escaped, and this was a lesson learned for the future. The skylight is barred, to keep out evil-disposed intruders, and a tick blind can be pulled down to subdue the light when required. There is no special object in making the roof fireproof, since the side walls are high. The entrance doors consist of a pair, practically the whole width of the house. Collinge's hinges are used, being, I think, the strongest.
The floor is made of Victoria stone laid on brick sleeper walls, which are not built upon the ground, but upon a six-inch bed of concrete covering the whole of the bare ground. Consequently the floor can be kept perfectly dry. The walls are all double nine-inch brickwork, built in cement, with two inches of air-space between; so that, however wet the weather may be, the interior wall is never damp; and they are carried above gutter level so that any fire may not extend. The bricks employed for the interior and exterior are neatly pointed close-grained white brick having a texture the nature of porcelain, and water-proof. For the interior, cemented walls would have answered the purpose, but the pointed brickwork looks better. The roof is boarded, felted and slated, while below the rafters is a lining of matchboard. By this means the roof is as damp-proof as the walls and floor. This method of building is best adapted to keep out variations of heat and cold, since stationary air is an excellent non-conductor. The only escape for heat is through the skylight, but in very cold weather it is only necessary to pull the blind down, and an equal temperature can be maintained.
In the centre of the floor, and extending almost the whole length of the house, is the pit, which is about eight feet deep. This is made excessive in depth for a reason which will be given in due course. The width of the pit is somewhat narrower than the distance between any of the motor-car wheels. The mouth of this pit is a strong timber frame, the wood being four by three inches, and rabbetted the whole length of the two inner sides. Boards two inches thick and two feet wide drop in the rabbetts, each board having sunk
