Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-12
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
HIS ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SEC
RETARY OF THE INTERIOR.
Necessity for n Complete Renovation
of the House Wing to Sc
cure Ventilation.


The annual report of Mr.. Edward Clark.
architect of the Capitol. submitted to
the Secretary of the Interior today. The
| report says in part:
THE general repairs to the Capitol during
the past year have been many In number
and varied in character. Much of the work
has been necessitated by changes in the
various committee room assignments, in
volving the removal of committees from one
| room to another. and causing large num-
Der of repairs of minor character in the
different committee rooms. even after the
building may have been put in good condi-
ton prior to the assembling Of Congress.
The repairs for the past session have
produced considerable change In the condi-
ton of many of the corridors and commit
tee rooms. The work of painting alone
comprised some $1,000 square yards of
painting, in addition to the large number
| of changes and repairs in and to the plumb
ing throughout the building and the annual
overhauling of skylights. doors. windows.
etc, and fireplaces and fiues. The minor
repairs alone, not otherwise specified here
in, amounted in number for the past fiscal
year to It4.
IAN important item under the subject of
painting is that of the repairs to, and the
frescoing of. the large vestibules in the at
tic story of the Senate wing. These Vestl-
bules are ornamental in their structural
features and in cleaning and decorating
them it was determined to put them in
condition BETTING their ornamentation To
do this, considerable expenditure was nee
essary, and this was applied with the feel
ing that the work originally placed upon
them deserved such treatment The same
may be said of the attic story corridors
surrounding the Hall of Representatives.
| These have been cleaned, repaired and
painted with good results.
Heating and Ventilation.
1.-The heating and ventilating Of a build
ing the size and detail of the Capitol build
ing is subject worthy of the most careful
attention, for it involves the health and
comfort of those whose duties associate
them with it. To this subject have given
the most earnest consideration, and the ef
forts of those under my direction during
the past year have been aimed to continue
as much as possible the improvement of
these conditions, which already had been
improved during the previous year.
Il regret to again state that the system
of ventilation and heating, as now existing
in the House wing Of the Capitol, does
not produce the beneficial results found in
the Senate wing. l sincerely hope that
Congress may see fit to revise the system
in the House wing and by the installation
of suitable apparatus completely over
come the faults of that system. 1 will
| therefore repeat in this report the recon-
mendatiOn made In the last, that sum be
provided to reconstruct the floor of the
House, revise its present ventilatng ap-
paratus. and bring the ventilation of that
hall to the proper standard The conditions
as shown by the tests made by this office
should be improved without further delay.
In my previous report l gave certain
bacteriological tests, comparative, of
course which showed certain differences
to exist between the ventilation Of the
House and that Of the Senate.
The present conditions in the House
wing can be readily overcome by the re-
n Oft hn hlh and
the installation of proper apparatus, and
| special attention to the House kitchen. the
House kitchen and restaurant are the
source of odors which, up to the present
| time, have been impossible to control. The
| only proper method Of correcting the evil
in this building is to combine the restau-
rants and kitchens into one and locate them
in the upper story Of the building.
Referring to the hall proper, the present
| arrangement of the floor does not admit Of
| modern and satisfactory ventilation. The
| structural conditions beneath the floor do
| not admit Of the proper distribution of air
| through the various riserS This can only
| be accomplished by the removal of the
present supporting piers and ducts and
the tearing out of the present floor and its
reconstruction, SO as to form pressure
chamber, with suitable outlets to the in
dividual desks and the proper control Of the
individual admission Of air.
Seating Arrangements in the Caller
l. les.
call for revision. The present method OF
| seating, which Is by means Of benches, has
| passed the limit of usefulness. These
benches have rendered good service, and
| now that we know more of sanitation and
| ventilation we must recognize the qualities
| Of the more comfortable and individually
| ventilated folding chair. If we would have
| good ventilation in the galleries We must
first control the number Of persons admit
| ted to them, and then see that each indi
vidual receives his own supply of air. Over
crowding. is frequently the case during
| occasions of national interest, must be pre-
vented. 1t Is evident that with the proper
seating arrangements in the galleries in the
form of chairs the number Of gallery visit
ors can be easily controlled. These atten-
tons to gallery ventilation are very i'm
portant features to be considered, because
much of the trouble In the present ventia-
ton of the Hall Of Representatives is due
! to the conditions now existing in the gal
| lerles. Individual ventilation Of the men,
bers desks is product of modern veutila-
ton. We must distribute the air going
through the floor so that each member will
receive generous supply free of his neigh
Dor"