The San Francisco call., 1904-07-17
MENananMAa1EERS IN
THE EC)f2Is tie WORLD

places where members are likely to be
found.
When the new Office building for
members Of the House is completed at
New Jersey avenue and B street south
east it is safe to assume that whenever
possible the Representatives will spend
much of their time in their apartments
in this structure.
Under the new order of things when
a roll call is about to be had in the
House, tiny bells or "buzzers" will an
noance the fact in every room of the
new Office building. If the members
there should be required in the winter
to put on their coats and walk across
to the Capitol, from five to ten minutes
would be lost in the journey. With the
subway in operation, however, the sig
nal for a roll call will be the signal
for extra service on the double tracks
of the House subway. It is then that
the roll Call Limited" will be an
nounced. Frequently rapid trips will
be made by the fast-moving little troll
! ley trains between the House building
and the House wing of the Capitol un-
I'll all the members who desire to vote
have been transported from their Of
fee apartments to the House chamber.
The passenger terminal in the base
ment of the office building will be To-
Gated conveniently to the elevator
shafts. The tunnel will probably be
heated sufficiently to make the tenn
perature comfortable at all seasons.
Thus the Representatives may in the
morning proceed to their offices at New
Jersey avenue and B street and there
doff their overcoats for the day. At II
o'clock they will journey through the
subway to the Capitol and will go back
and forth during the day as their
wishes dictate. The facilities for the
House building will be duplicated in
the office building for the Senate.
The subway will be a two-track af-
fair, leading from the Senate and
House wings to the respective office
buildings. The loop along the east
front of the Capitol will be a single
track. The tunnel will be amply ven
tilated, lighted and heated. The in
terror will be of light-colored glazed
brick, and all Semblance of dampness
will be done away with by the most
modern methods of waterproofing. AS
already stated, there will be passenger
and freight trains in operation. The
passenger cars will be open, of course,
and will resemble the cars of roller
coasters and scenic railways in design,
although more comfortable and lux
uriously upholstered.
The tunnel will be used permanently
for bringing Office supplies, restaurant
supplies and the like into the Capitol
building. The House Office building,
being conveniently located, will have a
depot for depositing these supplies,
and they will be transported from
there. The basement of the building
will have several tracks in the prin-
cipal corridors to facilitate the moving
Of this minor freight. The employ
ment of the tunnel for coal carrying
purposes will continue during the pro-
gress of the construction of the new
central power station. It is hoped
that this may be completed, stimuli
taneously with the House Office build
ing. Two lines of ducts connecting the
power station with the Capitol and
surrounding Office buildings will be
laid. One will be in South Capitol
SLeSl anu the otHeT III rlrSl SIreel
East. In case of accident to either of
these lines the duplicate system can
be employed.
If 1t is possible to do so, Mr.. Woods
hopes to complete the excavations for
the tunnel during the next few
months. Both the House and Senate
branches of the tunnel will be exca-
waited, so that connections can easily
be made when the Office buildings are
under way.
The subway will contain cement
walks in addition to tracks, in order
that members not desiring to ride can
still employ the tunnel for the journey
from Office building to Capitol and not
be exposed to the blasts of extreme
/ winter Notwithstanding Star.