The evening times., 1895-11-18
CHANGES In The CAPITOL
Congressman Will Find Many I'm
provements Of Great Utility.
ders In the Way of I.abor-Saving
Devices-New Page system.

Magicians have been at work in the big
Capitol building, and their manipulations
are row about completed. a few yearsa go
they ran wires all over the Capitol keeping
them concealed from view all the time. and
finally fixed their paraphern;,lia SO that by
pressing button all Of the gas Jets above
the glass ceilings of the Senate and House
could he lighted instautaneously.
The magicidns concluded that gas must be
bnaished because of its excessive heat and
so they have this past season been climbing
all over the hooks and cranuies OF the build
! Ing. pulling wires ana laying pipes whereby
they can dispense with gas ana replace it
entirely with electricity.
This Improvement viii he welcomed by the
Statesmen of the land, particularly when
night sessions Of Congress are held. With
complete electric Lighting IL viii not be so
difficult for the engineers and the supervis-
ing architec: to maintainan cquable temper
ature and supply the soions with pure air.
The batteries and dynamos in The base
ment crypt viii not he Obliged TO do
double duty ut night sessions, and the
great air ducts will not be so taxed that
tile rushing OF air through them will
cause the roaring, swishing noises which
have from time to time attra ctcl atten-
tion. The buzzing OF the electric fans in
the House Will be heard no more, for it
will not again he deemed necessary TO
have them In operation.
The great roof tanks will still bc sup
Piled with Potomac river water, filtered
as usuai but The new pipes which convey
water to the Senate wing of the Capitol
from the spring at the Soldiers Home are
completed, and that pure water Will be
used fer drinking 10y The statesmen.
El.r. for lar a M F.y he ron
over the Hall OF the House of Representa-
tives. ana the park of pumps in the crypt,
having been recreated and reorganiZed,
will continue to keep those tanks filled.
Each tank has capacity OF 1000 gal
Ions. The supply pipes are run through the
massive marble walls, and the machinery
works with such perfection that the throb-
hing of the pistons and the flowing OF the
water cannot be heard i'll any part OF the
building.
In the event Of failure of the water gauge
TO accurately perform its task, and IL the
tanks away mp i'll the roof should overflow,
the escape pipes carry the water through
the walls down TO the engineers office in
the crypt. and the pressure of the escaping
current causes a little whistle to blow,
thereby giving notice that something is
wrong, and ii is Immediately righted.
While the whistle blows. Il perfectly ar
ranged damper regulator throws up an arm
and. closes the draft from the engines
boiler and the engineer has only to press
throttle 10 stop the ponderous pistons.
The electric agicians have also completed
their appliances which will rclegate To the
past the hand-clapping system of calling
page boys to wait upon the statesmen. Each
desk will have a button beneath 1t, and
when u Congressman wants page he will
only have to press the button and 4 boy will
appear to carry messages for him, bring him
stationery, go 10 the library for Il book, or
perform other duties. The button will ring
the little bell In an annunciator, which cam
not be heard in the House. and the pages
will answer just as bell boys respond to
such calls in hotels.