The broad ax., 1907-10-05
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondenee.l


house Office buildings. The cOntract
for the work calls for its COMPLETE
and the restoration of everythirs
above ground to its original state by
the time the real people begin to drift
into town for the session. From the
inside out the subways will be con
structed Of one inch facing Of cemen.
a fifteen inch wall of concrete, four
layers OF waterproofng and then =
four inch wall Of hollow terra cote
blocks, set vertically, so as to serve as
a series of drains and carry of rain
seepage and such. Each subway WI.
be absolutely dry, and the greatest SECT
Of care is being given to this feature.
Subway Sidewalks.
The sidewalk In the subways will b,
seven feet wide, running the full
length Of the tunnel and terminating
In platforms In each station. In ad-
dillon each subway has sufficient roou.
for a narrow gauge track, on which
will be run ordinary trucks to transfer
documents, etc, to and from the capt.
toll. A track for passenger cars may I've
put In, although this particular featur"
is in rather a haZy state just now
Anyhow, the sidewalk will permit
those members OF congress who retain
powers Of lOcomOtiOn to dash back ami
forth between the capitol and the Office
buildings without showing their noses
above ground.
Furnishing the Capitol.
The work on the capitol is nearing
completion. Twas unusually heavy
this year. The outside of the big dome
was gone over with a magnifying glass
and painted with some sort of com
pound that stretches and has con
tempt for weather. Inside in the sen
ate wing the rooms of the committees
on interstate commerce, privileges and
election claims, conference, pOstOficc
and post roads and the chambers Of
the vice president and sergeant at
arms were painted and decorated, and
at the house end the rooms OF the com
mittees on Indian affairs, private land
claims and labor received similar treat
ment. The folding room, document room
and other business quarters around the
capitol also have been gone over.
Senate Ventilation.
In the supreme court everything
paintable has been painted, and the
robing room has been given special at
tentiOn. The work certainly should be
fine, as 1t Is being done by the artist
who restored the Vatican frescoes Il
couple OF years ago.
One Of the most important pieces Of
work done at the capitol during the
summer was the installation Of a new
and big exhaust fan over the senate
chamber. II is thought this will mate
rally improve the ventilation.
Ball Bearing Chairs For cOnsressmen.
The annual housekeeping OF the cor
| rfdOrs and the 40 rooms for office,
committee and storage purposes and
the go windows, the $50 doorways
and the 40 fireplaces has been finish
ed. In the house chamber all Of the
400 mahogany desks have been scraped
and refinished and the 400 chairs fur
nished with new ball bearing castors.
Municipal Building Furnishings.
U
the commissioners several months ago
to estimate the cost Of furnishing
and equippIng the new municipal
building which the District govern
ment anticipates moving into next
June furnished their estimate to the
commissioners as $135, 500. or this
500, 100 will be used for equipments
1 =
terpresses, counters, partitions, cleo
trical fixtures, ratings, etc. The re-
naming $43,627 will be devoted to fur
niture, screens, rugs, mirrors, etc.
Public Baths and Laund=:es.
Preparatory to submitting their an
nual reports and estimates to congress
at the coming session, the commission
ers are considering the ACCESSIBILITY OF
providing public baths In the District.
They strongly favor the establishment
Of public baths and last year recon-
mended that an appropriation be made
sufficient to build two, but congress
turned 1t down. This year, 1t is stat
ed, the commissioners will ask for an
appropriation for the two public baths
and an appropriation with winch 10 es-
tablish public baths for the accOmmO-
dalton OF pupils OF the public schools
and the establishment OF public laun-
dries In connection with the public
baths.
WhiAs House Dining Table.
At the White House IT is stated that
the famous dinner set Of the ROose-
Welt home Is not being regilded, as re-
ported, but that several OF the QTna-
ments to the tables Of the state dining
room are in process OF being bright
ened up. The most interesting Of these
b what Is called the plateau, a beauti-
full ornament for the center OF the
White House table on state occasions.
II Is about ten feet long, In five sec
lions and twenty inches wide. Beau
tiful mirrors adorn the bottom OF this,
and the border Of these mirrors Is OF
gilt. The borders are being worked