Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-26
TO BEAUTIFY CAPITOL
REPAIRS TO BUILDING AND I'M
PRovEMENT OF GROUNDS.
Annual Report Of Elliott Woods, the
Superintendent-Care Of
the Grounds.

According to the annual report OF MI
Elliott Woods superintendent of the Capitol
buildings and grounds, the sum of $29o.9oo
was expended on the care and repair of the
building: $42, 500 for lighting the grounds,
$25, GOO for improving the grounds and 81 ,2o0
for repairing the engine house, the Senate
and House stables. Included also in the re-
port is a statement of the repairs made to
the court house or city hall, which shows
that during the fiscal year ending June 80
last s., COO was expended on that building.
The annual statement OF Mr.. Woods this
year is held closely to a report of the work
that has been done during the year, and is
unusually brief Under the law the super
intendent of the Capitol building. and
grounds also has charge of the conduct OF
oversees repairs made to the city hall build
ing. Regarding the repairs at the Capltol
Mr.. Woods says:
Care of the Capitol.
THE appropriation for the repairs to the
Capitol, provided for in the sundry civil
bill, approved March 8, 1903. having been
made Immediately available, enabled us to
take up large and much needed improve
ments in the interior of the Capitol ahead
of the usual time July !, 190S).
The total area covered by painting, when
involved the cleaning down of ceilings arll
side walls and painting the same with two
coats, was approximately $4,000 square
yards. This work included nearly every
corridor in the building and the painting
and decorating of % rooms; the completion
and the decoration OF the Senate ana
House lobbies and the laying of marble
floor for the latter; the cleaning out, scrap
ing down, and thorough painting or the
ironwork between the outer and inner shell
of the dome, well as all of the exposed
81 ;,o,, ,nvk m
the dome, and of the old building wall
supporting it. The items further include
the installation of an extensive system OF
shelving, both for the House library ana
principal room of the library heing equip
ped with high-grade ctea shelving; also
considerable steel shelving and file-case
work in the Senate library. under the west
central roof.
.'Further included is the erection of a
circular stairway as continuation or the
old stairway located in the southeast cor
ner Of the old library space Tor access 20
the House document room. There Is also
included the important formation of two
committee rooms in the third story. OF the
old library space affOrding one room eacn
for the Senate and House .s
Important also was the completion anu
fireproofing of the roof Lanterns at the
north and south of the dome. or greater
Importance has been the complete recon-
struction of the membfrs toilet In the
entire new set of fixtures and marble floor.
Similar treatment was giveHAto the public
toilet and ladies' redm in et1enate wing.
Included also in tffeS coma&fe fecQnHtruc-
ton and renovation of tbefsenatorss barber
shop on the basement foor4 thes erection
therein of a new marble barEfr stand with
mirrors and figh-grade fixtures incident
thereto the construction oEsbathing rooms
with marble partitions. instead OF the for
mer wooden partitions, the installation OF
a new system of plumbing, and the laying
OF a marble floor oyer tie SPACE occupied.
Mechanical Equipment.
THE mechanical equipment of the build
ing had added to its betterment, the in
stallation of forged-steel water tube boil
ers, five in number and aggregating 1,16o
horse power in capacity"
The Capitol Grounds.
Regarding the Capitol grounds Mr.. Woods
says: "The large lawns east of the building
have been completely ;overhauled and re-
planted, and have shown during the present
season a sturdy growth of new grass. The
summers of Washington appear to be very
severe on our lawns, particularly those that
adjoin the terrace. The usual repairs to
paving, walks and drives have been made
berry planted where needed or pruned in the
proper season. The public gardener. MIR.
George H. Brown, has been of material
assistance in beautifying the plant cases on
the terrace surrounding the Capitol, and
has taken the necessary steps to provide
the grounds with suitable shrubbery to be
planted during the fan.