Evening star., 1904-01-30

ture, even though the pipes may remain hot
| some time after the steam supply is actu-
ally cut off.
The chief engineer. in charge of the heat
ing and ventilating department of the
House is Mr.. II. w Taylor. a man thor
oughly conversant with and taking great
pride in his work. His principal assistants
are Messrs. B. Fl. Morse. Fl. B. Burke and
John S. Logan. Mr.. Morse is fond of the
fifty-year-old engine which operates the
committee room fan as a father is of
favorite child. He stands and watches the
smooth running bit of mechanism for long
periods at a time. On the Senate side the
chief engineer in charge of heating and
ventilating is Mr.. Z. c. Stubbs, another en-
thusiastic and capable expert in engineer
ing works. His assistants are Messrs. f. E.
Dodson, a. S. Worsey r. II. Gay and John
Edwards
In each of the offices of the chief engi-
neers are arranged large number of dials
which indicate the pressure of steam, air,
etc, at various points. The steam pressure
on the heating boilers is invariable forty
pounds-a revelation to householders with
steam generating furnaces. This pressure
is reduced. however. to fifteen pounds on
the main coils and to five pounds on the
radiators which are found in some of the
corridors and committee rooms In this
connection it may be stated that the ten
dency in heating committee rooms is toward
the system of direct radiation Under the
present system several rooms get their heat
supply from the same fues AS individual
tastes are changeable and the rooms
vary greatly in size. it is believed that the
best results will be obtained from radiators
in the rooms, individually controlled.
An Ingenious Device
One of the most interesting devices in
connection with the heating plants is an
electrical appliance by which the engineers
can find at glance the temperature at any
important point about the building. Ar
ranged in rows of orderly precision are
number of electrical contact points. Hang
ing on a hook near by and connected to the
dial board with electric cords is a nickel
plated handle arrangement resembling one
of the hand-holds of the electric batteries
used by physicians. Above the contact
points is first small galvanometer, with
the needle pointing to zero-"neutral," the
experts say. To the right of the galvano-
meter is a dial with movable hand. On
the dial are marked Fahrenheit degrees.
The contact points are labeled House
floor Main duct or Tunnel" and so on.
indicating the points to which their wires
lead. When the movable nickel handle is
applied to any one of these points the nee
die of the galvanometer sways either to the
right or left, according TO the temperature
found at the other end of the line. By
means of the movable hand on the dial to
the right of the galvanometer the needle on
the latter is brought again to neutral"
When the needle becomes neutral the en-
gineer transfers his glance from the gal
vanometer to the other dial and the pointer
on it indicates in degrees the temperature
at the place from which information was
desired. The instrument which makes the
readings possible is a spiral of copper tub
ing filled with oil. with two wires running
through the fluid. This acts accurately
upon the galvanometer when brought into
connection. They are distributed through
out the building.
In view of the facilities at hand for
blowing warm air into the legislative cham
bers during the winter. the question has
constantly arisen to whether or not il
would be wise to add a refrigerating
tablshment to the plant at the Capitol and
blow artificially cooled air into the cham
bers during the hot period of the summer,
while the long session of Congress is still
in progress. This matter has been consid-
cred from many points of view. Sprinklers
have been employed at times in the past
and pools of water have been added to the
House ducts. 1t has been decided however.
that to artificially cool the chambers would
be of little benefit The minute senators
or representa- tiyeS left the chambers they
phere of the lOuuies and corridors and be-
come uncomfortable. Leaving the Capitol
for their homes or down town. they would
find the heat oppressive and unbearable
after the coolness of the chambers AS it
is now the system of ventilating which is
operated throughout the summer. minus
the heating coils, delivers air that is much
cooler than when taken from the outside,
and the temperature in the chambers is
invariably lower in the summer by six to
eight degrees than elsewhere.
The Lighting System.
The lighting system of the Capitol is
as deeply Interesting in many respects as
the process for heating and ventilating.
Electricity has followed close upon the
heels Of kerosene and gas. and has found