Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-25
THE WHITE HOUSE OF 1900.
Spirit of That Time in the Restora
tion.

yeniences for comfort of the mansion
of the present day have been applied
10 the White House. 1t is hard to be-
lieye that the presidential residence OF
John Adams and his immediate success
sors was hea ted by fireplaoes, lighted
by candles and whale oil lamps. and
that the only bathing facilities consis-
ted of portable tubs to which a servant
conveyed buckets Of hot ard cold wa
Ter. There never has been anything
like speaking tubes between the living
rooms of the White House up 10 the
present time. in that and other respects
lacking the conyeHiences Of the simp-
lest OF private houses. Judging from
what the renovation shows, the plumb
er seems 10 have been as much a dis
coyery of the nineteenth century as the
electrical filter.
The new White House will witness 4
restoration Of the principal fireplaces,
which had either been covered up en-
tirely or built over into a smaller size.
In most cases, as in the East Room,
they have been used for the heating
registers. and by a seeming propriety
Of descent Il stream of hot air has
poured out from the spot under the
JTlIHIHt HItGt tit iiI'Dldtt usfAi W 'pt'
The only visible heating apparatus in
the house will be the restored firepla-
ces. which will be of their original di-
mensions. Of these the East Room mas
four. When the room is in use for re-
ception purposes rough logs of wood
will be kept smoulderins there rms
win also be the case in the state DIN
ing-tOcm. The house VIII D. abund-
antly heated. and by methods that per-
nit of easy control. without the WOOD
fires so that their purpose Will be pure
ly ornamental. 1t is obvious what
CRATE Of fire of the size necessary today
to heat such rooms as these would
have to burn so iiercely as 10 keep peo-
pie away at considerable radius and
so would he wasteful of precious space
No one could SIT IN the State Dining
Room near "a fireplace which Was act
ually heating il. Thus the fathers of
the republic. while they had in their
heating arrangements the advantage Of
picturesuueness, sacrificed much IN
real comfort. especially in extreme
weather The dimensions of the East
Room iirepIaces are az feet in width.
az feet high and , feet deep
In lighting, gas and gas fixtures
have been practically cleared out. It
has long been evident that the use of
electricity in the type Of chandeliers
suitable for gas or oil lighting was IN
absur,iity when electricity only was to
he employed. This permits much more
tasteful and effective methods Of dis
play. The sc-called sun burst. used
in some of the rooms of the temporary
office building, has been Put into two or
three of the rooms OF the White House.
bat as a rule its lighting appliances are
similar to the candeIabra designs of
that period of 1850. ana have been
worked ont with special reference to
the present methods Of lighting. Tn"
results are exceedingly satisfactory.
The telephone arrangements of the
new building are as complete as mo-
darn appliances can provide. There is
u private system for the rooms of the
house and through the switchboard, =
connection with the outside world,
local and long distance. 1t will be pos
sibIe. from any room in tho house. to
talk With the gardener. or the steward.
or the butler; heretofore it has been
necessary to send messenger
The work of restoration has brought
to light many of the results OF the fir.
Of ISIl. In a number of places the heat
had been so severe that the brick itself
around the daarways had become prtri-
fed. and was covered over by plaster
or woodwork. There are also burn6 d
ends Of rurringblocks and base blocks.
II was: doubtless to cover up the traces
of the FIRE that the White House WAS
given - C.lat of white paint. and 50 DO
rived lts present name, although upon
tho latter point there is some dispute.
The stone OF which it was made is a
light huff. which would make the name
not wholly Inappropriate. without
paint. Daring its earlier years the
mansion was known as the Presidents
house or The Palace" as The carpirg
anti-federalists affected to think it.
What would they say now? on LEN
fants old map the two bindings which
ne particularly marked We're the Pre-
Sideut's house" and congress House."
neither Of which is known by that
rame now.
1t is strange almost that the White
Iouse has never been visited by fir"
since the confiagration OF the War Of
1872. 1t is not freproof, and even in its
restored form is only partly so. tt is
thought. however, that with the present
methods of heating and lighting. and the
ample corps of servants who would br
on hand To detect a little blaze. the dan
ger IS slight.
The magnitude of the White House
changes of the present summer have
been little realized by the outside pub
lie. rs an example of rapid work, with
out having left on ii any OF the impress
of haste. the restored structure will be
monumental. Especially is this nota bile
when Ii is considered that so much that
hug h,an done ppsllI he fpyRSRnp at
the start: it was assumed when the cal
Culations were first made, that the old
heating plant would answer for the re-
stored building and the electrical appa-
ratuS i'm large part. Neither of these eX-
pe"tatiuns has been verified. lt was not
possible to tell i'm many cases what
needed to be done until good deal of
tearing away had taken place This I'M
certainty added Ia the necessity Of the
execution of special designs for all the
ceilings and columns and cornices and
metal work, Il season when labor has
been 50 fully en- plUyed that orders long
in advrNHe III sc been general. is tribute
To the efficiency With which the restora-
ton has been carried on.
An of the interior work of the base
ment. the first story and the second story
had to he removed: all of the floors OF
the frs, story were taken out and re
placed by steel beams and freproof con-
story. over the East Room. also gave
place To steel construction. The wall be-
tween the State diningroom and the hall
from the ba Sement to the roof. was re-
moved and steel truss put in TO sup
port the floors and partitions above the