The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-03-26
A MODERN WHITE HOUSE
New Heating and Lighting APP
paratuS an Electric Marvel.
ALL WIRES ENCLOSED IN OoNDUITs

Tbs Elevators, Passengers and
Freight, Are Run by Electricity,
without Even Conductor-.Therc
rs Plate Warmer With n Capacity
of Three Thousand Plates.
There are thirty-two miles of elec.
trio wires in the new White House at
Washington, says the New York World
They transmit the current to every
nook and corner of the building for
many purposes and with their connec-
tions make UP what is pronounced
the most perfect electrical system in
the United States. Experts say there
is none to compare with it in intricacy
or eXactness.
All of the wires are inclosed in con
Quits, and each iron pipe represents a
separate and distinct system. Under
the floor in every hallway is a mass of
conduits. Cutting off the wires is inn
possible, and there is no way in which
the system can be interfered with ex-
cept at a point where the injury can
be quickly detected and repaired.
In mechanical way electricity does
everything about the building except
to produce the heat, and it distributes
that. The lighting system represents
the latest improvements. There are
separate panels or switchboards for
every room on the main floor, and the
panel for the great east room is large
enough for an ordinary house 1t has
twenty-six circuits, twenty-one of
which are in the ceiling, so that any
desired number of lights may be turn
ed on in an instant, or they can all be
thrown on by turn of the main
switch.
The same principle is followed
throughout the building. Each floor
has two switchboards. one at each end,
and there are separate ones in the east
and west terraces. The panels are Of
Tennessee marble and are all inclosed
behind locked doors. Outside the doors
are push buttons which control the
hall lights, but these lights can bo
surned on inside of the panel so that
they cannot be turned off from the out
side.
There are two telephone systems, pub
lie and private. The private system
connects all the rooms occupied by the
presidents family and extends to Sec
rotary Cortelyou's desk. 1t works au-
tomatically, and by simply pressing a
button the president can call up any
one in the building he wishes to talk to-
The public system connects all the
principal rooms, but works through a
central switchboard in the executive
Offices
The elevators, passenger and freight,
work automatically. When the presi-
dent wants the elevator, he presses the
button, and it comes to the floor he is
on provided no one else is using it,
Then he presses the button bearing the
number of he floor he wishes to go to,
and away he goes. The dumb waiter
which connects the kitchen in the base
ment with the upper floor works the
same way. The fire alarm system is
self acting. The simple breaking of n
glass at convenient places through the
house sets gong going that can be
heard all through the house and also
sounds separate alarms throughout the
basement to summon the servants. An
immense tank under the roof is kept
constantly filled with water by an auto
matte device which starts the pump as
soon as the water falls slightly below
the surface and stops it when the tank
is full.
All through the building are stations
from which the watchmen must turn IN
reports every ten minutes, and the
points are SO far apart that there is no
chance for the Waterman. to sit down
more than a minute without being
caught at it. An elaborate system Of
electric bells runs from every room to
every section of the house. A perfect
system of ventilation Is maintained by
electric fans. In the pantry of the
state dining room is great electric
plate warmer with capacity of 5000
plates. 1t can be heated to any one OF
three temperatures, and by using all
the heat it is possible to cook with it in
case Of emergency. There are 5000 in
lights of different sizes in
the building.
The work Of installation of the cleo
trical system was begun July "a, and it
will be completed in a few days. Its
total cost will be about $1,000.