Evening star., 1896-07-22
M ODERN METHODS
Improvements in Ventilation and Qlumina-
ton Of the Capitol.
Operations to BE Soon Begun-A New
Chamber-Agafn in Safety.

ments on the House and Senate chambers
of the Capitol designed to give those great
apartments the benefits of modern methods
of ventilation and illumination. The last
sundry civil bill contained an appropriation
Of $4,000 to be expended on the improve
ment of the ventilation of the Senate wing,
including the installation Of refrigerating
apparatus In accordance with plans submit
ted by Prof. s. H. Woodbridge to the Sen
ate committee rules and also an appro-
priation Of $4,000 for an extension of the
electric light plant at the Capitol.
Contracts for the performance of these
works are now being let. and by the 1st of
August all of the work will have been ap-
portioned and the active operations begun.
1t is confidently expected that everything
will be finished long before the meeting Of
Congress in December and when the Sem
ate reassembles 1t will find itself housed
more comfortably than ever before, with
great abundance of pure air and with cleo
trio lights i'll place of the old-fashioned
gas Jets between the roofs, that have SO
long been a source of annoyance and even
of danger.
Change of Flooring.
The plan of ventilation necessitates the
entire removal of the present flooring Of
the Senate chamber and the substitution Of
a new flooring of cherry. The brass s,mi-
circles that now bound the various tiers
terraces for seats surrounding the Vice
Presidents chair will be cut down, SO that
the ventilating apparatus will only be on
the vertical places instead of both the hori-
Zontal and vertical. as at present. This
Will add to the cleanliness of the space be-
meath the floor through which the air from
the ventilating fans is forced. This air
will flow through the brass binding from
the vertical faces and also from the VEN
on n ha loo
of each desk will be connected by pipes
with the air chamber and streams Of air
will meet beneath the desks from opposite
directions. Thus all possible drafts will be
neutralized and there will be a greater sup
ply Of fresh air than could be obtained
through the lower ventilators.
The same system will be applied in the
galleries, which are to be refitted with
opera chairs instead of the benches now In
use. Each chair will be ventilated through
the legs with neutralizing drafts beneath
the seat, as in the case of the desks. 1t
has been estimated that the seating ca
pacity of the gallery instead of being
duced would really be increased by this
plan of giving to each person a separate
seat, and order be preserved in the
galleries much mere effectually.
Electricity Instead Of Gas.
The work, of changing the system of IL
Illumination will proceed simultaneously with
that of installing the new ventilating sys-
tenn. Gas will be abandoned entirely, and
electricity will take Its place. Around the
edge of the ceiling about five feet from the
wall is a series of ornaments in relief rep
rosenting wreaths encircling large gilt stars.
This Is al in metal, and the plan is to place
at each OF these stars a group of incan-
descents lights shielded by moons of
ground glass 1t is thought that this sys-
tenn will give an ample illumination to the
galleries and probably to the chamber, but
in case the latter is not we'll enough light
ed by moons it is designed to place a
group of lamps at the corners Of the great
squares that form the ceiling. The stained
glass roof is supported by framework of
metal and there are enough points of in
tersection where these lights could be con-
veniently and artstically placed to give
most brilliant illumination to every part of
the chamber.
Not only will the light be more generous
and pleasing than the old gas light, but it
will be easier to manipulate. At present
when it is desired to light the chamber at
night or during a sudden spell of darkness
in time of storm, for instance, there Is al
ways considerable delay while the orders
for turning on the gas pass through the
official channels and the proper function
ary makes his way to the lighting ap-
paratus. Even after the electric spark
that ignites the gas has been turned on 1t
is necessary for man to go through the
entire roof with a lighted taper to set
ablaze the scores of jets that did not ignite
from the spark. Under the system about
70 De lhStalled the entire chamber can be
Hooded with light within a quarter of a
minute after the presiding officer who is
usually the judge of such matters, decides
that 1t is too dark to proceed further with
out artificial Illumination
Gain In Safety.
Another gain would be safety. The gas
lgnltes with considerable explosion, that
sometimes jars loose the glass panels In the
celllns, ana on more than one occasion frag-
ments OF glass have been hurled to the floor
and serious accidents have been narrowly
averted.
In rebuilding the floor of the Senate 1t
Will be possible to gain fine inches in the
width of each of the tiers of seats with
out taking away any of the chair room be-
hind the desks. Thus there will be a total
gain OF twenty inches, which will he utilized
III snort Ilne by the addition of short
row OIL desks at the southeast and south
west corners Of the chamber, and thus in
creaSinS the seating capacity of the Senate
chamber Itself
Ihls is an important matter inasmuch as
Ire admi SS1on of new states Is constantly
making demands upon the capacity Of the
senate chamber as well as the House of
Representatives, and new Senators are in
cllned to protest against being placed at the
extreme ENDS of the semi-circle, greatly
pIeiefrlns the seats on the curves, from
which they can more easily obtain recog-
pltlon. In remodeling the chamber 1t is
understood .tnat care will be taken to pro-
vlde only about two sofas at the walls for
lhe accommodation of visitors who are en-
titled to the privilege of the floor. This. #
is thought, will tend to greatly decrease
the attendance of committee clerks and
others who use their privileges to crowd in
upon the moor when scenes Of more than
usual interest are being enacted. This has
always been source of great. annoyance
to the Senate, and 1t is hoped by the Off
clals mat this opportunity may be seized