The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-16
FRESH AIR FOR THE HOUSE.
An Elaborate System of Ventilation
Now Being Installed.

An Elaborate System of Ventilation
Now Being Installed.
Substantially an entirely new system
Of ventilation is being installed in the
House Of Representatives. and when the
work is concluded it is believed the cham
Der viii be the most perfectly ventilated
in the world The plans have been in
preparation for three years.
The ventilation of the British House of
Commons is at present said to be the best
in the world. but it viii be no better than
that Of the House of Representatives
when it is completed, although the former
is much more elaborate In the British
House it is necessary TO wash and filter
all the air sent into the chamber because
of the dense London fogs. The air is fore
ed through curtain Of water and thus
washed, then heated or cooled, as the
case may be, by being passed over coils
Of steam pipes or slabs of ice When
there is a fog the air Is blown through
screens covered with loose cotton. which.
after few days use. is changed, as it
is saturated with SCOT and filth
Nothing Of this kind is necessary in
Washington. The air for the British
House is obtained from intakes located on
the famous Thames terrace, where there
is always more or less smoke from the
river, while that for the House comes in
from a short tower in the southwest cor
ner of the grounds. surrounded by lawns
and open spaces, 50 that the air is always
| Of the best. 1t is sucked into ducts by
fan twelve feet in diameter. The British
are proud Of their fan, half the size. Tn
der the new arrangement the air viii be
drawn up to the fan by suction, and after
passing through it will be forced over
steam coils and over the evaporating pan
This is a large pan, Y by Il feet, and
in the bottom is a coil Of steam pipes COW
cred with four inches Of water. The func-
ton of the evapOrating pan is to supply
the necessary amount of moisture to the
air which has been dried by passing over
the steam coils. This amount is deter
mined by an instrument called the by
drometer. It consists of human hair
fastened to a needle which traverses a
small scale. The human hair is peculiar
~ susceptible to moisture and expands
or contracts, according to the dampness
Of the atmosphere As this hair expands
the needle travels around the scale until
it reaches the proper point, when the
steam is cut off in the coil and the water
ceases to evaporate and mix with the air
which is sent into the chamber.
After leaving the Cvaporatfng pan the
air viii be forced through ducts to an air
chamber to be constructed under the floor
Of the House Heretofore the ventilation
has been accomplished by means Of
large number Of air ducts under the floor,
running in many different directions. This
system depended upon the ducts giving
direction to the air, while The new system
VIII depend wholly upon pressure When
the old floor was torn up the ducts were
found almost filed with filth Of all kinds.
including sweepings, tobacco, cigar
stumps, etc, which had been thrown
down the old ventiIatOTs and which Il had
oeen impossible to remove. The new ar
rangement provides for an air chamber
under the entire floor which viii be from
two to five feet in height. according TO the
slope OF the floor 1t viii be lined with
Slazed tile ana can readily be cleaned
whenever desired In the legs of the desks
VIII be set ventilators, and at the hack
OF the rises Will be others. There will be
no nat yentilatOrs whatever as formerly
so 1t Will be almost impossible for me
latOrS.
Under the galleries will be constructed
an ar chamber similar to that under the
moor OF TIE House. The old benches viii
De replaced with opera chairs of hand
some design, containing ventifators in
me IeSS- Inc galleries have never be
tore been ventilated. The Improvement
VIII necessitate a reduction in the seat
Ing capacity Of one row around tho rraT-
ierleS, but they viii be much more com
PORTABLE Great trouble has been expert
eHceu from the fact that although the air
coming IN from the floor has been sun
posed TO rise by the heat of the bodies
ana pass on through the roof II has rstI-
any risen to the ceiling and banked there
forming heavy blanket over the cham
Der and causing great discomfort to the
members The effect has been specially
noticeable. in the galleries To obviate
TINS large fan viii be established over
the portico at the eastern end of the
House wing.
Above the ceiling is a large chamber
extending all around the House over the
galleries Hereafter the air from this
chamber VIII be exhausted by means of
li4e Ian over the pOrJiCO. and this Will
cause the air II the House chamber TO
now INTO the chamber above and be pass
ed out without causing a particle of draft
ana without any-aoise from the machin-
cry being peTceptTble in the chamber. The
exhaust fan viii have a capacity of %
per cent less than the great Yentilating
Tan the difference escaping through the
swinging doors into the halls and lobby.
The usual supply Of air is supposed to be
nity cubic feet per person per minute. but
the new system Will have a CapaCity of
100 cubic feet per minute to each member
Of Congress and sixty cubic feet for each
chair in the galleries
The Assistant Architect Of the CAPITOL
under whose supervision the new system
IS being Installed cOnJemplates ayrang-
ing il so rs 10 work either way: that is
the air may be taken in from the roof
and forced down and out through the
hoor, or vice versa to suit the pleasure
n q 1fE4-G