The Washington times., 1914-06-07
Great Fan in Hidden Vault
Drives Supply Through Duct
to Risers Under Seats in
House of Representatives.
By BRYAN MORSE.

Those familiar with the AFFAIRS OF
Congrsss-and there is no more pre-
sumption in the statement-declare
summer vocations for the gentlemen
on the Hill a thing Of the past. The
present Congress has sat longer
than the first historic body and
bids fair to eclipse all records for
length OF session.
In years to come successors to
the chairs in the Hall of Represen-
tatives will arrive to remain through
sessions which are likely to include
the hottest months of the year in
Washington. The idea of allow
ing the affairs of the nation to go
unattended to while the representa-
tives of the common people" take
things easy at the seashores or
mountain is forever gone.
No more will Congress declare a
holiday during the summer. There
is work to be done here.
This, of course, presents a pecu-
liar problem The Hall Of Repre-
sentatives. one of the largest rooms
in the country, must be properly
cooled and ventilated during the hot
months. Aside from the sanitary
and hygenic proposition of making
it possible 10 actually live in the
room with the sun beating down
upon thousands Of square feet of
glass roofing, fresh air must be
furnished TO those desirous OF con-
verting it into the Congressional
Record and the columns of the
press.
The problem of cooling Congress
presented TO Superintendent Elliott
Woods, of the Capitol, was changed
when the power plant was moved
from the House and Senate TO New
jersey avenue. Centrally located
the huge heating system supplies
not only the Capitol but the Senate
heat and power.
Air Artifcially Cooled.
The hall Of Representatives is l5s
feet long. 93 feet wide, and S6 feet
high. In other words and figures,
there are more than half a million
cubic feet Of air in the hall Of the
House OF Representatives. The
capacity of the House is about so.
including the 443 men from the Vari-
GUS States in the Union whose busi-
ness IL will be TO carry on the work
Ol the IA hSN '-A- 80 WV
weather.
In suppl ying fresh. pure air for
heated arguments. oratorlcal flights
and forensic debates in providing
cooler air to actually cause drop
in temperature OF from { 10 ; de-
grees, the hslf-million cubic lee: OF
air in the hall of Representatives
is completely changed every six
minutes.
if gu
Hidden under the shadow Of the
big white dome in the very bowels
Of the Capitol, opening out onto
the courtyard, is a large room. This
is the place where air is taken in 10
supply the Hall OF the House.
Three doors open out on the court
ward, and back of the room is a fan
sucking in the air TO send II through
circuitous cataconIbed passage 10
the air wells under the House 1loor.
The air room is provided with
device for cooling the air and re-
moving all dust. Extending across
the forty feet of length of the cham
ber from ceiling 10 floor is fine
wire mesh screen. Waterpipes rIE
around il. and when Air Is admit
ted e fine water spray plays through
the screen. a drop Of from TO
degrees is noted in temperature.
while all fne particles OF dust SINK
in the fine water spray to run into
q pool.
Great Fan Drives Current.
A motor driven fan twelve feet in
diameter running at 8 speed Of Id
revolutions per minute is sucking in
air 10 furnish the Congressman
with the breath Of life. The air
passage leading from the fan 10 the
wells under the floor of the House
has a cToss-section of seVenty-five
square feet. The velocity Of air
through the whirling fan Is $40 feet
per minute. Ii will be seen then
that more than 500 cubic feet of
air per minute is fed to the hall
Of the House OF Representatives
The water spray runs only q part
of the time. In no. weather when q
drop in temperature is wanted on
the House floor the spray is put in
uee. Forced through the. white tiled
ducts leading up under the floor of
the House the air comes out under
the risers on the thirteen steps or
hanks on which the seats are placed.
Under each chair at the floor,
through small holes cast in the iron
standards fresh air comes up to re-
viVc the individuals on the hoor
proper and in the galleries.
Thoroughly swepe and washed with
an sntiseptic solution once a month