In  the  next  place,  a  basement  whose  floor
line  is  3  or  4  feet  below  the  level  of  the  ground
ought  to  have  as  few  solid  inner  cross  walls  as
safety  of  construction  and  due  privacy  or  isolation
of  the  various  conveniences  will  permit.  Many
times  piers  and  beams  or  arches  may  take  the


place  of  solid  supporting  cross  walls,  thereby  giv-
ing opportunity  for  better  lighting,  better  venti-
lation, and  better  general  sanitation.  A  base-
ment chopped  up  into  dark  and  almost  inaccessi-
ble rooms  is  likely  to  be  not  only  insanitary,  but
very  unhandy  and  inconvenient.  It  is  essen-
tial that  basements  receive  abundance  of  light
and  from  any  and  every  quarter  possible,  and
they  need  as  much  direct  sunshine  as  can  be
admitted.  The  question  of  the  location  and
size  of  basement  windows  is  a  matter  of  great
importance  both  for  the  sake  of  strength  and
sanitation.  The  usual  danger  comes  from
making  the  windows  too  small,  and  thus  by
reason  of  the  interference  of  thick  walls  only  a
limited  amount  of  direct  sunshine  can  enter.
