Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-22
STATE HOUSE.
Boiler House Ready for Gov
ernor's Inspection.
Some Of Many Fine Improvements
Recently Made About the Capitol.
Secrsiarj Mckcsn Revises The List Of Agri.
cultural Fairs AID Date. Of Holding.

The new boiler house and other i'm
| provements about the State House will
| be inspected by Governor Powers and
the Council. today. when they are here
for the regular meeting. The boiler
house has been examined by an inspeC
| tor and pronounced to be perfectly safe
and free from imperfections. A great
| improvement has been wrought in the
appearance OF the rear Of the building
| by the improvements.
| The old fence has been removed and
| the grounds nicely terraccd. There is
a much heater as well more beauti
| full appearance about the whole place.
| There is a level space directly at the
| rear of the State House on which is
situated the old cannon captured by the
| the 1st Maine Cavalry. Instead Of the
| old roadway with a big ditch running
down the center a nice driveway had
been built and on either side stone
bitches have been built The grass is
| nice and green and is kept closely cut
| instead Of being allowed 10 grow long
as formerly.
The improvements have been made
under the supervision of William
George. the CAPITOL landscape gardener
and who has charge Of the grounds
He has done a good piece Of work and
| the rear of the Capitol is now as nice
| appearing as the front.
From the road to the driveway lead
ing to the entrance to the boiler house
it has been all filled in and graded and
covered with grass. The ashes are now
taken from the furnace to an ash
house purposely constructed for them
and carted away as soon as this place
is filled 1t is just to the west of the
entrance of the boiler house.
on the west of the boiler house is the
coal pocket. The coal is now brought
to the place in teams and thrown into
the pocket from the outside. There is
an iron door which can be raised or
lowered as desired with an opening at
the bottom for the coal to be removed
through. Just outside this door is a
North Carolina pine door which hides
the iron door and keeps the dust from
entering the boiler room.
The boiler room was built by Ma
thaniel Noyes & Son of this city. and
they did all the work with the excep-
ton Of the mason work which was
done by Smith & Clark of this city.
ne greatest cldnSe Is Ill tlt vi
the boilers where Il feet have been
added to the room. This gives the en-
gineers an opportunity 70 go behind the
boilers for repairs or any other rea-
son. They can have access to the boil
crs from the rear and in case of a break
| in either one of the boilers the other
one will not now have to be shut down
before the repairs can be made. one
boiler can now be run independently of
| the other.
| Extensive repairs have been mad" on
| the interior of the boilers at an OK
pense of $500 in addition to the repairs
on the boiler house. The boiler house
| has been raised seven feet which al
lowed the placing of Il windows around
| the roof. These make the place as
| light and airy as any other part of the
building. Before the only light was re
ceived from the doors.
The room of itself would be light
without any windows for the walls are
of the Pittsburg brick, a light straw
colored brick The other trimmings are
Of North Carolina pine. Two large iron
trusses support the roof and the cross
beams of North Carolina pine are fin
| lSI1Su
| The floor is made of a,patent cement.
four inches thick. 1t is made in IS
inch squares and was put in by George
H. Smardon & Co. of Portland. 1t is
something new in this part of the coun-
try and is said to be very excellent.
The room has been fitted by the Ken
nebec Light & Heat Co. for electric
lights There are two clusters of six
| lights each and a single incandescent
light over each steam anT water gauge.
The repairs to the boilers were made
| from plans and blIc prints furnished
by the Hartford Steam Boiler 1nspec-
ton Co. of Hartford. Conn, and were
under the charge of William l.. ThOmp-
son, one of the State House employees.
Mr.. Thompson was fully capable of do
! ing this work as he is a United states
| engineer. having for several years held
IL United States engineers license.
J One of the things done to beautify
the boiler house was the uncoverinG of
| the tops of the boilers. The old bricks
were all removed and in their place was
placed an asbestos covering of four
inches in thickness. This was in turn
covered with cement and painted The
whole is much better and heater look
ing. -
Several nice chairs and a sink with
hot and cold water have been put in