos paper is placed outside the layer of boards which covers the frame, and over this is nailed the outer covering of clapboards or shingles. To the economical owner a question arises as to which he shall use of these two outer coverings, provided the architecture of his house admits of a choice. Because of their greater imperviousness shingles are the better, but are the more expensive. Some elevations look best with a combination of the two. Houses with a first story of Tiling behind the washstand, built in the walls. Designed by Brunner & stone require that the remainder shall which means merely building out a wall to any desired width by separated strips of wood onto which the lath and plaster are secured. Furring off is done on walls where a great depth is required for folding away inside window - shutters, or for widening a chimney breast, and is one of the subterfuges by which many small mistakes of interior construction may be rectified. As the house progresses, the gas Fig. 8.-Country House Costing $5,000. W. A. Bates, Architect. Staining versus painting is another source of indecision which ultimately Stone and concerns shingles. The stain shingles. is the better for two reasons -the exterior of the house is improved by it and the wood is preserved more effectually. But to make the staining perfect the wood must be dipped; a process which adds to the expense, but, like many another apparent extravagance in house-building, pays in the long run. A word may be apropos about the stone course. It is necessary, for the prevention of dampness, that there be an air-space between the stone wall and the plastering. This is made by "furring off," a term which appalls by its evident technicality, but A high mantel designed by W. A. Bates. BAY LIVING RM. PORCH. First-floor plan. On the second floor are three bedrooms and bath. One bedroom on third floor. pipes are laid and the openings are almost irrevocably located. This matter I would especially recommend to the attention of the owner; Light outlets. otherwise the poor lighting of the house will be either an endless source of dissatisfaction or the means of annoying alterations. When the plans are finished, go through them. carefully, pencil in hand, and imagine yourself walking through a completed. house after dark. This will give a clearer idea than anything else where you wish the lights to be. The expense of piping a house is very slight compared to the expense of introducing Laying Gas-pipes and Locating Outlets. extra pipe later, so it is better to supply it when building where it may never be used, than to tear the walls or ceiling away after the house is occupied. Beginning with the cellar, one appreciates the need for a light near the furnace and one in the wine-cellar or preserve-cellar. If the stairs are remote, a burner near them may save somebody a serious fall. Two gas outlets are usually sufficient in the kitchen-one for a drop in the centre, and one at the side, near the sink. Kitchen pantries, laundry, back stairs, refrigerator, must 83 In the drawing-room or living-room, bear in mind the style of decoration that will probably be used, for if the walls are panelled, the gasbrackets will need to be placed between the panels; or, if there are to be large and valuable paintings on the walls, the lights Design for side-lights by Brunner & Tryon, Architects. must be arranged to illuminate them. In the billiard-room, if there be such, it is, of course, imperative that the light come from above. Bedroom lights are best arranged for brackets, except a toilet - drop directly over the place where the bureau or dressing-table or cheval-glass will stand. A bracket on either side of the bureau is a necessity. In all rooms where there is a probability of a gas-log in the Dining-room mantel, with china closet above. John J. Petit, Architect. fireplace, pipes must, of course, not be forgotten. If the butler's pantry is not on the floor with the kitchen it will be found convenient to supply it with a zinc-lined cupboard to be heated with gas or furnace heat and used for warming plates and keeping dishes hot. Chandeliers and drop-lights for gas have almost gone out of fashion, so that side-lights must be supplied in abundance in all rooms; but as the fashion may some day be revived, it is advisable to pipe with that end in view, making an outlet either in the centre of the ceiling or one toward each corner of the room for lantern effects. There is still a strong prejudice in favor of a large dome-light over the dining-table, as being more practicable for family use than a daily supply of fresh waxcandles. have an outlet in the hearth. The height of the gas outlets from the floor must be stipulated. There is a tradition among workmen that an opening must be an unvarying number of feet from the ceiling, prob Bedroom mantel. The rough bricks covered with cement and painted. John J. Petit, Architect, ably to avoid smoking it, but with an utter lack of thought they make no allowance for the extra height of some rooms, and as a consequence the brackets are almost out of reach, and lighting becomes a gymnastic feat for short people. Those who have used electricity for lighting will never relinquish it for gas unless compelled to do so. The current is obtainable in all towns of any size, so it is advisable to prepare for its use in building. Formerly wires could be run anywhere without hinderance, but the fluid, about the composition of which science knows so little, menaces us with danger, and now boards of electrical control and fire underwriters have made it unlawful to wire city houses unless the wires are inserted in tubes of insulating composition. These run side by side with the gas-pipes and seek the same outlets. It is never desirable to omit gas-pipes when electricity is to be used, as there are times when the current fails and places where gas is the more economical light. If electric wires are in the house there is almost no limit to the use which may be made of the current for purposes other than lighting. WB Built at the foot of the stairs (Brunner & Tryon). After all the wiring is completed and fixtures adjusted, the work is examined and tested by the electric company before lamps are supplied or the current turned on from the street. There is a limit to the number of lights on each wire, regulated by the size of the wire. Junction boxes are a necessary part of electric lighting, and when not concealed make an unsightly excrescence on the walls. The most satisfactory way of disposing of them is to hide them behind a hinged panel of the wood-trim or wainscoting. The unobjectionable button or key for lighting may be put in any inconspicuous place. No feature of modern building shows more improvement than hall and stairs. The treatment is now generous where formerly it was cramped and Stairs. undignified. City and country houses alike show this change, and the stair has been converted from an apologetic necessity into an honored and graceful accessory. Light, width, frequent landings, and an easy height to each step are desiderata. If the stairs wind in angles, the opportunity for a landing is given at each turn. This momentary rest from climbing is of great importance in city houses where the flights are long and many. A long, straight stair is sometimes a necessity, but the length can be conveniently divided by a landing half-way up and a place for a seat made by extending the landing across the lower hall, like a balcony or bridge. Treated with cushions, a lantern, and a curtained mirror against the wall, an ornamental effect is gained, as well as a resting place for tired limbs. Stair-building cannot be too well done, from the setting of the stringpiece to the finish of the hand-rail. Who has not known the trembling uncertainty of mounting yielding steps which have an appreciable slant tow |