The evening times., 1902-07-09
Engineer Allen Details
Needs for Larger
Space.
DEPARTMENT TOO CROWDED
Commissioners Receive Full Working
Plans Of Rooms That Should Be De
voted to Lighting and Telephone Di-
visions n the Proposed Structure.

Nr- Walter c. Allen. the Electrical Ell
ginesr. has submitted 10 the District
Commissioners c statement relative to
the SPACE that VIII be needed by his
department in the proposed municipal
building With his letter Mr. Allen sub
mits photographs and drawings Of the
present quarters OF the department on
the fifth floor of the District building
and On the top floor Of Engine House No,
Il. where the police and fire alarm head
quarters are located
Mr. Allen shows that his office room
IS very much crowded at present and
that the floor Of the engine house oc-
cupied by the apparatus referred TO is
poorly adapted 20 the purpose for which
it IS used. He -tates that more room
than Is now occupied is needed in the
new building. de says that for all pur-
poses the police and fire alarm head
quarters should be adjacent to his Of
ice, and that both should be OF the
top ioor Of the edidce to be erected.
Old Engine House Not to Be Repaired.
Attention is called TO the appropria-
tion OF 4,06a intended for extensive re-
pairs AT the engine house. among which
were the raising. OF the roof. and he
suggests that because the municipal
building is now an assured fact il might
be well not TO make the repairs pro-
vided for as The present building viii in
nature Of things be used but two or
three years longer.
Tho ro~r~-- -,r~--
trict Building Ly the department are
One 14xlS, in which are four desks for
The accommodate OF six inspectors and
one clerk; one dr,lushting table and seY-
eral small tables for plat books, maps.
etc; one formerly two. 10xf4 and 1OEZ0)
occupied by the Electrical Engineer and
two clerks, with three desks, draughting
table, file cases, map cases, card index
cases. etc.
The space occupied in the engine
house Is. Upper floor, consisting OF OF
Grating room, 32x34; telephone room.
11x13; store room. 10x11; cable terminal
room, 1zx1552; Office, 14x151z5 battery
room, 14x1512i toilet room, 5xI152.
Space Needed IN New Building.
Mr. Allen asks for space as follows in
the. proposed building:
Il Operating room 32x48.-Thirteen
feet should be added to the length Of the
present room to provide a space for the
accommodation OF numerous visitors
who now are Us5ered Immediately into
the operators space and fer a new bat
terry board and new manual JTansT1i1teT
to be added il the near future TIE ac-
comPaDylng photographs show the
crowded condition OF the present al
&C.
high, while the cabinet work lining the
room reaches 10 within Cne foot Of the
ceiling and cuts or the ventilation The
ceiling should be not less than fifteen
feet above the floor N order 70 secure
this necessary height I would strongly
recommend that this department be 10
Gated On the TOP floor Of the new build
ing The cabinet work, moreover, shuts
out all light from siCe windows. neces-
stating . sIlyIigat. unless. provision can
be made Tor windows over ten feet
above he fOCT-
Size Of Battery Room.
80 Battery roon-Pre=sat room IS
14z15iz feet. a1oTding very cramped
space for the proper care Of the 500
cells now in use We began operating
the new headquarters In 1889, with 6l2
cells. The additions have been about
100 cells q year, and additional space
VIII be needed before the -ull capacity
OF the plant has been reached. This
room must be clos 20 The operating
room, but may be ~. iDs5ue room mot
fronting On the Ftre-tJ, It must have
however, good ventilation, n order 10
carry or the sUlphurous fumes from
racks. now having less than two feet
between them, should have at least three
and half feet, so as TO give ready ac-
cess 10 all sides o. the batteries
''S. Gable terminal roon-Present size.
12ZlS5z. The new room should not be
less than this, and may be an Inside
room but should be adjacent 20 the
battery room and very. close II the op-
Grating room. so as 70 shorten as much
a possible the length Of the hundreds
o. wires connecting these tnse rooms
tine length % single wire row used al
headquarters rC connect these three
rooms and the Instruments on the ped
eSIal5 IN operating room is over ten
miles. all laid under the floor. Provis-
iCn should also be made TO carry the
main ca bles, each two inches IN diane
ter and ten IN number, to the basement
Of the building and thence 10 q conduit
70 De built On Fourteenth Street.
=. toreTOCm-PTesGnt size, 10xI1
New room should be az least 12zI5 It
nay be an inside room. Used for stor-
ins snail supplies needed for Immediate
use in operating room and as e repair
room.
More Space for Telephone Room.
. Telephone room.
Present size 11zI2 feet. New. room
should be at least as large; should have
street frontage and be well ventilated:
operators are on futy constantly
throughout the twenty-four hours. It
should be adjacent 10 the operating
room
"6. Superintendent oElce. Present
size 1sZl5tz feet New room for super
fntende1t and his assistants should be
81 least rs large and shoUld have means
or immediate access to both the 0per-
ating and telephone rooms
-. Bedroom
Near 70 or adjacent 10 The operating
room should be provided q retiring room
fo- the day operators. which VIII also
GeTve as . bedroom for tho night line
men and operators.
IN The Street Lighting Department.
IS Street Lighting DIrision-Preseut
room 1szIS One large room VITA ae-
commodations Tor superintendent Of
lamps. the clerk. the three lamp INSPECT