Evening star., 1933-10-22
Capital Sideligghts
BY WILL ?. KENNEDY.

Inefe ~ IN important Underground
construction project linking together
all the buildings In the Capitol group.
and also the Government Printing Of
flee and the City Post Office, which the
steady now Of visitors to the Capitol
and even veteran workers in these
buildings know little or nothing about.
It Is one Of the unobserved. but de-
cidedly necessary and utilitarian under
takingS which helps materially in get
ting Uncle Sans business done. This
extensive tunneling and cross-tunnel-
ing carries the transmission lines from
the Capitol Power Plant to these ten
large buildings-one Of which Is q large
Industrial plAnt-the largest Of its kind
ir the world. During the past year q
new steam transmission line has been
installed to serve the new buildings, such
as the Supremt Court Building, the an
mex to the Library of Congress, the
giant conservatory Of the United States
Botanic Garden and the home OF the
director Of the garden.
Originally the heating lines from the
Capitol Power Plant were designed to
E-at the Capitol. the Senate Once
Building. what is now known as the old
House Once Building and the Library
Of Congress. These lines were conveyed
in q tunnel seven feet high and four
feet wide and several miles long. At q
later period an arrangement was made
with the Government Printing Once,
some Is city squares away from the
power plant, under which . tunnel Was
continued from the Senate Once Build
ing to the big brick printery, with .
cross tunnel to serve the City Post or
nee. Last year this original system Of
tunnels was augmented by IN auxiliary
line run from the other side Of the
power plant. Twelve and u inch steam
pipes were installed with condensate
lines and q large vault under East Capt.
tol street, between the new Supreme
Court Building and the Library Of
Congress group. Some 1850 feet of 10
inch piping in the old transmission line
was replaced with l4-inch line. The
new Transmission lines are laid In ducts
of various sizes to correspond with the
size Of the piping. These ducts are
of concrete crib construction-the sides
and bottoms being eight inches thick
and one continuous piece Of concrete.
The covers are of the same thickness
and are cast blocks Of concrete, re-
movable with . derrick when repairs
are necessary.
The object Of this construction is
twofold. It furnishes suitable trans
mission lines to provide for additional
buildings requiring the service Of the
power plant and by this line Of in
stallation. running close to the New
House Once Building. the Old House
once Building, the Library Of Con-
gress and the Capitol. 1t Affords An
auxiliary service sufficient to maintain
the heat for all Of those buildings. The
n
of accidents to the original transmits
sion lines service may be rendered dur
ing the period of repair by this later
installation. The Capitol group of
buildings is therefore protected by this
additional line from any suspension Of
service through break down on either
line.
Thousands of tourists and countless
residents of the National Capital have
been extremely desirous of seeing the
new conservatory Of the United States
Botanic Garden. in which the valuable
collection OF plants from all parts Of
the world-sone Of which are priceless
on account of their age-which were
for years crowded in the condemned
conservatory on the old site OF the
Garden, have now been given new life
in a more adequate setting. But they
have been stopped at the doors by the
Out Several members of Congress
who brought parties Of their consti-
tuents to the conservatory-the big
plant show house-were affronted by
that sign.
The answer is this-the conservatory
will soon be thrown open to the public
and all visitors will be welcomed-the
more the better. But the conservatory.
while already occupied by the exhibi-
ton plants Of the Botanic Garden. has
not yet been ofiicially turned over to
the garden by the architect of the
Capitol. whom Congress intrusted with
the job Of having the building erected.
done. One OF the latest improvements
which delayed the opening was the IN
stallatlon OF an automatic pump IN
connection with the cascades Of fow-
Ing water within the conservatory. to
pervent the excessive waste of water by
using the same water over and over
again. and in this way also r.aking it
possible to keep the fish alive and
disporting for the public in this water
course within doors.
David Lynn. architect of the Capitol.
and other officials assure the pubic
that when the doors are thrown open
TO the public an important new exhibit
awaits the visitors. They predict that
this conservatory will be one Of the
most interesting sights for tourists
visiting the Capitol.
SlIn1Rr~ IN ha,v roor> ~e>S. A.. ~