Evening star., 1901-04-22
REFURNISHING THE HOUSE
COMMITTEE TO MEET HERE on THE
18TH INSTANT
Style of Desks to Re Then Determined
II New system of
Ventilation.

On the 18th instant a committee of the
>1Iouse of Representatives, will meet to de-
eide in regard "a the furnishing of the hall
of the House the lobby and the fourteen
committee rooms which have been secured
by a reconstruction of the old CongresSou-
al Library portion of the Capitol. This
Committee consists Of Representatives. Can
non. Dalzell and Richardson. and the archi-
tect of the Capitol will have before them
general projects for their approval
There are two plans for desks for the
hall of the House of Representatives. One
is To have individual desks in the past
and the other IS to have continuous desk
from aisle to aisle. with an ornamental
metal piece to divide the portions for each
m ember.
This will give additional writing space
on the tops of the desks. and a very
important comfort to be obtained from it
Will be the large open space beneath the
desks Now the presence of separate
stands. for each desk gives the members
Very little space in which to move.
Whether the continuous the Individual
desk Is to be adopted will be for the COM
mittee to decide.
Will BE Solid Mahogany.
Whatever style is adopted. solid mahog-
any furniture will be used both in the hall.
the lobby and the new committee rooms.
The widest competition is to be called in to
eral furnishing to be provided for which
$4,000 was appropriated by the last Con-
greSs.
At least twenty firms are to submit de-
signs for this furniture. their only rest ric-
ton in securing the highest degree of
artistic effect being that the whole must
not cost more than Sjl 900. and that their
designs must be simple in effect that
quiet elegance rather than gaudy effect
can be secured
Firms that will compete for this work
are located in all parts of the country.
and il is believed that they will take more
than moneyed interest in providing furni-
ture for the Capitol building. the fact of
the approval of their plans naturally being
An important advertisement for the sue
CesSful firm.
New System of Ventilation.
When the hall of the House of Represen-
tatives has been renovated and provided
with new system of ventilation and new
furniture 1t is believed 1t VIII be model
legislative chamber.
In the past it has been known for it's
defective system of ventilation which has
been improved from time to time. but
which has been distinctly unsatisfactory
when the galleries have been crowded for
any considerable time.
The system of ventilation to be provided
will permit warm air to be brought in
through perforated chair and desk stands
and passed out through the roof
The warm air will be forced into the
chamber and electric fans operating in
cupola on the roof will keep steady cur
fent of air going out of the hall. But this
yentilating system has been SO arranged
that this may be reversed and the air can
be forced in from above and withdrawn
through the ducts at the floor.
This system will permit the rapid cooling
off of the chamber at any time ii is desir-
able. A volume of cool air from the roof
can be forced down at any time. and the
application of this plan after long night
sessions in the heated period of the year
when Congress has been detained into June
ard July. it is believed, will add to the
comfort of the hall.