The San Francisco call., 1904-07-17
The "R0lIcaH Limited" "


structure for members Of the House
OF Representatives shall be an accom-
plished fact the above call will not
be an unusual one during the sessions
Of Congress.
On the main basement floor of the
building viii be the terminal station
Of an up-to-date little electric rail-
road, with cars equipped for the COM
fort Of the distinguished gentlemen
who make up the membership of the
lower branch Of the national legisla-
ture.
With a final warning that all shall
be aboard, the little train viii go hum
ming from its station. 1t will pass
through a brilliantly lighted subway
under the southeast lawns of the Cap
itOl grounds. and within a very few
seconds will halt in the sub-basement
Of the House wing. Here the MEM
bers viii disembark to find themselves
within easy access of the private ele-
Vator leading to the floor of the House.
The journey will require the briefest
possible space Of time.
As a counterpart TO the House Of
fee building Congress. at the session
just closed, made provision for the
construction Of an Office building for
the Senate. The House building is to be
located opposite the southeast corner
Of the Capitol grounds, while the Sen
ate building will occupy the corre-
spending square to the northeast. The
Senate building viii be but year be-
hind the House building at the most,
and when it is completed the subway
and electric transportation facilities
provided for the House Will be dupli-
Gated. In addition to the two tunnels
leading respectively from the House
building and the Senate building TO
the House and Senate wings of the
Capitol, the tunnel viii be carried
across TO the east front, so that
through trips may be made from the
Senate building TO the House building
It is not believed that the loop will be
much in service for passenger traffic
although it viii be extensively used
for minor freight carrying purposes.
Mr.. Elliott Woods, superintendent of
the Capitol. under whose supervision
the two great Office buildings are to be
erected is planning to begin work on
the passenger subway this summer 1t
VIII be necessary TO ditch the Capitol
is desirable that this should be done
when Congress is not in session. Mr.
Woods is also anxious that the tunnel
may be partially completed at least
by next December in order that it may
be used for bringing supplies into the
Capitol At the present time much of
the east front Of the Capitol is given
over TO the handling Of freight and ex-
press packages, food stuffs for the res
taurants. ice, laundry and various
other things. When the tunnel is in
operation these supplies will be dis
tributed through it. A terminal station
for handling this class of freight will
be located in the basement Of the
House building AS the completion Of
the tunnel VIII precede that of the
Office building. however, Mr.. Woods
contemplates the erection Of q tempo
rary terminal to be used during the
coming session Of Congress. It is more
than likely that the coal used in the
lighting, heating and ventilating plant
in the Capitol viii also be brought into
the building through the new subway.
The plans have been drawn and give
q precise idea as to the location Of the
two new Office buildings hanking the
Capitol grounds, together with the pro-
the Capitol and with each other. They
also show the location Of the new CEN
tral power station for the Capitol and
the Office buildings in the vicinity, au-
thorized at the last session Of Congress.
This power station is to be erected at
the intersection Of New Jersey avenue
southeast with the new line Of the
Pennsylvania railroad II is expected
that IL viii be completed and in opera
tion within two years. Then the pres
ent power plant in the Capitol will be
abandoned There will be no more
smoke in the vicinity Of the big struc-
ture on the hill. Neither the House
nor the Senate Office buildings will con-
tain furnaces or boilers and hence there
win be no unsightly chimneys
The new central power station will
be a costly affair so far as the initial
outlay is concerned. but It is expected
that the economy Of operation and Of
lighting and heating several of the big
buildings from one plant viii more
than Offset the heavy expenditure re-
Quired at the start. The plans also
show the proposed location OF the next
new building 10 be authorized near the
Capitol, on the corresponding square to
that occupied by the Congressional L.
brary.
The convenience and the serviceabIe-
ness Of the system of subway connec-
tions planned for the Representatives
and Senators cannot be overestimated
This viii especially apply TO the mem
bers OF the House, who are greater in
number than the Senators and are
more often required on the floor to
vote on a roll cali.
AS is well known. when an aye and
no vote is ordered, it is the desire Of
both parties that as fun vote as pos
sible shall be DOlled. In furtherance of
this desired end, there is now in opera
tion throughout the Capitol building a
system Of bell signals which indicate
when a poll OF the House or Senate is
about to be made These bells ring in
the various committee rooms. in the
restaurant. the barber shop and other