CONSTRUCTION AND FIRE PROTECTION OF COTTON WAREHOUSES. 61 
BOILER HOUSE. 
If a steam boiler is needed for the operation of a press or other 
purpose the boiler preferably should be in a house or compartment 
entirely detached from the compress and storage compartment. The 
building should be of fire-resistive construction. Slow-burning con- 
struction for the roof, however, is satisfactory provided all exposures 
to other buildings are well protected by parapet walls. If a detached 
boiler house is not feasible, a satisfactory arrangement is to have 
the boiler room entirely cut off from the other portions of the build- 
ing by fire walls, The dividing walls should be solid with all open- 
ings confined to the exterior wall and roof. 
FIRE-PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. 
Fire-protective equipment — frequently spoken of as " fire protec- 
tion " — is of such importance for the cotton warehouse that its con- 
sideration should be given at least equal weight with the type of 
construction to be used. The warehouse owner will do well to con- 
sider very complete fire protection as essential and to provide the 
best equipment he possibly can afford. For many conditions, if 
capital is limited, it is advisable to determine the necessary appro- 
priation for fire protection and then decide on the type of construc- 
tion which can be undertaken. At the same time it should be borne 
in mind that this equipment can be added after the warehouse is 
built, while the building construction can not be changed readily. 
The relative cost at which different features of the equipment 
may be provided depends in a large measure on the location and 
the size of the plant. Certainly no 1 warehouse is so small or isolated 
that it can not be furnished with water barrels and pails, though 
frequently small warehouses can not provide complete fire-protec- 
tive equipment. The automatic sprinkler system and yard hydrants, 
both connected with adequate water supplies, should be provided in 
all cases possible. Any warehouse having a capacity of more than 
1,000 bales of cotton should have either hydrant or sprinkler equip- 
ment, and at least one of these forms of protection should be con- 
sidered absolutely essential. The need for complete fire-protective 
equipment can scarcely be over emphasized where cotton is con- 
cerned. 
Watchman service should be provided in many cases. The value 
of this service varies greatly with the size of plant and character of 
the service, while very small warehouses can not afford the expense. 
WATER BARRELS AND PAILS. 
Barrels filled with water and suitably placed are of tremendous 
value in protecting cotton. That barrels filled with water with fire 
