Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-25
IMPROVING CAPITOL
Work of Renovation Now
Going On.
VENTILATING SYSTEM
BEING INSTALLED IN BIG BUILD
ING ON THE HILL.
Will Be Ready for House and Senate
and Will Present Spick and
Span Appearance.
VENTILATING SYSTEM

that August body ASSEMBLIES for it's first
session.
The sound of hammer and saw resounded
throughout the great structure today when
Star reporter visited many of the points
where improvements are In progress, ac-
companed by Mr.. David Lynn, foreman Of
the vast work under the general direction
of Mr.. Woods In addition to the midsum-
mer housekeeping, painters and decora-
tors, carpenters and masons and men of
other crafts engaged in the work of i'm
provement and overhauling.
THE new Congress" said one of the
officials, will meet In practically new
Capitol. for the building is being gone over
in minute detail"
In the Senate wing the room of the COM
mittee finance and fifteen other COM
mttee rooms are being painted and deco
rated. Superintendent Woods Is doing
away with the old kalsomining in these
rooms and replacing 1t with oil, the ceilings
and walls being decorated In the latter.
The entire system of ventilating the COM
mittee rooms on both the Senate and House
sides is to be changed. 1t is in connection
with this change that the chinlneys are TO
be RACED. These chmneys can be seen
from all parts of the city. and their effect
on the beauty of the building is anything
but artistic. They will be replaced by ten
inch pipe. through which draughts of air
will be forced down into the many apart
ments occupied by the committees of both
houses 1t is claimed that by the system
the Ventilation will be as perfect as mod
ern science can make IT.
On Senate Side.
Considerable work will be done in the
Senate chamber. on the lower floor, as well
| as in the galleries. In the room of the
committee on the District of Columbia the
| walls are covered by artistic paintings by
| the noted Brumidi. These will be touched
| up and revived.
Painting and decorating will be done also
| in the room of the Senate committee on
public lands and the official reporters room.
| In the latter the stained glass windows will
| be reprinted and the skylights arranged
| to admit more light.
The great skylights over the chambers of
| the Senate and House will be enlarged to
take in the two rows of blank panels,
which will result in admitting a greater
| flood of light into the chambers. This in
| itself is considered one of the most impor-
| tant improvements that is being accom-
| plished this summer and is said to be
| much reeded one.
The elevators on both sides of the buil4-
! ing are to be thoroughly overhauled and
| new cables put in where needed The cars
| and their supports are to be thoroughly
| tested to prevent the possibility of an ac-
| eident during the hustle and hustle of the
| busy winter season.
| The walls of the room of the committee
| on public buildings and grounds of the Sem
ate are to be prettily painted, also those
OF the committees on engrossed bills and
appropriations. New mahogany doors are
to be put In the room of the committee on
Indian affairs and the sergeant farms
Office.
Post Office Of the Senate.
The post Office of the Senate is to be
reprinted and the oil paintings in the room
of the public lands committee restored.
Painters will also restore the interior of
the room of the committee of the Five Civ
| iliZed Indian Tribes, and considerable work
| will be done on the Senate corridors and
| terraces.
On the House side the corridors will be
| retouched and the lanterns or skylghts
| over Statuary Hall and the Supreme Court
| will be painted and otherwise placed in Or
der. Many of the rooms occupied by the
| House committees will come in for re-
| painting and general renovation.
! One of the most interesting processes on
the House side of the Capitol was the
painting of four lunettes in the room of
| the committee insular affairs These
are illustrative of past and present his
| tory.
! They treat of the former Spanish admins
| tration in the Philippine Islands as con-
| trasted with the present administration of
| the Americans. Spain is represented by
| tyranny and the United States by Justice
These paintings have been heartily praised
! style of decoration in the committee rooms
and corridors will be Italian renaissance,
replacing the ancient kalsomine work
| Considerable work will be done in the law
| library of the House. This will include
| painting. rearranging of the shelving,
| change of the heating and lighting systems,
| the putting in Of new terrace flooring of
| cement and stone, and a general removal
changed to a better system that will bring
out to better effect the beauties of this his
| toric chamber. There will be many electric
| lights in the ceiling. portable lamps and
| massive chandeliers. with myriads of gilt
! tering electric light bulbs. Under the pres
ent system of illumination it is said many
| of the beauties of the rooms are lost.
Rooms of Chief Clerk.
| The rooms Of the chief clerk and disburs-
| ing officer Of the House will be repainted
and steel counters will replace the old
wooden ones. The windows in the apart
ments have been reconstructed in the same
| style as those of the new committee rooms
| in the central portion of the building
New floors have been added In the Office
of the foreman of folding and new shelving
put in.
The room of the House acommittee on
commerce, of which Col Hepburn Is chair
man, is being painted and decorated The
present skylght will be replaced by one
with stained glass to harmonic with the
paintings and furnishings
There will be a general renovation and
repainting of the rooms of the committees
on elections No. g and rules, post Offices
and post roads The old-time furniture In
all the committee rooms will be replaced ~
rapidly as possible by modern furniture In
mahogany and oak.
Bright new carpets will be laid In the
chambers of the Senate and House and
the 400 desks in the House will probably
be refinished and the chamber made spick
and span for the new Congress
About September 1 Superintendent Woods
will employ a large gang Of cleaners who
Will wash down the walls of the corridors
scrub the tiled floors of corridors and COM
mittee rooms. and invade every nook and
corner of the big structure in their quest
for dust and dirt.
The Supreme Court chamber will also
come in for thorough overhauling, paint
ing and retouching
Since Mr. Elliott Woods has taken charge
of the grounds surrounding the Capitol 1t is
remarked by officials that there has been
much improvement in their appearance
which Is described as artistic and pietur-
esque. The plants and flowers In the cas-
ings about the terraces have particularly
pleasing effect.
The great rotunda. as described In The
Sunday Star. is being generally rehabili-
tod nSe@ a4A ma