Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-16
CAPITOL LIGHTING.
Plans for a New and Complete Elec-
tric Plant.
THE BUILDING IN DARKNESS.
There is Also Great Danger From
the Present System.
ILLUMINATING THE DOME.
[E BUILDING IN DARKNESS.
ILLUMINA TING THE DOME.

1t Is gradually being forced upon the
minds of the national legislators that the
Capitol building is not fitted with what are
known as ALI the modern improvements"
Were it IN the real estate market 1t would
doubtless stand vacant a long time before
a tenant could be found to submit to its
ANTICIPATED conveniences. Not the least i'm
portant item in this matter is the method
by which the building Is lighted. 1t were
almost sarcasm to call the process eight
ing" after all, for even when the gas
booms and the electric spark snaps in the
vast space above the glass roofs in the
chambers, there are many and many dark
and gruesome hooks and corners where the
yellow glow that filters through the varie-
gated ceiling does not penetrate at ALL
Several times the question has been se-
riousiy preached with a view to placing the
Capitol on an equal footing with other pub
lie structures. but either from motives Of
economy or from the adoption Of some
makeshifts, in every case the permanent
settlement of the matter has been post
poned- At the last session of Congress
however, the committee on rules of the
senate determined to take up the matter
systematically and endeavor to reach the
hSht, both hguratively and literally So
subcommittee, consisting of Senators Cor
man ana Henderson, was appointed, and
'hey held several meetings and came TO the
conclusion that there was q far greater
amount Of ground to be covered than they
at first suspected. So they enlisted the Ger
vices OF some competent electrical engineers
and several reports have been made by the
latter from time to time. So far this ses-
sion no meeting has been held, but the
work of preparing information for the SUBJ
committee has gone on, and 1t is probable
that in very short time definite action
will be taken by the Senate
+ SO A New Plant.
1t Is more than likely that when the re-
port OF the subcommittee is presented 1t
will be adopted with the recommendation
that There be established an electric lighting
plant OF sufficient power not only for the
Capitol building. but for it's annex, the
Maltby House. and the Congressional Lii
brary. To accommodate such a plant 1t will
De necessary to locate the engines and dy-
narnos In structure to be erected outside
OF the buildings now above ground. The
location OF the power house is now being
carefully considered, and a decision il likely
10 De reached IN very short time. The
house Will be neat and attractive and will
De OF sufhcient size to accommodate not
only the eight dynamos needful for the
present and Immediately pending necessi-
Ties, but also for other buildings that may
pc added to the group clustered around the
capitol notably the home for the Supreme
Court that will probably in time be erected
on the squares corresponding to those oc-
cupied by the library.
The Estimated Cost.
A careful estimate has placed the original
cost OF the building, the machinery. the
wiring and the general installation Of the
plant at s2O0,OOO. This will insure the
work to be of the best character and the
n nf 1rrfH
all the light that can be used in the build
ings and the grounds. This latter is a most
important item in the calculation, for at
present there is an utterly Inadequate IL
Elimination Of the great park. 1t is not GER
tain whether the grounds will be lighted
~ arc lamps or groups Of incandescent
gooes: but this is matter Of detail to be
settled afterward.
The question Of the cost of maintaining
s st plant has OF course received the
most careIui attention and this item has
had much to do with the general decision to
adopt the system just as soon as possihle
~ is estimated that not only win the new
plant give Tar better and more whole
some light but 1t can be maintained vast
cheaper. The most recent annual report
OK Architect Clark, submitted to the score
oasy Q, tne Interior, shows that the yearly
cost OF lighting the Capitol and Grounds
ana Botanical Garden is $24 200, or iust as
much as Is appropriated. The real neces-
s sly is IN faet more than this. and the cost
a
nciency yearly Of about 81 CO. OF this sum
the gas service alone amounts to sl5 7s, ~
Inc pay rolls. lamp lighters gas filters g.
aggregate S2.6S1, and the pay of the at
i tenoa , OF the electric lighting plant that
Is now established in the building amounts
10 S,216;45. This plant is rented from the
Westlnghouse Company at an annual tax
OF SSt4.l9 and last year 1t required gao M
70 extend the plant. The fuel required 10
+. run o. the plant ranged between 1850 and
rough estimate that has already been
made or the cost Of maintaining the new
plant, which will do not only the work now
zone by the gas and electric plants in the
of lighting the new library building and
the Maltby House. shows that it will cost
In the neighborhood Of $4,000 This is on
the basis of $50 session days during the
year and an average duration Of six hours
per day.
Dangerous Conditions.
The, electric plant now in the Capitol
as six months exhibit" and at the end
OF that time 1t was arranged for the gov
eminent to rent 1t. There are two dynamos
on either side of the Capitol, and at first
there was no more work for them to do
than they could comfortably perform. Lamp
after lamp. however, has been added until
the engines and dynamos are taxed far be-
yond the SAFETY point, and there is grave
danger that the wires are supercharged
every day. This danger Is more serious
than one unfamiliar with electric matters
might imagine; an overcharged wire Ia
liable at any time to cause an explosion
that may start conflagration, besides
running the wiring in that vicinity There
are now about !, $50 lamps in the Capitol
building. These lamps illuminate only a
very small part OF the structure, and in a