OIL-STORAGE HOUSES.

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or in an adjoining room, the partition wall being either perforated or else cut away backof the stove, and the opening closed with wire netting or iron bars. Where the stock islarge, and the danger and loss to neighboring structures in case of a fire would be consider-able, steam-heat should be introduced, the steam being supplied from a special boiler, locatedin an annex to the building, or in a separate building, or supplied from stationary boilers inuse in the vicinity. Where the oil is dumped from a second floor, it is customary to havesteam-coils on that side of the room along which the barrels are placed before being emptied,while barrels not to be used immediately are kept on the cool side of the room. Steam-coilsarranged along the walls back of the supply-tanks serve to heat the contents of the latter.As different oils require varying degrees of heat, it is best to put steam-coils mainly back ofthe tanks with the heavy oils, the general temperature of the room or a smaller number ofcoils sufficing to keep the lighter oils at the proper temperature.

The following general remarks apply to all classes of oil-houses. It is essential to keep themain stock, so far as possible, isolated from the room where the men enter to draw supplies.The most scrupulous cleanliness is requisite to reduce the danger from fire, and the fire serviceprovisions should be the best obtainable. No open lights should be allowed in the building ;the lighting should be done by electricity, if feasible, or by lamps with reflectors, arranged inrecesses in the outside wall, the recess being closed on the inside of the house with a fixedglass panel and on the outside with a small door. A fireproof construction of the building isdesirable at all important locations.

The following descriptions of oil-storage houses in actual use will be of value in connec-tion with the above general remarks on the subject.

Fig. 189 —Cross-section.

Frame Oil and Waste Storage Shed at Perth Amboy , N. /., Lehigh Valley Railroad. —In connectionwith a large oil-mixing plant at Perth Amboy , N. J. , theLehigh Valley Railroad has a frame oil and waste storageshed, shown in Fig. 189, which can serve as an illustration ofa cheap storage shed.

The building is a one-story frame structure, 100 ft. X 38ft., divided into two rooms, the one for storage of oils inbarrels, and the other for storage of waste in bales. A loadingplatform runs along a track on one side of the house. Thefloor consists of 2-in. plank on mud-sills. The building issheathed and roofed with corrugated galvanized iron. The roof-trusses are spaced 10 ft. centres.The height from floor to truss is 12 ft. in clear.

The principal timbers used are as follows : sills, 6 in. X 8 in., on blocking ; posts, 6 in. X 8 in. ;plates, 6 in. X 8 in. ; tie-beams, two pieces, 3 in. X 10 in. ; principal rafters, two pieces, 3 in. X 10in. ; truss-braces, 2 in. X 10 in. and 2 in. X 8 in. ; purlins, 3 in. X 6 in. ; roof-sheathing, i-in.rough boards ; corbels, 6 in. X 8 in. ; knee-braces, 6 in. X 6 in.; studding, 2 in. X 4 in.

Brick Oil-house at Perth Amboy , JV. J., Lehigh Valley Railroad. —The brick oil-house of theLehigh Valley Railroad at Perth Amboy , N. J. , shown in Figs. 190 and 191, is a small building with anarched brick roof covered with slate, forming a vault, as it were, in which oil is stored. Ihe buildingis 20 ft. wide outside, 17 ft. 6 in. long, and 16 ft. 3 in. high from the ground to the eaves. The sidewalls and arch forming the roof are 21 in. thick. The building has two stories, the lower one being9 ft. high, and the upper one 8 ft. 6 in. high at the soffit of the arch. The upper floor is carried bythree 10-in. I-beams, supported at the centre by one 10-in. I-beam. The lower story has space forseven oil-tanks, each 4 ft. in diameter and 6 ft. high, set on brick benches. There is a cast-iron boxin the upper floor over each tank with a screen and pipe leading to the tank underneath. Cast-iron