Evening star., 1904-01-30

its difficulties of installation in a building
not primarily designed for such a system.
These have been overcome both as to wr-
ing and the placing of engines and boilers.
The only difficulties now encountered are
occasional back-draughts, caught from the
" nds swirling about the dome and down
the chimneys. Anthracite coal is used eX-
clusively in the Capitol building. and there
is seldom a bit of smoke seen issuing from
any of the chimneys. There WAS once in
troduced a resolution prohibiting the use of
soft coal in the Capitol building 1t was
never acted upon. but the officials took
their cue from the prevailing impression
at the time aid soft soal does not darken
the doors of the national house of state,
The overwhelming Importance of the cleo
trical plant at the Capitol is to be realized
when it is stated that the lighting, heating.
ventilating and elevator systems are all de-
pendent upon it for their source OF power
and operation. If the electric plant should
give out business at the Capitol would be
at a standstill. This condition reflects In
marked degree the Importance that TINS
great element is playing in the affairs OF
the day.
There are two electric plants at the Capt.
tol one in the House terrace and one in the
Senate. Both are of equal power and
almost identical in equipment Both are
under the efficient direction of Mr. c
P. Gliem chief electrical engineer. who
has occupied that position for sixteen
cent bulb lights in the Capitol building
and $50 arc lights In the building and
grounds. The power for these, for the ven
tilating fans and the elevators is generated
by four immense $50 horsepower Westtng-
house engines, kodak coupled to dynamos,
and four 223 horsepower engines OF similar
type. The kodak arrangement is so
called because of its compactness The en-
gines are of the vertical compound type.
and run smoothly and noiselessly. The
absence of mechanical noise has been the
object of all the installa tionS of engines ana
other appliances In the Capitol building.
The lighting of the hall of Representa-
tives requires 1,456 incandescent bulbs,
some of 16 and some of 81 candle-poWer.
The Senate requires 1900 lamps, many be
ing 80 candle-power. These lights are
grouped above the frosted glass panels OF
the chamber ceilings. The glare above the
ceilings when these lights are all turned on
is something tremendous and dazzling. 1t
must necessarily be strong to penetrate the
ground glass and give sufficient light upon
the floor thirty-siX feet below. There is r.
great loss of power through this system or
indirect illumination but the results are
most pleasing. Before the days of cleo
tricity at the Capitol gas jets were used
above the paneled ceilings. The heat in the
space between the ceiling and the glass
roof was tremendous. and the workman
who ohanced to have business above the
ceiling usually emerged looking like the
victim of a stoke hole on an ocean liner.
In those days the gas was Otten nShted 10
melt the snow Oh the roof.
During the coal strike last winter the
heating plant at the Capitol was operated
with pine logs for several montM. At no
time did the coal supply entirely disappear,
but it was thought best to employ wood
when possible. The Capitol officials man
aged to get hold of carload lots from the
railroads from time to time, and We're thus
enabled TO keep running until the situauou
was relieved.