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Of the electric lighting apparatus the electrician, Mr. Talcott, says: The opening month of the second session of the Forty-eighth Congress was marked by a succession of snowy, cloudy, or dark days, that made it necessary to light the Hall of the House of Representatives by gas an unusual number of times, causing an extraordinary consumption.

This weather continued in a lesser degree through the two successive months. Night sessions were also held on nearly every Friday night during the session, so that while there were but few night sessions, at the close the consumption of gas was perhaps greater than in former short sessions.

The operations of the electrical service have, with the addition of a few call bells for offices and committee rooms, been purely routine and the expenses confined to ordinary repairs consequent upon the usual wear of the material, and the same promises to be the case for the coming year. The engines, dynamo, and apparatus are in as good condition as from their long wear could be expected.

Experiments have been made for some time in lighting at the head of the stairways of the terrace by means of electric arc-lights. The intensity of these lights is such that it attracts winged insects to the building, which has been very much disfigured by an accumulation of spider webbing that soon became filled with dust and the remains of small insects. In consequence of this I am convinced that no very bright light should be used on the grounds, near the building, particularly during the summer season.

With permission of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds of the Senate, the "Edison Company for Isolated Lighting" by electricity were allowed to light the Senate cloak-rooms, lobby, and stairways leading thereto, places where light is needed by day as well as by night. This mode of lighting has given satisfaction and has the advantage over gas-lighting at these places on account of the absence of heat and any vitiation of the air. For these reasons, I recommend that incandescent electric lights may be placed in the restaurants, cloak rooms, lobbies, and stairways of both wings, and in some other rooms in which artificial light is necessary during the day.

TERRACES AND CAPITOL GROUNDS.

The north terrace to the western line of the building will be completed during the present season, and fair progress is being made in the construction of the south and west terraces. Considerable difficulty has been met in securing firm foundation for the western portion of this work, as the ground has been filled from 13 to 25 feet.

Instead of excavating trenches to these depths along the entire line of the wall, wells have, at suitable distances, been sunk to the original soil. These are filled with concrete and masonry as piers for massive arches which span them. Of the general work on the grounds, Mr. Olmsted, landscape architect, states in his report that—

During the year ending June 30, 1885, the most important work in carrying out the design adopted by Congress for improvements exterior to the main walls of the Capitol has been that of the south approach and a section of the north wall and arch of the terrace. The cost of the work not having exceeded the lowest estimate that has at any time been made, and Congress having expressed its satisfaction with the result by providing for the continuance of the work more liberally than in previous years, no observations upon it are here necessary.

Before Congress meets again a section of the vaulted chambers beneath the roof of the terrace are expected to be in use. These will be suitable only for storage and document rooms. The construction of the western sections will provide a number of well lighted chambers suitable for committee rooms. It will be practicable to have some of these ready for occupation in another year.

Considering the close connection of this terrace work, which, except in a slight and unessential particular, is an architectural work like that of the main Capitol building, I have thought it best that professional responsibility for it should be

undivided, and, with the assent of the Joint Committee on Buildings and Grounds, have retired from such superintendence of it as in association with the Architect of the United States Capitol I have held hitherto.

Within the ground outside the terrace, progress has been made upon the platform designed to serve as the base of the intended staircases of the west front of the Capitol; the approach to this platform from Pennsylvania avenue has been cleared of the few trees remaining of the old lines on the inside of the parapets, the trees of which were already considerably distorted by the crowding to which the old trees subjected them. The trees removed were, with one exception, much decayed or otherwise dilapidated.

Elsewhere on the ground a few trees have been removed as the beginning of a process of thinning, that will need to be continued to realize intended results. Some additions and adjustments have also been made in the undergrowth of the grounds. The last winter was a very trying one to young plants, and the ivy on the north sides of the air-shaft and summer-house suffered singularly. As the ivy gains in age it will not probably be subject to similar injury in the severest seasons. Various smoothleafed evergreens which have been used somewhat experimentally generally came through the winter in fairly satisfactory condition, and these plants may be expected in a few years to give a more pleasing winter character to the ground.

