The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-02-20
NOW AN ELECTRIC MARVEL
White House System Is the Finest Of
Any in the World

There are 80 miles of electric wires
in the new White house. They trans
ner of the building for many purposes,
and. with their connections. 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 eNactness.
All of the wires are Enclosed 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 of the wires is i'm
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 q mechanical way electricity does
everything about the building except to
produce the heat, and it distributes that.
The lighting system represents the lat
est 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. It has 26 circuits. p
of which are in the ceiling. so that any
desired number of lights may be turned
on in an instant, or they can all be
thrown on by a 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 Ten
nessee marble and are all inclosed be-
hind locked doors. Outside the doors
are push buttons which control the hall
lights, but these lights can be turned
on inside of the panel so that they can
not be turned off from the outside.
There are two telephone systems, pub
lie and private. The private system con-
meets all the rooms occupied by the
presidents family and extends to Sec
rotary COrtelyou's desk. 1t works auto
matically 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 ali the pfln-
cipal rooms, but works through CEN
trail switchboard in the executive offices
The elevators. passengers and freight,
/ work automatically. When the Dresl-
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 the floor he wishes to 60 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 a
glasses a convenient places through the
house sets a 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 filed with water by an au-
tomato device which starts the pump
as soon as the water falls slightly be-
low the surface and stops it when the
tank is full.
All through the building are stations,
from which the watehmen must turn in
/ reports every ten minutes and the
points are so far apart that there is no
chance for the watchman to sit down
more than a minute without being
j caught at it. An elaborate system of
2 electric bells runs from every room 70
+ every section of the house A perfect
system of ventilation is maintained by
electric fans. In the pantry of the
state dining room is a great electric
plate warmer with a capacity of 1905
plates It can be heated TO any one OF
the three Temperatures, and by using
an the heat it is possible to cook witt
lit in case of emergency. There are 3.00l
lfncandescent lights Of different sizes il
the building.-New York World.