Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-25
SENATORIAL OFFICE FLATS
swell Quarters Provided for Members
of the Upper House at
Washington.

new building VIII be at least as tar along
toward completion by December 1 as the
house office. building was on the CORE
spending date last year, 1t need not be
expected that there will he any exodus
to II from the capitol There will be
enough rooms and to spare In 'the new
building for all the senators when they
choose to make use Of them, and 1T will
be possible to assign duplicate quarters,
If desired, for senators who prefer to
retain their old offices indefinitely, but
who may wish to have their permanent
offices i'm the new building assigned to
them at once. Thus they can use either
office, as they may find il convenient to
do so. During sessions they are likely
to prefer using the rooms in the capitol,
as there will be less trouble in doing so,
and when there is a roll call they will
not have far to go to get back to the
oh amber' TO vote. This plan Is likely to
simplify matters very much, and in time
there will be many voluntary relinquish-
ments of the old quarters. which then can
he devoted to other uses as they may
become apparent or necessary.
Some Of the space in the new building
Is likely to be required for various COM
missions now housed elsewhere. some
times rather inadequately. The immigra-
ton commission, for instance. is now To-
Gated In the house office building, but it
is likely to be assigned rooms in the SEN
ate building. and as it's work may re-
quire it to continue in existence for sew
eral years IT will be given every facility
for the transaction of its business. Then
there is the monetary commission. 1t
will reqire offices. Some of the commits
sions not composed of members of con-
gress may also be given office room there
If the senate sees fit TO provide for them
in that way.
There is no lack of room. In fact, pro-
vision has been made for needs that may
arise for years in the future. There is a
whole floor on the Delaware avenue and
c street frontage. with fourteen suites OF
rooms. which will not be fitted up at
all this year. As these are needed they
can be made ready for occupancy with
little trouble or delay. 4
In the general appearance the new
office building suggests, as to the
wings, the facade of the Louvre in Paris
and the long colorado was modelled on
the general lines of the c%olonnade on the
Place de la Concorde, but the architect
made a free adaptation, using Roman
doric columns in pairs instead of the sin
gle Corinthian columns as seen in the
| original. Decorative effects have been
used sparingly and with excellent effect,
there being nothing to detract from the
dignified lines of the perspective.
The rooms assigned for the use Of the
| senator's and their secretaries will have
an elegant, but subdued effect, and will
be much like the business offices provided
by large corporations for their officials.
All the rooms will be furnished in ma
hogany, toned with acids to give the
richer effects which can otherwise be
gained only by the mellowlng influences
OF time. The doors and trimmings will be
Honduras mahogany, stained to a rich
brown, while the furniture will be of
African mahogany, naturally a darker
wood, stained to a warm, soft red. All
OF this furniture was especially designed,
being heavy, simple and dignified Inv APP
pearance, with little carving. Each room
will have a marble mantei, above which
will be a large mirror in a heavy gold
frame. on the mantel will be a pair of
electric candlesticks, which, like the CEN
trail electrolier and the six brackets or
wall lights, will be of special designs in
old silver. The hardware for the doors
and furniture will be of yellowish bronze.
The tile borders around the rooms will
be about three feet in width. of white, with
strips or the edges OF alternate white
and veined marble. the center being of
white cement, Which will be covered by
big wilton rugs. There will be a plaster
cornice in each room, and a plaster CEN
terpiece in the ceiling The walls will be
left dead white, and each senator will be
able to suggest the particular scheme of
wall decoration which will meet his fancy.
Much careful consideration has been giveT
to all of these details. as well as to the
kind of rugs to be used, which will be
woven Ia three or four designs in
Worcester, Mass. The electric wiring is
elaborate and carefully thought out. The
desk may be placed either IN the center OF
the room or by the window, wires being
placed in the floor at both places for desk
telephone, buzzcr, electric fan and desk
light. The telephone can also be placed at
any one of several places on the walls.
The rooms for the secretaries are smaller
and palmer, but the general scheme OF
finish and furniture will be similar. tc
that in the senator's offices.
As for the progress Of the work. It II
now about finished as far as the public car
observe. The interior finish is rapidly near
ing completion, Perhaps three-fourths o
the plastering is done and nearly all o
the woodwork trimming is in storage await
ing the call OF the carpenters, The tile
settlers have begun work laying the marbl
thing on the corridor floors and the marbl
border In the rooms. In the handsom
rotunda the marble work is almost finished
and work has begun. or It win begin in
few days at most, on the roof covering IN
rOtunda. The corner steps, broad, Jignified
and with low risers, will be done by De
cember. There is much activity around IN
building, and the work is making salts
factory Roadway.
Perhaps II is hardly necessary 10 say tina
the new building win have practically ever
convenience which is known to architecture
skin. There will be -fast-running elevator
Of the best type. a restaurant and kitcher
barber shop and baths, large committee an
audience rooms. But there will not be tn
refined luXuries which some writer's hay