COURT-HOUSE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

A lavatory and water-closet have been placed in the upper story for the convenience of the juries, granite steps erected at the main entrances, iron window-guards placed in the lower story for the security of records, and the whole building kept in good repair.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.

In compliance with an act of Congress approved July 7, 1884, an entire new heating apparatus has been placed in the Department of Justice building. The basement story, hitherto damp and unwholesome, has been so improved that it is now dry and comfortable.

Sundry improvements have been made in the way of general repairs to this building.

THE BOTANIC GARDEN.

By the direction of the Committee on Library an iron frame greenhouse, 72 by 17 feet, has been erected adjoining and at the south of the superintendent's lodge.

Two new boilers have been placed in the plant-house south of Maryland avenue, and 1,450 square yards of asphaltic concrete walks laid on the Pennsylvania avenue side of the grounds.

Nine hundred cubic yards of soil have been placed on the grounds to bring the beds up to grade, and a large amount of painting and glazing done upon the conservatory and hot-houses.

Statement showing the amount expended from June 30, 1884, to June 30, 1885.

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Amount paid for forage.

Amount paid for stationery, books, and drawing material

Amount paid for silver, nickel-plating, and brass work

$30,080 91

727 61

1,750 00

2,211 56

1,703 14

1,676 34

83 73

100 00

97 65

184 04

442 46

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Amount paid for marble and granite work......

Amount paid for pay-rolls, laborers, mechanics..

Amount paid for labor, paid by voucher.....

Amount paid for plumbing material, drain and water pipe.

Amount paid for lumber

Amount paid for hauling flagstone, &c..

Amount paid for lime, sand, and cement

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$23,000 00 23, 139 06 2,067 29 353 58 474 91

227 00

2,848 00

686 87 3, 105 00

115 89

165 75

29 91

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Amount paid for electric lighting.....

Amount paid for chandeliers and gas-fixtures

Amount appropriated July 7, 1884..

Amount appropriated March 3, 1885

Amount paid for superintendent of meters and lamp-lighters..

Amount paid for material for electric lighting.

$20,523 86

2,640 00

1,019 20 391 35

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ANNUAL REPORT

ON THE

CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PENSION BUILDING.

SUPERVISING ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S OFFICE,

Washington, D. C., September 18, 1885.

SIR: At the date of the last annual report of this office, October 27, 1884, the southern and western exterior walls of the new Pension building, in Judiciary Square, had reached the height of 64 feet above the site, or a little above the heads of the windows of the third story. The northern and eastern exterior walls had reached the top of the jambs of the third-story windows. The internal walls were about 64 feet above stone foundation.

Three vaulted floors had been completed, containing 107 rooms, and other parts of the building had made corresponding progress.

MASONRY.

During the year since elapsed the external walls of the main building have been completed; the clere-story walls finished; the walls of the loftier central pavilion, 122 by 128 feet, or 501 feet in circumference, have been carried up to the square, i. e., to the level of the iron wall-plates which are to support its roof, and the wall-plates are in place.

The only parts of the masonry remaining unfinished are the two gables of this central pavilion and the surfacing of 2 out of the 25 flights of stairs in the building.

The frames of the 22 windows of the north and south gables have been set in place, and masons are engaged in building the piers and arches of these two gables.

METAL AND TILE ROOFING.

The office-rooms in the building are all under roof, and the rooms of the two lower stories and of one-fourth part of the northeast quarter of the third story have been plastered, and have for some time been occupied by the officers and clerks of the Pension Bureau. Another one-fourth of the third floor is now being floored and plastered and prepared for occupation. All window-frames in office-rooms have been furnished with French sash, double glazed. The window-frames of the clere-story wall, which rises 15 feet above the roof over the external building, are in place but not sashed and glazed. Contracts for sash and for glass, now in course of delivery, for all remaining windows, being all those which light the court-yard, have been entered into, and these windows will all be closed before cold weather sets in.

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