Evening star., 1928-04-22
SENATE CHAMBER
REVAMP|NG ASKED
$500,000 Fund Added by
Committee to Extend Walls
and Obtain More Air.

The long-6iscu$sed proposal to re-
model the Senate chamber, primarily
TO give it air and sunshine direct from
outside and at the same time to en-
bellish its interior design, was brought
definitely before Congress for decision
YESTERDAY. when the Senate sppropria-
tsons committee added SS0oooo TO the
legislative appropriation bill for the
project,
If the sum is approved the work would
Be started at the close of the short seS-
aon next March. leaving ample time
for the changes before the following De-
cemoer.
The Senate chamber now Is a square
rom. completeiy separated from the
exterior walls of the Capitol oy sur
rounding corridors and cloakroonlS. Inc
Y,is,1 is 10 extend the north side of me
chaYnber back To the outer wall sho
place in that wall three large aTcIeeo
windows. opening directly into the
chamber
Would Be Semicifclc.
The shape of the room would DC
changed to a semiciTcle, using the
supreme Court chamber and Statuary
HalI as the design Of tbs reFamped
senate hail. Testimony before the ap~
r.ronrisfions committee shows the IN
ferior would be done over IN stone and
n1srhle. with no plaster ornaments,
In conformity with resolution
usSse6 several years ago. the firm o.
Carrere & Hastings consulting arcni-
tects. has submitted plan for the re-
modelling TO David Lynn, architect OF
the CAPITOL. This plan was before the
appropriations committee when It oe-
cided 70 recommend the funds.
Mr.. Lynn told the appropriations
committee there was plan as long ago
as 1851 for carrying both the House
and Senate chambers TO the outer
walls. bv Thomas q Walter. who was
the architect Of the two wings OF the
Capitol. According TO Mr.. Lynn, wal
Ter vas overruled and the chambers
were placed as they are today.
The lack of sunshine and air in the
Senate has been emphasized often IN
recent wears by Senator Copeland OF
New York. who has taken the position
that the health Of members OF Con-
gress is impaired by spending many
hours in legislative halls cut of from
the outside of the building. He test-
fed at the recent hearings that 81 SEN
ators have died II Office in the past IL
years.
Seeks Early Design.
Thomas Hastings of New York. one
Of the consulting architects. explained
the proposed changes to the committee.
1T is q very serious matter he said.
''to do anything TO this good old Capt.
tol. II is q splendid building. and IN
doing this room purely from an artis-
tic point Of view I have tried to get the
character Of the present Supreme Court
room and Statuary Hall, two rooms
which think are about as fine as any,
thing IN Washington, done in the early
history of the country"
Yesterdays proposed fund Is inoe-
pendent Of the item provided by the
House for the installation Of new ven
elatinE apparatus IN both the House
and Senate chambers.
The Senate committee made another
amendment 10 the bill, adding sI00. 900
for inquiries and investigations The
tctal added in committee was S6IS.666.
making the bill as reported $i7.239.-
4232 26 TO cover the various expenses of
the Legislative branch Of the Govern
ment for the next fiscal year.