New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-11
CONGRLSSIONAL BATHROOMS.
CLEANLINESS. LUXURY AND INSPECTION FOR TIE
NATIoN's LAWMAKERS.

From TIE Wsstingion star.
The hath accommodation, OF the House are a xury
that brings To NINA Of back constituents
fairy visions OF Oriental grandeur Away down IN the
dn or the rifol down sun vet be- o tie In eInrut
the marble tanks Of tempered water into hich the
members PLUNGE are located when the elevator bumps
"ns the bottom and can ~ down no furt cr There nro
three steps with brass vail Zach side and then you
ARE IN little square room almost rs warm ~ Steam
LnLcrv door leads into a short ras sagc between mo
heavy foundations Here the all Il warmer than in tho
room. suddenly II turns az right angles into another
shnri passage where tho Thermometer registers sin
higher Another turn ard another thermouctIic jump.
and the bathrooms. The plural applies 10 the
big walnut cabinets with blind doors hch stand In
along the wall There nine OF these and in each
Is large tank batntub which can III te with hot
or cold or cpid water ~ very few minutes These are
an In IA narrow " l. shaped room, which is prcStlel
over 10y big colorcd man and his assistant. The cab
incts or baths are about the Sile or AN ordinary Motel
bed room and the tubs are big enough for the largest
sized statesman to walow abou IN with ease and com
fort. Tom Reed. and Barnes oi Georgia test their
capacity than any other meInhcra. hut they even
eau roll ant noun"er about IN onr OF the marble
tanks with hs much ease s they conid perform the same
eNUlutons anywhere
the made OF marble and each looks like
great sarcophagus. Three ordinary men might get IN
one OF them without much crowdng The marble sides
slippery Is gaSs ANA AS warm a. the ilcsh HAT
touches them. Thermometers hung In each bath aud
tho walls in the passage. The temperature is kept
always the sane. and II member m.snt promenade Ior
three hours III noting uut nis 'Eierls M'honi HaEer
tight undersllrt on the occasion oil ms famous oath
while the vote the Morrison hill being taken.
tThe temperature Is just az point where c loast eN
eriiou would bring on proiuse perspration AMI but
nitle whbmg IN tho bath Is sdiicient 10 bring rddy
!
regions the hair curling about their tenn les and
their cheeks rs pink as a babSs
Som, Of tho older menbers take bath the last step
In their preparation for making speech They write
the speech commit It TO memory, take bath and then
deliver H. If "a member has the rAcuulatisIr "A cold,
for any other feels the necessity of being
boiled there Is kussinn steam bath at the end Of the
hath room 10 which he resorts 1t is little close
furnished with wooden beach and ooi Of steam pipes
That cover the walls Of the compartment When the
door shuts there can't mnch heat get ont, and the
momctcr naturally mp into the hig combinations 4
lies the BENCH tie door shut and the
il lie - then In about lot place he is
hk"ly Ia ia mis- HE. lilo enough OF this
litto whilr aud he has 70 be unOed OH gradually by
being PLUNGED frat into a tub or hot wafer into
cooler water. then cooler ana cooler, unt he gets back
10 the lcraturc OF ordinary mOras II takes about
an hour or an hour and hairs cooling before he
lures Dut into the colder atmosphere % tie House; aud
II Is best for him to walk rapidly on his way home
Members Of Congress can bathe here any day, pro-
vided not more than hundred select the same day hut
on Saturday mono but members can enter. ON OF her
days employees VI the House, or men who have been