20 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



which are equally useful for the house and porch as well as 

 for the camp. 



Shortly after the Spanish-American War, many of the 

 articles manufactured by the Gold Medal Camp Furniture 

 Manufacturing Company were adopted as standards in the 

 United States army and navy; namely, their cot, one of 



CAMP blOOL. 



their chairs, one of their stools, and their mosquito bar 

 frames and nettings, and even their portable bath tub is 

 the standard of the United States Medical Department of 

 the army. 



This firm sells its product entirely, where possible, 

 through dealers and jobbers in this line, and the demand 

 for their goods is continually increasing. 



Their catalogue is free to all who may request it. 



CONCRETE CELLAR STEPS AND HATCHWAY. 



old cellars are very similar. With an allowance for a 

 three-foot landing at the bottom of the stairs, excavate the' 

 opening to the width of steps desired plus one foot. This 

 extra width is for a six-inch thickness of concVete wall on 

 each side. The steps themselves have a rise of six and a 

 tread of nine inches. Beneath the steps proper is a four- 

 inch thickness of concrete. Therefore provide for this 

 thickness in sloping the ground upward from the landing 

 to the top of the stairs. Extend the trenches for the side 



and end walls one foot below the concrete of the steps. 

 As forms choose two 1 by 12-inch boards and notch them 

 as though they -were to be used as "horses" to support 

 wooden steps of the same dimensions as those of concrete. 

 Place the notched edges down with the ends fixed at the 

 top and bottom of the stairs. To mold the rise of the con- 

 crete steps, use 1 by 6-inch boards 3 feet 10 inches long, 

 which are secured to the forms by means of nails and 

 wooden cleats. 



With the forms firmly fixed in position, fill the mold 

 for the bottom step, and the space back of it, with con- 

 crete proportioned 1 bag of Portland cement to 2 cubic 

 feet of sand to 4 cubic feet of crushed rock. If ban'i 

 gravel is used, mix the concrete 1 part cement to 4 parts 

 gravel. Bring the concrete in each step to the top of the 

 riser and finish the surface with merely a wooden float. 

 Continue the work upward until all the steps are finished. 

 At the top of the stairs tie the apron foundation to the 

 side walls by means of old iron rods imbedded in the 

 concrete and extending around the corners. This will 

 prevent possible heaving and cracking by frost. 



The side forms of the six inch walls are then erected 

 and are thoroughly cross-braced against each other. Fo. - 

 these forms use 1-inch siding on 2 by 4-inch studding 

 spaced two feet apart. The walls can be carried to any 

 height desired so as to give the cellar doors sufficient slope 

 for shedding rain-water. Above ground line, outside forms 

 must be provided. Fill the walls with concrete mushy wet. 

 Before the concrete sets, bolts are placed (heads down 

 and washered) in the top of the side walls for holding the 

 wooden sills to which the cellar doors are hinged. After 

 two or four days the forms can be removed. Connect up 

 the drain in the landing and lay the landing floor. 



The eight cellar steps of the hatchway shown in the 



Construction of Permanent Steps and Watertight Walls. == ^ 



A damp cellar under a dwelling is frequently the un- 

 suspected cause of many a case of sickness. Often this 

 dampness is the fault of a poorly built entrance-way. If 

 water gains access by means of leaky hatchway walls, the 

 cellar becomes unsanitary and the health of the entire 

 family is endangered. This peril can be dispelled by mak- 

 ing the walls and steps of concrete. 



The methods of building hatchways for either new or 



plan have a tread of nine inches, a rise of six inches and a 

 length of four feet. The clear height of the door-way m 

 the cellar wall is six feet six inches. The landing at the 

 foot of the steps is three by four feet and has a four- 

 inch concrete floor. This same thickness of concrete lies 

 under the steps proper. The side walls were built as de- 

 scribed above. For this improvement there were required 

 the following materials: 



Bill of Materials 



Crushed Rock 2J/2 cubic yards 



Sand 1J4 cubic yards 



Portland Cement 12 bags 



For improving old cellar hatchways it is frequently 

 necessary to fill with earth and gravel so as to provide 

 the earthen slope for the concrete steps. Such filling must 

 be thoroughly tamped into place and should be water- 

 soaked and allowed to settle before the steps are built. 



Concrete steps, unlike other kinds, become stronger 

 with age. They are perfectly safe under the heaviest of 

 loads. Moreover, besides being water-tight, they keep 

 out rats, mice and other obnoxious vermin. 



