The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-08

the other from the chamber itself. The
| third one of that capacity is an exhausterp
also, serving the terrace. The whole OUT
| fit is In the space formerly occupied by the
| apparatus which the improved methods
displace.
his same yentilating system is needed
for the House side and II is among the
most likely possibilities that upon the dem
| onstratiOI OF its success, bill will be
introduced, doubtless at the Coming SeS-
sion, to authorize the expenditure. There
is no reason to doubt It's adoption.
, 1t was at one time sHgg eSted, with due
| gravity, that To improve the air In the
| House there were but two practical methods
| One was TO remodel the ball, SO as TO have
windows opening TO the outside OF the buIld-
ing; the other To- provide new hall
The plan first named would neceSsitaie
a mild revolution It would require the
| addition TO the House of the hall known as
! the lobby, the Speakers room, che office
/ of the sergeant farms and tie committee
/ room on that side. The south galleries
/ would have 70 be taken out, or supported by
/ columns.
The substitute project was 20 erect
| building ia the East al itOI Park for the
! use OF the Senate and House and their COM
| Hiittee rooms. turning over the Capitol for
/ the use OF the courts. the library and q
! possible national museum and gallery OF
| art, which is still hoped for by enthusiasts
| That proposition was advanced years ago,
/ however, before the present magnificent
| Congressional Library BUILDING was even
| appropriated for
| THE SUBWAYS.
| 1t is probable that with the success OF
4! the Woodbridge method OF ventilation eS-
| tablished, there VIII be no more discussion
| OF a substitute building, but il IS unde-
| uiably true that the a aggregate Of the
| sums spent in efforts 70 improve the at
| moSpheTic condition Of the Capitol would
| paw the interest on large expenditure
| for construction
| The underground subways and their En-
| virUnmentS through which air is pumped
! into the Senators desk legs, are kept
| scrupulOusIy clean. Every appliance that
| can be made TO contribute 10 the purity
/ of the air chambers IS used with great
\ HbeTahfv and even the main and branch
| ducts are as white as freshly painted
| residence.
but about the change in the lighting ser
vice. Not since the days when every desk
| of every Senator and Represe ntatiye was
| supplied with a rush light or tallow dip
! as an ilIuminant. has there been a more
| pronounced revolution from one end to
the other OF the Capitol than has been
! wrought since the close or the last session,
! in the diSplaCemt Mt OF gas by electricity.
TheiIuprOvcment does not eud within the
! walls, either, the parks having arc and
| incandescenU electric lights, instead OF
| the odd style" shedding their brilIianCe
! upon a wide eXpanse, much OF lt hitherto
| clasSed as 1.-THE enemys country by
/ reason OF the multitude Of dark places
| to be found there.
Electricity lights the ceiling OF each
chamber, the press galleries, the corridors
| surrounding and leading from each house.
/ upstairs and down, the committee rooms,
the worSrOomS, the poSt0ffjCeS, the base
ment. Sub-baSement and every dark nook
ton j. Il
Many spaces which served heretofore as
the rendezvous OF the idle OF both sexes
now have a bright light reflected upon
them from nearby inCaDdeScent lamps, six
teen-candle power each.
The work necessary to wire the huge
structure was immense. The tiny copper
| thread for the reception and Conduct Of
The electric fluid through the many Tanl-
! ficatiCns in and about the building would
| if extended in single line be sufficient
to belt the District many tines N multiplied.
Then there are the extensions TO the
| grounds, the effects of which are seen
in the handsomely Illuminated parks
There is in the office OF Electrician c.
p Glenn an ordinary-Ic oSing chart, the
face Of which is flied with brass headed
tacks Each Of the brass heads repre-
Sents an outside lamp, and bearsthe number
Of the particular light it stands for. BY
this chart every circuit and every lamp
can he at CnCe located, which makes the
| discovery of cause = matter of easy accom-
| plishment-
The grounds are supplied with 142 arc
/ lamps ana eight large incandeScent Gus
tiers These are placed at the PvnnSylva-
MIA avenue walk and drives, and the Mary
land avenue walk and drives, respectiv Iy
and the bronze bee hives at the west
| entrance to the park.
The building is lighted by clusters OF
four TO seven lights each, 30 wired that a
single lamp in any group in the dark coTri-
doris and recesses may be left burning
when the switch is turned off This is for
the accommodate on of the police at night.
The ceilings over the chambers are wired
for illuminating purposes in seven circuits
| No. 1 circuit embraces the outside lights,
| located over the bull s-eycs; No ,, the Sec
und circle of squares; No. 3, one row OF the
large squares in the center of the canopy
running east and west; and Nos. 4, 8, s and
leach another row.
These lights are all controlled from the
main switch in the dynamo room. and the
current may be turned ON or off of al from
that point. Any circle NAV be lighted OF
extfnguiShed independently OF the others
At the same time there is switch placed
over each square above the ceiling, so that
: each may be examined for defects at will
without the trouble OF maintaining com
muncation with the distant dynamo room.
An examination is usually necessary at the
close of each day session. The scheme OF
wiring is so perfectly planned that 1T is
impossible for all of the lights in any ont
square to be lost at the same time
LITTLE HEAT REFLECTED.
Therumber Observation-Disclosures
House ceiling is ,09l, of which 234 are
OF 32-candle power. They displaced / :,
500 gas Jets, and give a much better iignt
as Il recent test concluSiyeIy demonstrd ed
In addition, there is an advantage thai
can be best approximately the members al
n night session in the heated term Of
summer Congress That is the compare
lively little heat reflected from the eleC
trio burners. When gas was in use it Wal
almost impossible TO remain above tn
ceiling while the lights We're on, and tn
consequent discomfort in the chamber, es
! peciaHy among the bald heads, was yer!
noticeable.
The Senate ceiling is lighted in the SAM
, way and by about the same number O
. lamps
: The Supreme Court roomis supplied Will
: thirty-two lamps, sixteen on each OF tw
circuits, and all of sixteen candle power
One solitary light placed at the entrance
to the chamber, is know as Judge Field
lamp 1t was put in at q point wher
c otherwise the passage would he in tn
T shadows, especially for the venerable
, | jurist'S accomm Odation.