The Washington times., 1902-07-10
SPACE NEEDED FOR
ELECTRICAL OFFICES
Engineer Allen Details His
Wishes.
Department Now Overcrowded - Full
Working Plans for Offices Forward
ed to Commissioners.

Among the communications received
yesterday by the District Commissioners
relative TO the space needed in the pro-
posed municipal building for the several
offices was one from Mr.. Walter c. Al
len. the Electrical Engineer.
Mr.. Allen shows that his office room
is very much crowded st present and
that the top floor OF No. Il engine house
occupied by the tre-alarm apparatus is
poorly adapted TO the purpose for which
it is used. He states that more room
than is now occupied is needed IN the
new building. He says that for all pur-
poses the police and fire alarm head
quarters should be adjacent to his Of
flee. and that both should be on the
top floor of the edlfce TO be erected.
Old Engine House Not to Be Repaired
The attention of the Commissioners
has been called to the appropria-
tion Of $4,000 intended for extensive re-
pairs az the engine house. among which
were the raising of the roof. and he
suggests that because the municipal
building is now an assured fact 1t might
| be we'll not to make the repairs pro-
vided for as the present building will In
nature of things be used but two or
three years longer
The rooms now occupied at the Dis
| trict Building by the department are
| One 14x1S. in which are four desks for
/ the accommodation OF six inspectors and
one clerk: one draughting table and sew
eral small tables for plat books, maps,
etc; one formerly two. 1Dxl4 and l0x20)
occupied by the Electrical Engineer and
two clerks. with three desks, draughting
table. fle cases. map cases, card index
| cases etc.
The space occupied in the engine
| house is: Upper floor, consisting OF op-
Grating room. 32x34: telephone ROOM
l1x13; store room. l0xl1; cable terminal
room. 12x131a; office, 141l5h battery
room, i4xl5l1; toilet room, 5xl1k.
Space Needed in New Building.
| Mr.. Allen asks for space as follows In
the proposed building:
i. Operating room 32x4s.-Thirteen
feet should be added to the length of the
present room TO provide space for the
accommodation OF numerous visitors
who now are ushered Immediately into
| the operators space and for a new bat
terry board and new manual transmitter
| to be added in the near future. The ac-
companying photographs show the
crowded condition of the present al
| rangement. This room is now ten feet
high. while the cabinet work lining the
room reaches to within one foot OF the
ceiling and cuts of the ventilation. The
ceiling should be not less than fifteen
feet above the floor. In order TO secure
this necessary height / would strongly
recommend that this department be To-
Gated on the top floor OF the new build
irg The cabinet work. moreover, shuts
out all light from side windows neces-
stating a skylight, unless provision can
be made for windows over ten feet
above the floor
Size of Battery Room.
20. Battery room-Present room IS
14xl5l2 feet. affording very cramped
space for the proper care OF the 500
cells now in use. We began operating
the new headquarters In 1899. with 6i2
cells. The additions have been about
100 cells a year. and additional space
will be needed before the full capacity
of the plant has been reached. This
room must be close to the operating
room, but may be an inside room mot
fronting on the street.; II must have.
however, good ventilation. in order 10
carry off the sulphurous fumes from
the storage batteries. The battery
racks. now having less than two feet
between them. should have at least three
and half feet. so as TO give ready ac-
cess TO all sides of the batteries.
Gable terminal room-Present size. |
l2xl3l2. The new room should not be
less than this. and may be an inside
room. but should be adjacent TO the
battery room and very close to the op-
Grating room. so as to shorten as much |
as possible the length OF the hundreds !
OF wires connecting these three rooms |
tThe length Of single wire now used at
headquarters TO connect these three |
rooms and the Instruments on the ped |
estals in operating room is over ten
miles all laid under the floor. PrOyis- |
ion should also be made to carry the
main cables. each two inches in dame
ter and ten In number, TO the basement |
of the building and thence to d conduit |
to be built on Fourteenth Street.
II. Storeroom-presenf size lOxl1 |