The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-10-15
ELECTRICITY IN THE WHITE

The White House in Washington,
d. c., is lighted entirely by electric
ity. And, indeed, the home of the
Nations Chief Executive, President
william H. Taft, is a model electrical
house. for the wonderful force not
only lights the entire building and
the grounds about, but 1t is employed
all over the house from the ventila-
tors in the attic to the cooking OF the
foods in the kitchen.
The power plant which supplies
this current is located In the base
ment Of the State War and Navy De-
partment Building directly across the
street. Two General Electric Curtis
steam turbo-generators OF 70 ana l5O
kilowatts capacity, respectively, furn-
ish the necessary current.
In the White House and the ONCE
adjoining there are over 1900 In
candescent lamps, mostly 81 candle
power capacity, as well as a number
of large arc lamps for lighting the
grounds and drives and illuminating
the exterior of the Mansion SO that
no person can approach the Presi-
dents home at night without being
seen by the Secret Service men and
the police officers on guard. A large
number of these lamps are lighted
every hour Of dusk or darkness from
one year to the other.
Aside from the lavish illumination,
electricity is employed to operate the
automatic elevators and dumb walt
ers; supplies the energy for the va
CUM cleaners and the sweepers;
drives more than two hundred house
fans and number of ventilating
fans; provides private telephone
system with stations in all parts OF
the mansion and grounds; and does
much Of the cooking in the kitchen
and the washing and ironing in the
| laundry.
| AS the White House depends abso-
llutely upon electricity for lighting
and other important purposes three
complete systems are always ready
to supply the necessary energy, the
third being a 200 hourse- power en-
CINE. In the event of all three being
out Of commission at the same time
arrangements are ready to throw OF
the street service from the city''
power station
There is also chief&nlectrician
Mr.. George w. Riley, who rocks ate
the plant and equipments. A corps 0
, six electricians are on duty in three
shifts Of eight hours each every day
The chief duty of the White Hous'
electrician is the arrangement OF tn
special lighting effects for social func
tions at the Presidential home. Some
times very elaborate table designs in
volying the use of numbers OF min1a
ture lights are required for the stat
dinners or banquets at the mansion
The electrician is always on duty un
til late at night when there Is socia
entertainment in progress, and oftel
1t Is necessary or at least desirabl
that all the wiring and paraphernali
for a special electrical display shal
!. be removed ere the mansion is opene
to the public in the morning. Tn
great ornamental chandeliers whic
; are among the most conspicuous feat
ures of the state parlors at the Whit
House-the East, Green, Blue an
Red rooms, require much attention
, Some of these chandeliers contai
hundreds Of electric lamps, nestlin
among. thousands Of prisms. TheI
are stately electric standards In seN
eral Of the rooms and simple but I'm
pressive electric lanterns in the vest
bule and under the porte cocher'
Just outside the north entrance
|, the mansion, which is the private Ell
trance for the White House famil
and their guests.