The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-03-31
SIMPLICITY FOR
j. 5. SENATE
LUXURIES OF UNITED STATES
SENATE NOW SURPASS DREAM
OF ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
NEW BUILDING.

Washington, March 31.-What is
undoubtedly the most luxurious office
building in the country, If not in the
world, is just being completed for
the use of the United States senate.
1t is so far finished that most of the
senators have already moved their
quarters from the old capitol build
ing, or from the Maltby annex, into
the new structure, and are settling
down to the enjoyment of their mod
ern environment.
Every convenience known to the
art of the builder and architect is
included in the new building. 1t is
electrically lighted throughout. All
of the lighting fixtures, as we'll as
the furniture. the IS elevators. etc.,
were specially designed so as to fit
in with their sumptuous surround
ings.
Every room has it's telephone, it's
electric bell to tell what is going on
on the senate floor, and it's electric
fan. An electric clock system is be-
ing installed so that every suite of
rooms will be supplied with the exact
time from the naval observatory.
Each senator has at least two
rooms-one for himself, one for his
secretary and clerks. Some have
more than two. Their are the usual
mail chutes as in most modern Of
fee buildings, and, in addition, there
are gravity conveyances" which will
take heavy packages down to the
mailing rooms below
The senators ride through tun-
mel that connects the capitol with
their Office building in $4,000 auto
mobiles. One particular convenience
is scheme for carrying ice water
in a system of pipes so it can be
drawn in each room from a spigot,
the same as ordinary city water.
All of the furniture, including the
doors and other trimmings of the
rooms, is of ahogany-Honduras
Mexico, Cuba and Africa all contrib
uting to this display of fine woods.
Altogether Their are 2,105 pieces OF
furniture in the building, the whole
expenditure for this feature, includ-
| ing rugs, amounting to $8S,44435.
The entire work was executed I'M
der system of separate contracts,
and almost every section of the coun-
try had part in the construction
of the furnishing of the building.
In the lower part of the structure
is large kitchen consisting of eight
rooms, all fitted with the most mod
ern appliances and with tiled walls.
Everything is electrically fitted, even
the ice cream freezer and the dish
washer being run by electricity.
Also, on the ground floor, is
wonderful bathing room, with COM
modious individual apartments for
each senator, fitted with hot and
cold spray attachments, lined with
marble and with luxurious furnish
ings in keeping with the rest of the
establishment. A barber shop is
conveniently near, and Their is a tele-
graph Office, telephone Office, and
postoffice on the floor above.
The building itself is of marble
on granite base. 1t consists of
three large wings, with a court be-
tween, the combined frontage of the
building and court facades being
nearly one-half a mile Because Of
its proximity to the capitol its ex-
terror architecture, like that of the
house Office building on the other
side of the square, Is made to con-
form to that of the capitol. Hand
some columns of fluted marble grace
the sides of the structure facing the
capitol plaza. TIL most delicately
colored marbles procurabIe seem to
have been selected for floors and
columns and staircases, with ornate
bronze ratings for the latter and
lighting fixtures of the same metal.
The rooms of the senators are fin
ished in white plaster, although each
one has a handsome marble mantle
Liece, with artistic iron CRATE and fire
set, over each of which it is intended
to place a plate glass mirror. The
electric lighting fixtures in the SEN
ators offices are finished in cold sill
YER"
The building stands to the north
east of the capitol, and is destined
to be one of the "show places" OF
the city.