Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19
SOME CAPITOL MAGICIANS.
How They Light the Big Building and
supply it With Water.


TRIUMPHs OF sCrRNcE-MARvKLoUs MACHINERY
AND MECHANICAL ''sPIEs"-cooL DRINKS FOB
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ILLUMINATION
-sHocKs-A srLt-ADJUsTISa METAL ROOF.
n explanation of the methods Of sup
MV plying the vast Capitol building with
XS water and Of lighting the gas jets in
H. simultaneously by electricity will no
"MWNdoubt be of interest not only to stu
dents of science but to q large portion Of the
general public as we'll
The Potomac river il the source OF the water
supply, which is introduced into the crypt or
basement of the building from the city mains
through six-inch pipe. In the crypt adjacent
to the splendid nest Of boilers and highly pol
! ished steam engines is located park of pumps
which force the water from the receiving main
to series of iron tanks in the roof room or
loft Immediately over the hall Of the House.
These tanks are four in number and in appear
ance resemble immense steam engine boilers
and have combined capacity OF sixteen thou
sand gallons. These pumps are of the finest
make and are perfect specimens Of hydraulic
machinery, and the noiseless throbbing of their
piston rods as they are at work throwing great
volumes OF water up through the pipes hid den
in the walls to the great reservoirs on top of
the building seems to be the perfection Of
mechanism. Suppose, now, the tanks are full
OF water and by series Of pipes 1t il being con-
veyed from these reservoirs to all parts of the
binding. MIR. Lannan, the intelligent chief
engineer OF the House wing. who has also
charge of furnishing air to the hall, as ex-
planned III an article in The STAR Of June IA,
has great confidence in his engines and pumps,
but as he has 80 many things to look after he
has availed himself of a series Of
MECHANICAL SPIES
that will observe The conduct of the machinery
and make automatic record of every false
stroke of the pistons of pumps and engines.
In his Office in the crypt there is a gauge that
shows the pressure of the Potomac supply; ad-
joining it hangs a gauge that tells the height
OF the water in the roof tanks. When the
water-gauge dial shows thirty pounds pressure
the tanks are full Of water. If the supply
OF water down the pipes through the building
should not be required then the tanks will
necessarily overflow, for the pumps are al
ways At work. In such an emergency the en-
gineer has an escape pipe leading from the
upper rim OF the tanks through which the
overflow of water passes down through the
walls to his Office in the crypt, where. by means
OF the pressure Of the escaping current, a lit
tie whistle is blown to give notice that some-
thing is wrong. At the same time that this
little whistle Is sounding the alarm damper
regulator in the Office operated by the pres
sure on the water gauge, throws up its nickel
BY these little ''spies" there seems to be an in
felligent understanding between the engine,
tue pumps, the tanks and the engineer, for if
either goes wrong one of these half intelligent
gauges will tell about it.
HOW WATER Is COOLED FOR DRINKING.
The aqueous supply above mentioned il SIM
ply Potomac water Of the ordinary temperature
for toilet and general cleaning purposes about
the binding: Any one passing through the
main AID gallery halls will observe recesses in
the walls lnclCsed by iron plate doors, where
the supply for the fountains is located. But
the honorable Senators and Representatives
need a cool beverage, and the architect has
supplied this want by most ingenious method.
In the crypt near the room of the aspirating
air fan Is wooden box by s by 4 feet, ON the
bottom of which is placed battery or series
OF inch iron pipes similar to a steam register.
The box Is filled every day with several hum
dreds Of pounds Of ice. The pipes referred to
lead from the tanks located above the main
hall, and the water passing through this battery
or nest Of pipes IN the box in contact with the
Ice becomes perfectly cooled. The pressure
from the tanks forces the cooled water back to
every part of the building, and from the silver
faucets inserted into marble slabs in the walls
members OF Congress and Capitol visitors draw
cool water to quench their thirst.
GAS JETS INsTANTANEoUsLY LIGHTED By ELKC-
TRICITY.
Sometimes there are night sessions Of Con-
gress. Then it is necessary for the engineer to
enighten that body, as we'll as cool it, and
through the aid of the intelligent electrician
he does SO. In the Easements or crypts Of both
the House and Senate wings of the Capitol
there are batteries and dynamos Of the latest
improved patterns. These dynamos and batter
les are used for lighting the gas jets over both
the Senate and House, and Ill furnishing the
electrical lights in the two restaurants, az we'll
as supplying the electric fluid for the "shock-
ing" room for the members In the following