The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-13

report to the Secretary of the Interior.
He says that general repairs to the Cap
| itol during the season were many in num-
work. he informs the Secretary. was ne
cessitated by changes in - various COM
mittee- room ASSIGNMENTS ing the
removal o. committee .oom TO
| another. ---
/ Mr.. Clark states that t., = rei~..s have
resulted in considerable Change in many
! of the corridors and in the committee
| rooms He says the work of painting
| alone comprised some $4,000 square yards
| of painting. in addition to changes and
repairs in the plumbing throughout the
building and the overhauling OF skylights,
doors, windows, etc. The minor repa rs
alone amounted in number for>the past
fiscal year to 15l.
The report continues with the important
repairs in the House wing of the Capitol
The ceiling of the rooms connected with
the House press gallery, which We're DAM
aged by the leakage of the roofs during
the past winter. received proper treatment
and several changes were made in the
general accommodations OF these rooms.
This work included the Encouragement Of
the telegraphers' station railing.
In all the rooms in the House wing the
window and door frames have been painted
and the freplaces and flues oyerhaued.
The House rostoffice received necessary
painting and repairs, and many committee
rooms received new signs. The House ele-
vator shafts were cleaned down and paint
ed
In this wing new steam heating ra-
IL in lpt in, ha off. of he
doorkeeper. Official reporters room, annex
room to Committee on Indian Affairs. Of
fees OF the Chief Clerk, Office of Clerk of
the House, committee rooms of Education.
Labor and Enrolled Bills. respectively, and
the Office OF the janitor making in all tfir-
teen radiators installed.
New stationary washstands have been
placed in the House document room and
the rooms of the Committees on Merchant
Marine and Fisheries, Mississippi River,
Reform in the Civil Service, and Print
ing, respectively.
Various rooms in the central portion
of the building. including those occupied
by the Supreme Court and its Offices have
been renovated and painted.
In the Senate wing the rooms of the
Committees on Finance. Claims, Revis-
ions of the Laws, Relations with Cuba.
and Rules, respectively, and the room
known as the conference room, have been
painted. Besides the work enumerated, the
door and window frames throughout this
wing have been painted and oYerhauled.
all fireplaces thoroughly cleaned out. ana
all general repairs as called for made.
Throughout the building the plumbiag
and glaZing-particularly that of the sky
lights in the entire roof of the Capitol
Building, have been kept in good repair
Regarding the system of heating and
ventilating the Capitol Building, Archi-
tect Clark says:
THE heating and ventilating of build
ing the size and detail of the Capitol
Building is subject worthy OF the mt st
careful attention, for ii involves the
health and comfort of those whose duties
associate them with 1t. To this subject
j have given the most earnest considera-
tion. and the efforts of those under my
direction during the past year have been
aimed to continue as much as possible tn
improvement of these conditions. which
already had been improved during The
previous year.
Il regret to again state that the sys-
TEN of ventilation and heating. as now
existing in the House wing of the Capt.
toll, does not produce the beneficial re-
suits found in the Senate wing AS point
ed out in my former report. these condi-
lions arc due to the presence of a su-
perior system of ventilation in the Senate
wing. The ventilating apparatus used in
the Senate wing not only cares for tn
ventilation of the Senate chamber in a
superior manner but looks to the care of
the sub basement odors, particularly
those emanating from the Kitchen and
terraces. which are under the control of
special apparatus. exhaust fans therefor
being in successful operation. ] sincere
IL hope that Congress may see fit to re-
wise the system in the House wing. and
by the installation of suitable apparatus
completely overcome the faults of that
system. / will therefore repeat in this
report the recommendation made in the
last. that n sum be provided to recon-
struct the floor of the House. revise its
present ventilating apparatus and bring
the ventilation of that hall to the proper
standard The conditions as shown by
the tests made by this Office should lie
improved without further delay.
The present conditions in the House
wing can be readily overcome by the re-
construction OF the floor Of the hall and the
installation Of proper apparatus, and spe
cial attention to the House kitchen. The
House kitchen and restaurant are the
source OF cdors which up to the present
time, have been impossible TO control. The
u
in this building is TO combine the restau-
rants and kitchens into one and locate
them in the upper story OF the building
AS at present this does not seem practi-
cable, and as the House kitchen apparently
must remain in its present quarters, any
system Installed in the House
wing must include branch applying 10
this particular phase of the subject
Referring to the hall proper, the pres
nit OF modern and satisfactory ventilation
The structural conditions beneath the floor
dc 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 a pressure |
chamber. with suitable outlets to the in
:ividual desks and the proper control of
the individual admission OF air.
The seating arrangements in the GAL
eries call for revision. The present meth T,
Cd of seating, which is by means Of |
benches. mas passed the limit of useful !
ness. These benches have rendered good |
service. and now that We know more of |
sanitation and ventilation We must rec |
)gnizc the qualities of the more comforta |
Bile and individually ventilated folding |
chair. II we would have good ventilation |
In the galleries we must first control the |
number OF persons admitted 10 them, and
hen see that each individual receives his !
own supply of air. overcrowding as is |
the case during the occasions !
Of national interest. must be prevented. !
II is eyidcI; that with the proper seat !
ing arrangements in the galleries in the |
,orm of chairs the number of gallery yisi- |
What are Hun7Ors !? !