Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-28
IMPROVING THE CAPITOL.
Arranging New Sewerage and q Better sys-
tenn Of Ventilation.

CARRYING OUT TRE RECOMMENDATION OF run
COMMITTEES OF ExrERrs THAT Examined TEE
BUILDING LAST wrSrER-THE WORK IN rHE
BASEMENT BEING FIRST DONE.
II there is anything wrong with the sanitary
condition OF the Capitol when Congress reas-
sembles in December il will be somewhat din
cult to locate the blame. Last winter there
was large sized scare raised in the
Senate over sewerage that was alleged
to be faulty and ventilation that
failed 70 ventilate. The subject was discussed
most vigorously and harmoniously. for every
Senator was interested in his own physical con-
dition. After quantity Of one-sided debate
the matter was placed in the hands Of the COM
mittee on public buildings and
grounds, and through this com
mittee Col. George f. waring Of
Newport. r. l.. DIR. \. {. Abbott of the Univer-
sity OF Pennsylvania. and Col John :. Billings.
assistant surgeon general United States army.
we're engaged TO examine the sanitary arrange
ments in the great building This was
thoroughly done at cost of S4,1s6.63. Then
the Senate talked over the report submitted bv
the experts and expressed more than
wiling wnnnsnes IS. to appropriate all The
to put everything in the best condition. Ninety
thousand dollars, more or less was the esti-
mated amount. and now a large force Of work
men are putting in the MANY improvements
purchased with the money provided
THOROUGH ovKRRAULISG.
Never since the Capitol WAS completed has
there been so much digging up. tearing open
and laying down as during the past. three OF
four months. First TO be attacked bv the rem
ovators was the basement. and il was through
~ h.. \
Clark. +. W. Farquhar and A. W.
Reynolds conducted a STAR reporter TODAY. Mr..
farquhar is the engineer in charge OF the work
His firm made the plans and he is seeing that
every detail Is properly attended TO. Mr. Rev
nolds is superintendent of the drainage COM
pany whose specialtier are being used in the
work of sanitary reform.
Heretofore the soil pipes discharged their
contents into a sewer within the foundations of
the building, but under the new order Of things
the sewer will simply be a brick casing for
steel pipes that will carry the refuse
trap. at point at least fifty
feet from the west wall of the
terrace. To this point the sewers will carry
nothing but the rain water that gets in them
With this latter day arrangement in force and
with automatic ventilation of soil pipes there
will be an entire absence of odor or of I'M
healthy conditions
THE SENATE RESTAURANT KITCHEN
One OF the spots which was most complained
of was the Senate restaurant kitchen. That
will be all right by December. just now the
kitchen is merely hole in the ground. for the
top has been taken off the old fuel
vaults and ii is in these that the ranges
and refrigerators will be placed When
complete the kitchen will be a very pleasant
sort OF a place. Ii is outside of the building
entirely. and. instead of being ventilated me-
chanically, the work of supplying a suf.i cheney
OF pure air will be automatically attended TO-
six vault lights will give reasonable quantity
OF daylight and what is lacking in the matter of
illumination is to be supplied electrically
When the fuel vaults were appropriated for
kitchen purposes some place had 70 be found in
which might be stored the supplies of coal and
wood. There was no such place ready made
SO a great excavation made near the old
vaults and now the new ones about three
fourths done. Their capacity will be four
times as great was that of the old ones
QUANTITY OF THE MATERIAL USED
The quantity of acknowledgements mate
rial-whch is being used is not small. There
is over ten tons of brass pipe, 80 per cent of it
nickel-plated: of brass fittings there are 4 600
pounds; OF galvanized steel fittings there are
1850 pounds. while of galvanized steel
pipe there is fully twenty tons. The
steel pipe is galvanized inside and
out The nickeled brass pipe is a thing Of
beauty and JOY forever; its bright outward at
Effectiveness may in the course of time fade. but
the pipe itself is understandable. Itwas nickeled
because it is exposed to view Nickeled
brass pipe is expensive. but it is much
cheaper than the system which hides pines
away in the walls. Walls at the Capitol are too
thick 10 be easily cut: most of them are from
five 10 eight feet through.
All the work done far is of the best grade
and perfect record of il is being kept Down
in Mr.. Farquhars office are half-inch scale
drawings which show every fitting and every
foot of pipe hat is being put in
One hundred and sixty-six wash basins
twenty bath tubs. thrty-six sinks, eight water
closets and forty urinals are among the new
fittings The bath tubs are of cast iron and
enameled. Trimmings are of nickel-plated
brass. All the work is tested before scrap of
it is covered up. Hydraulic pressure of ten
pounds to the square inch is applied TO every
joint.
WILL BE FINISHED BY DECEMBER.
All the work in the basement will be COM
plete by December l. From that date until
March there will be a halt. and then the tear
ing up and LAYING down process will proceed.
i he entire job is expected to come 70 an end
about July next. Then the plasterers and
decorators will have a chance.
Eighty-tive men are employed on the plumb
ing just now. Sixteen of these are expert steam
filters; the Others are helpers bricklayers stone
cutters and laborers.