The leader., 1900-07-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The New workhouse-The wonder
full TeIcphonograph-T New
Board of Charities.
Special Correspondence

Special Correspondence
Tie inspector of buildings. John Il.
Brady, and the force i'm his office are
engaged on the plans and specifications
for the municipal buildings provided
for by the last congress. One of these
is the new workhouSe for male prison
ers. There is an appropriation of $780,
900 for the construction of this prison.
1t will be erected upon the grounds of
the existing workhousc. on the banks
of the Eastern Branch, in the eastern
part of the city.
The plans for the prison have been
prepared by G. \. Didden and call for
iireproof structure, with n central adj
ministration building, four stories and
a basement, - by ~ feet. There will
be lateral wings and a rear extension,
one clear story, 80 feet in height, the
wings to be - by 100 feet and con-
nected with the main edifce by one
story corridors. The exterior walls
will be red sandstone, and the roof
will be of steel truSscs covered with
slate. Each wing will contain IA
steel cage cells, with slate slab floors,
and each furnished with washstand
and closet.
The commissioners are aware Of the
opposition to the erection Of the build
ing in the locality selected, and it has
been suggested TO them that with pro-
pricty they might delay the construc-
ton until after congress shall have had
an opportunity TO designate a site in
express terms. The commissioners,
however, see no good reason why they
should longer delay the building. The
engineer commissioner says that in
two or three weeks time the specifca-
tons will be finished, and then pro-
posals will be asked for the construc-
ton Of the prison.
The Te1ephOnogrnph.
Consul Warner, at Leipsic, has made
report to the state department in re-
gard to the 'telephonograph," an in
vention which combines the adyan-
tages of a telephone and photograph
and is specially designed to record
messages received during the absence
of the operator. 1t was invented by
a Dane named Paulsen. THE person
called up" says Consul Warner, 'has
only to hold the trumpet to his ear
upon returning to the office, even after
an absence of days, to receive the mes
sage. Many inventors have tried to
effect such Il combination, but all fail
ed on account Of the difficulty Of trans
ferriDg the message on to a wax cylin-
der.
Instead of wax cylinder PaulSen
used a flexible steel band III his phono-
graph, which is much simpler in con-
struction than the Edison photograph.
Messages are much more easily remoy-
ed from the steel band than from the
wax cylinder. {. 1t is wound on two
spools, moving quickly from one to
the other, and coming in contact with
o very small electro magnet, switched
into the circuit. which affects the steel
band in such a way as to record on it
any sound that may penetrate to the
photograph. 1t is ouly necessary to
cause the steel band to repass the mag
net in order to have the sound repeat
ed. Each vibration of the electro mag
net produces q corresponding vibration
of the steel band. In order to remove
Il message from the steel band a mag
net is passed over the surface on which
the message was recorded"
The New hoard of Charities.
The president shortly before leaving
for his home in Canton, O., announced
the appointment of the following as
the board of charities of the district:
S. W. Woodward, John Joy Edison,
Simon Wolf, George w. Cook and DR..
Charles =. Neill.
The board of charities was author
lied by the provisions of the act of
congress approved June 6, the act pro-
viding that the president should APP
point, by and with the advice and con-
sent of the senate, five residents of the
District as members of the board for
term of three years, but in such Il
manner that the terms of not more
than two of them should expire in the
same year. No compensation is to be
received by the members of tLe board,
and during their terms of office they
shall not serve rs trustees or other
administrative officers of any institu-
ton subject TO the visitations of the
board.
Passing of an Old Landmark.
In the demOlishing of Wizards, now
going on, Washington will lose a ia
nous old landmark and one of its
noted hotels. Not even the oldest in
habitant can remember when this ho-
tel was built, but the land on which
it is situated was purchased in 1898,
and soon after a small, unpretentious
building, the nucleus of what became
popular and fashionable hotel, was
erected. This modest house was first
known as the Queen hotel, which was
afterward changed to the City hotel,
and when it passed into the hands Of
the Wizards it received the name of
its new proprietors.
Vice Consul Monaghan, at ChemnitZ,
has furnished the state department
with tables of the worlds production
of copper, which show that North
America completely surpasses other
lands in the production of copper. out
of total output of 473,S1S tons for
1899 North America supplied go, 156
tons. The statement shows also. that
the production is hardly equal to the
demand, for, in spite of increased
prices, it has advanced only Il little
more than per cent.
Attorney General Griggs has fully
decided that it will be best TO postpone
the erection of new department of
Justice building until congress can meet
again and pass upon the question Of
making an additional appropriation
sufficient to insure the erection of de-
cent building. CARL ScHoFIELD.
The United States pays now an av-
erapa of 81 600 OO0 a dav for frOnical