Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-22

How Windsor Castle is Heated and
Lighted.

Lighted.
In gossipy account OF the preparations
for the winter residence at Windsor of the
English queen a London paper tells how
the question of heat and light becomes
complicated on account of Victoria's very
decided ideas upon the matters.
Fer lighting the castle four methods arc
available all of which are more or less in
operation, viz: Gas, oil, candles and the
electric light; while for warming and cook
ing, wood, coal and gas are used. During
the residence of the court some hundreds
of persons are in the castle besides the
royal family and the visitors; consequently
the adequate provision of all these process
eS is of somewhat gigantic nature, Keep
ing many servants constantly employed
For the general lighting and heating gas
and coal are adopted, but this is not so in
the queens own rooms, nor in many other
of the royal apartments: In the matter of
fires for her own rooms the queen strictly
banishes coal she has a confirmed prefer
erce for wood only. Special supplies or
wood have to be obtained for this purpose
from the thickly- timbered hills few miles
up the river above Windsor, where a num-
Der of workmen arc regularly employed on
this task. The timber, when felled and
roughly trimmed on the spot, is brought
down TO a wharf on the river side, where
it is dressed and cut up into blocks of
fixed sizes; it is then stacked to get sea-
sCned, and as required supplies are brought
down to the castle Tor consumption in the
queens rooms. ga,
Gas and oil are excluded from her males
tvs apartments. Here light is provided by
means of wax candles, all of one special
Iattern, their daily removal being the duty
of a special official In some of the other
apartments gas is utilized, and in other
parts oil lamps are burned, gas supplying
the quarters of the Staff generally. More
over, although the queen bars all but can
dies for her own rprivate use. she has per-
n n g.
plant This is placed underneath the north
terrace, and is in charge of a special en-
gineer, under the general supervision of a
prominent electrician. This plant has never
been largely used, but the light has been
led into and applied to the main corridors.
to one or two of the royal apartments. and
to the library A year or so ago the orig
II al plant was replaced by newer and more
powerful machinery, which would probably
suffice to light the whole of the castle If
the queen willed, but this has not yet
occurred nor Is she likely to sanction II.
Electric bells and telephones abound
throughout the castle, but electric light is
allowed very limited play.
The coal required for Windsor Castle
chiefly comes from certain collieries in
North Wales, brought in train loads of per-
haps 800 tons at time. From the station
it is carted to the castle. in various parts
of which are deep and spacious cellars
into which ii is tipped. Thence il is con-
Veyed as required to the different rooms
and offices, numbering some hundreds.
Lifts are almost unknown in the castle.
Consequently the coal has to be hoisted
from the caYernouS cellars and carried
hitler and thither by coal porters. The re-
plenishing of the fires is carried out upon
a most careful and efficient plan, footmen
and other high servants receiving the coal
from the porters and passing ii on to the
ropal apartments at intervals throughout
the day.
Each official connected with heating and
lighting the castle has his allotted duties
and recognized position, and thus the resi-
dence of the highest lady in the land is
lighted and warmed in efficient manner by
many and various processes.