The Washington times., 1916-02-06
SEE DEADLOCK OVER
HEAT PLANT DISPUTE
Some House Members Believe
NeMands Urgent Deficiency
Amendment viii Fail.
CONTINUED from First PaEe1


tions for the sundry civil expenses OF
ending June so, 1914, and for other
purpoaea, approved June 23, 1911
tthirty-elghth statutes, page twenty
fiVe), as authorizes the construction
Of n central heating. lighting, anu
power plant in the city of Washing
ION. District Of Columbia be- and the
same Is hereby, amended so as to ada
20 the buildings already enumerated
in said act to be furnished with heat
light, and power the Johnson Walker
Hiuilding (known as the Navy ANNEX
the Interior Department office Build
ing, the Lincoln Memorial, and the
WOmsn's Memorial Building 'hed
Cross BuildinE), and the limit of cost
Tor said plant is hereby increased
from sI,l94,l04 to $1,669,1O4 and the
limit Of $4,000 therein fixed for the
employment of technical services in
connection with the plans and speci,
lications and construction of said
plant is hereby increased to not eX-
cceding $4,000 and made available
for the employment of technical AMI
clerical services for said purposes:
Provided, THAT no work upon the
construction of said plant shall oe
commenced until the plans therefor
shall have been submitted to the Ma
tional Fine Arts Commission for their
approval, and approved by the tresl-
dent of the United states.
Originated in 1904.
A statement issued today with the
approval of those interested in placing
The heating plant at Fourteenth and
Water streets was as follows:
I'm the discussion of the construction
of the central heating, lighting and
power plant at the foot of Fourteenth
street, a great deal has been said
about the haste with which the plan
has been carried out. and the undesiF-
ability of the location adopted by Con-
isress. Consideration of the history or
he project shows it originated back in
1904. and that Congress by the sundry
civil act of June &c, 1918, directed the
construction OF the building at the pres
Cnt locations
Modern practice in the engineering
line wherever one concern has large
number of buildings is to furnish heat,
light and power from a central plant.
This practice is carried to such an eX-
tent that in New York city a great
many downtown office buildings are
supplied by two central concerns. the
New York Heating Company and the
New York Edison Company.
The first application of this prin-
ciple to Government buildings in the
city of Washington was In the CON
struction of the Capitol power plant.
which was built under the act of April
2S. 1904. In that same act Congress
directed the late Bernard r. Green, then
superintendent of the Library building
and grounds, to submit at the next ses-
sion preliminary plans and estimates
Of cost for the location. construction
and equipment. of a power house for
furnishing heat and electric power to
the existing and projected Government
buildings on the Mall and in the Ncin-
ity of the White House.
Two Plants Intended.
G. "Mr. Green was a noted engineer and
adviser to the members of both houses
Of Congress on all matters with re-
spect to the Identification of Washing
ton.
MIR. Green employed Prof. s. Homer
Woodbridge. of the Massachusetts In
stitute of Technology. an expert in the
designing and construction Of ventilat'
ing plants. In January. 1907, Mr.. Greer
fled his report to Congress enthusias
ticelly recommending the construction
Of central plant to supply the gov
Nrnmental buildings west of the Post
oface Department. known as the Elk
"cutive group. 1t was apparently recog
nized by Congress at this early date
hat one plant should be established
'or supplying the Capitol and its ada
cent buildings. while another was neces
sarY for supplying the Executive grouI
At the west end of the Mall.
MIR. Green suggested three sites. ThI
first and most central site was at Four
teenth and B streets on the Mall. in th
heart OF the Government group and on,
block south of Pennsylvania avenue
The second site was opposite the ole
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing. Hi
third site Is the site selected and desig
mated by Congress upon which tn,
building is being erected.
I'm his report he incorporated a from
elevation OF power plant and II con
tained a stack $50 feet high for any on
Of the sites
AS to Undue Haste.
due haste it is on record that Secretar,
OF the Treasury MacVeagh appointed
a committee May l. 1911. consisting o
Nelson S. Thompson. chief mechanica
engineer OF the supervising architect
ofice: Capt. c. A. McAllister. chief en-
Glneer OF the Coast Guard. and r. H
Chappell. superintendent of machinery
bureau OF Engraving and Printing (anC
graduate of Annapolis). to conside
and report on plans for central heat
ing. lighting. and power plant. Thi
committee reported TO the Secretary un
der date OF June /. 1911. recommendinJ
the construction OF a plant at the pres
ent site, Secretary MacVeaEh reported
no Congress in December. 1911, givinj
he recommendations Of the committed
In the early part of 1912 hearinga Wer
Acld by the House Appropriations Com
nittee on the project. The Appropria
Ions Committee discussed the matte
very fully with Secretary MaoVeagh'
committee. and further study with
view to enlarging the project to take Il
additional buildings was directed.
a second report was submitted &c
the Secretary Of the Treasury in the
summer of 1912. and hearings on this
report were held before the House Com
mittee on Appropriations. Reports Of
these hearings were published as public
documents. AS result Of the hearing
before the committee. Congress. on Jun,
.6, 1913, authorized and directed thu
construction of central heating. light
ing. and power plant at the present sitt
after having the matter under con
sideration for more than eight years.
Worked on Plans a Year.
The act authorized the employment
OF expert services outside OF the Treas
ury Department, and in order to Civ,
the most careful consideration to thI
whole project the firm of l.. B. Still
we'll & Co.. of New York city. was en-
rloyed by the Treasury Department
This firm worked on the project for ap
proNimately a wear and prepared tn
plans and specifications which wer
used as the basis upon which bids wer
asked for the construction work J'h
plans, as prepared by Mr., Stillwell. pro
Nided for the smokestaCks to Which oh
lection has later been made.
1t is remarkable that Mr.. Stillwell
after his careful study for apDFOXimate