Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-16
Caring FOR CAPITOL
Elliott Woods Reports on a
Years Work.
DOME HAS BEEN REPAINTED
Rotunda Restored to Original Paint.
less Condition.
MAHOGANY REPLACING PINE
Old Stairway Reopened to Gallery
of statuary Hall-Progress on
Office Buildings.
IAH0GANY REPLACING PINE

The needed improvements to the Cap
uol that have been in progress for several
years have continued during the last fiscal
year.
Mahogany revolving doors have been
placed at five of the principal entrances
to the basement story and at the east ro-
tunda entrance. The utility of these doors
was fully demonstrated during the past
winter. especially at the north and west
entrances, where much difficulty was eN-
perienced in keeping the ordinary doors
closed during hard winter storms. Pro-
vision has been made for installing re-
volving doors at the remaining entrances
to the basement story and also at the en-
frances to the principal story. Fifteen
pairs of mahogany doors have been
placed at committee and other rooms in
the place of the pine doors put up when
the building was first occupied.
'In the Senate and House restaurant
kitchens radical changes have been made.
The floors have been reconstructed of con-
crete and tile. new sanitary plumbing has
been installed, thing has been placed on
the side walls. large permanent refrger-
ators of the most modern type have been
built, and new portable refrigerators.
cooking ranges, other necessary furniture.
and large exhaust fan have been added.
These Kitchens are now as complete and
sanitary as any In the country.
Additions have been made to the por-
ton Of the auxiliary draft of chimneys
over the Supreme Court section of the
Capitol.
Last year there were removed from the
walls of the rotunda the several coats of
paint which had been put on the sand
stone, and the rotunda section is now re-
stored to its original appearance. During
the past year the same work was done i'm
Statuary Hall. which was the old Hall of
Representatives.. The old stairway lead
ing from the basement and principal
stories has been restored and now admits
the visitor to the gallery of the hall. The
same restoration has been made to the
stone work in the corridor entrance to the
Supreme Court and in the crypt, and the
forty columns of the crypt now show the
original beauty of this masterful work.
Painting of the Dome.
The dome. which had not been painted
for several years. has been thoroughly
gone over. Joints and openings have been
carefully covered with proper material.
and the whole has been painted with spe-
cially prepared paint, which it is believed
will add very much to it's resistance to the
elements well as to its appearance.
Repairs to ceilings and porticoes have
also been made.
THE exterior central portion of the
Capitol has again been painted as before
In order to preserve the sandstone OF
which 1t is constructed.
In nine of the terrace committee rooms
the old wooden floors have been replaced
by floors of concrete. which are not only
more durable. but sanitary. The sashes
and frames of the windows throuhout the
building have been painted. During this
year, as for several years past, progress
has been made in the substitution of
more modern type or plumbing. new
toilet for public use has been installed in
one of the terrace rooms in the Senate
wing. Repairs to roofs, guttering and
skylights have been made. Several mar
BILE hearths have been set in committee
rooms. and marble thresholds have been
laid in the Senate lobby. Seventy-five
committee and other rooms have been
painted OF decorated. corridors have been
painted and repairs have been made to
the frescoing. During the year sXty-siN
important and 10 minor repairs have
been executed throughout the building.
AT engine house No. 3 and al the Sem
ate and House stables necessary repairs
nave been made both to the interior and
exterior. New pavements have been laid
in carriage yards and sheds at the Senate
stables.
been repaired and painted, and several
rooms have been painted. The electric
Hight system has been extended, and nee
essary repairs have been made to the
floors, roof and heating department
"a new plant house was erected at the
botanic Garden and necessary repairs
were made to the other plant houses. The
heating apparatus. the concrete and flag
cling walks and the drain pipes connected
with Bartholdi fountain have peen re-
paired.
tions were erected. repairs made to plumb
ing a bridge constructed to the annex,
several changes in doorways made and
all necessary painting done
Office Buildings.
1.-THE setting of stonework on the fronts
of the Senate office building has reached
a level about half way between the sec
ond and third floors. The building of the
brick interior walls and me laying of
the steel floor beams has kept pace with
the progress of the stone setting.
1.-THE prosecution of the work on this
building is such as to warrant the state
ment that the building can be completed
one year after the completion of the
House office building, it being borne III
mind that the work was commenced one
year later
1.-The stonework of the court fronts of
the House Office building has been entire
" completed: the stonework on the street
fronts is about three-fourths completed
and the same proportion o. roof has been
finished Practically all the terra Gotta
interior partitions have been butt ana
plastering has been commenced contracts
have been let for the doors and finish in
the office rooms; the running of conduits
for the electric wiring has been practi-
caIIy completed and contracts Will short
ly be made for the marble moor IN the
corridors
Expenditures.
Expenditures are given by Superinten-
den Woods as follows: Capitol. 5000;
lighting Capitol and grounds. ''i2.1": I'M
L.. OF