Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-03-23
vlCroRlA,s HOME LIFE.
Her Majesty Still CIings to Wax Candles
and Wood Fires.

Her Majesty Still CIings to Wax Candles
and Wood Fires.
| For lighting Windsor castle four
methods are available, all of which are
more or less III operation-yiz, gas, oil,
candles and the electric light-while for
warming and cooking 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 processes is of a
somewhat gigantic nature, keeping
many persons 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 confirmed preference for wood
only Special supplies Of wood have to
be obtained for this purpose from the
thiekly timbered hills few miles up
the river above Windsor, where num-
Der of workmen are regularly employed
on this task. The timber, when felled
and roughly trimmed ON the spot, is
brought down to wharf on the river
side, where it is dressed and cut up into
blocks of fixed sizes. 1t is then stacked
to get seasoned, and as required sup
plies are brought down to the castle for
consumption in the queens rooms
Gas and oil are excluded from her
majesty $ apartments. Here light is pro
vided by means of wax candles, all of
one special pattern, their daily removal
being the duty of special officer 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. Moreover, although
the queen bars all but candles for her
own private use, she has permitted the
Introduction of an electric light plant
This is placed underneath the north ter
race and is in charge a special engineer
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
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 trainloads of
perhaps 500 tons at time From the
station it is carted to the castle, in va
rious parts of which are deep and spa
cious cellars, into which it is tipped
Thence it is conveyed as required to the
different rooms and offices, numbering
some hundreds.
Lifts are almost unknown in the cas-
tie. Consequently the coal has to be
hoisted from the oavernous cellars and
carried hither and thither by coal por
tiers. The replenishing of the fires is
carried out upon most careful and
efficient plan, footmen and other high
er servants receiving the coal from the
porters and passing it on to the royal
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 residence of the highest lady
in the land is lighted and warmed in
efficient manner by many and various
processes. New York Advertiser