Fig. 8.—Pail privy
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Fig. 9.—A well-ventilated privy in Montana
A privy ventilated in the manner before described is shown in [Figure 9]. The cowl, however, is open on four sides instead of two sides as shown in Figures [7] and [8]. The working drawings (figs. [7] and [8]) show that the construction of a privy of the kind is not difficult. [Figure 10] gives three suggestions whereby a privy may be conveniently located and the approach screened or partially hidden by latticework, vines, or shrubbery.
Vault type.—A primitive and yet serviceable three-seat dry-earth privy of the vault type is shown in [Figure 11]. This privy was constructed in 1817 upon a farm at Westboro, Mass. The vault, made of bricks, was 6 feet long by 5 feet wide, and the bottom was 1 foot below the surface of the ground. The brickwork was laid in mortar, and the part below the ground surface was plastered on the inside. The outside of the vault was exposed to light and air on all four sides. Across the long side of the vault in the rear was a door swinging upward through which the night soil was removed two or three times a year, usually in the spring, summer, and fall and hauled to a near-by field, where it was deposited in a furrow, just ahead of the plow.
Especial attention is called to the shallowness of the vault and the lightened labor of cleaning it out. The swinging door at the rear facilitated the sprinkling of dry soil or ashes over the contents of the vault, thus avoiding the necessity of carrying dirt and dust into the building and dust settling upon the seat. This privy was in use for nearly 100 years without renewal or repairs. When last seen the original seat, which always was kept painted, showed no signs of decay. Modern methods would call for a concrete vault of guaranteed water-tightness,[3] proper ventilation and screening, and hinging the seat.
[3] Directions for mixing and placing concrete to secure water-tightness are contained in Farmers' Bulletin 1279-F, "Plain concrete for farm use," and Farmers' Bulletin 1572-F, "Making Cellars Dry."
Working drawings for a very convenient well-built two-seat vault privy are reproduced in Figures [12] and [13]. The essential features are shown in sufficient detail to require little explanation. With concrete mixtures of 1:2:3 (1 volume cement, 2 volumes sand, 3 volumes stone) for the vault and 1:2:4 for the posts there will be required a total of about 2 cubic yards of concrete, taking 3½ barrels of cement, 1 cubic yard of sand, and 1½ cubic yards of broken stone or screened gravel. The stone or gravel should not exceed 1 inch in diameter, except that a few cobblestones may be embedded where the vault wall is thickest, thus effecting a slight saving of materials.