The Press., 1890-05-22
CONGRESSIONAL LUNGS.

CONGRESSIONAL LUNGS.
 The lung power of congress counts for something in legislation. Uncle Sam spends deal of money to keep the organs of respiration in order for his statesmen. But even with an artificial breathing ap- paratus it is not always easy to satisfy the men who make up congress. The air IS pumped into their lungs too fast or too slow; they are given too much or too lit- tie it is too hot or too cold-there is al- ways something to complain of, while or dinary mortals are content to do their own breathing.
 The two mighty lungs of congress are situated down in the lowest bowels of the capitol. They are run by steam, and draw air through towers 50 feet high, through a duct two or three hundred yards away. The snows of winter, the autumn leaves, the balmy air of spring, and the sultry summer air, are breathed through these mighty pair of lungs with the changing seasons. The first swallow, who does not make spring, is sucked into the great fun nel if he flies too near to its top, and he might suddenly find himself blown into the halls of congress if there were not screens to check his course. Many chim- ney swallows, selecting this high tower as a suitable place to build their nests, have circled around in the opening, and been drawn to their death. Sparrows, black birds, robins, larks have been breathed in- to the capitol, though they have never gone so far as to be pumped into the lungs of the statesmen. .
 Only air, pure air, heated, moisteued, and prepared for breathing purposes, is forced into their lungs. Two or three men in the engine rooms on either side of the capitol watch the temperature and respira- tion of congress. The aim is to give every man in the hall, and the men, women and children in the galleries, each AT cubic keep their temperature uniformly at Fl. Usually about 3S, 200 cubic feet of air are pumped into the house of representatives each minute. The air comes in through clean, whitewashed duct, is run over lit- tie pool of fresh water, and in cold wealth CT is run through coils of steam pipes to give it the proper temperature. An entire fresh supply of air is put through the house every seven minutes ordinarily, and sometimes it is all changed in four min ! utes. | An incubator does not have to be watch ed with greater care than has to be bestow- ed upon the house by the pure air man. At his right hand is an electric thermom- eter, which conveys to him in the under ground depths correct record of the tenn left is gauge, which tells him how much fresh air the statesmen have to breathe, and near him is an automatic damper which turns off the heat when it gets too great.
 It is not an easy thing to get the air in the house to suit every one. Some of the hot-blooded men want very low tempera- ture and constant draught blowing about their ankles. Others will sit in toasting heat with their coat collars turned up, and will complain of a breath of air coming through the ventilators. It is found by averaging all complaints that tempera- ture of Il degrees, with 38, 200 cubic feet of air minute, is most satisfactory.
 Speaker Reed is one of the hottest blood ed, as he is one of the coolest headed, men in the house. Carlisle, on the other hand, is always cold. When the Kentuckian was speaker 8 steam coil was put under his desk, and the steam was always kept on in the winter time. Since Speaker Reed has occupied the seat the steam has had to be turned of, and when asked if he did not want the heat, he replied that he would prefer flaming machine. This was when the debate on the new code of rules was in progress. Randall and s. s. ICox were probably the only two men who, during their terms in congress, never had any complaint to make against the atmosphere of the house, and they both had pretty long terms of it. When Alexander Stephens was in congress he would never enter the house without first sending in page to look at the thermom. eter. If it registered Fl, he would go in ; if not, he would go to his committee room and sit close to the fire until he was in- formed that the temperature of the house was satisfactory.
 Hewett was an eternal complainer of the temperature and the condition of the air. One day last session, Hooker of Mis- sissippi sent for the engineer to inform him that he was trying to roast the mem- bers. Before the man had got out of the hall he met Charley O'Neill with an over- coat on, and was asked by him if it was the purpose of those in charge of the heat ing to keep the house at the temperature of the north pole. MT. Hooker had been to lunch and Mr. O'Neill had not. That makes all tho difference in the world The senate is most intolerably hot place ill the winter time, the old men there insist ing upon high temperature all the while; when the gas is lighted over the sky light, the thermometer registers usually about 112 degrees above the glass ceiling. g.-Phii. adelphia. Eve'ai'ag Telegraph.
 Out west the city governments and