FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS, 1877-1879. 797 



Final report of a board of United States officers convened by request 

 of a special committee of the House of Representatives of the Forty- 

 fourth Congress to advise with regard to the ventilation of the main 

 Hall of the House. 



***** * * 



JOSEPH HENRY, 

 Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 



President of the Board. 

 THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, 



Lieut. Col., Coi^s of Engineers, Jfember oftlie Board. 

 EDWARD CLARK, 



Member of the Board. 

 F. SCHUMANN, 

 Civil Engineei*, Member of the Board. 



J. S. BILLINGS, 



Surgeon, U.'S. Army, Secretary of the Board. 

 February 21, 1879 House. 



Mr. CASEY YOUNG, from the Select Committee on Ventilation of the 

 Hall of the House of Representatives, presented report No. 116, 

 including the report of the board of United States officers made in 

 the Forty-fourth Congress, second session (Report No. 462), and 

 House report No. 119, Forty-fifth Congress, second session, and 

 offered the following resolution: 



Resolved, That Prof. Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution; Lieut. Col. 

 Thomas L. Casey, of the Corps of Army Engineers; Mr. Edward Clark, Architect of 

 the Capitol; Mr. F. Schumann, civil engineer Treasury Department, and Prof. John S. 

 Billings, surgeon United States Army, be, and they are hereby constituted an advis- 

 ory board, without additional pay or compensation, with power and authority to 

 make and carry out through the Architect of the Capitol Extension, during the 

 approaching recess of Congress, all the changes and alterations in the heating, light- 

 ing, and ventilating the Hall of the House of Representatives, that are set out and 

 recommended in the report submitted by them and adopted by the select committee 

 appointed by resolution of the House to inquire into the present method of heating, 

 lighting, and ventilating the Hall of the House of Representatives; and the said 

 board may employ a clerk during the time they are engaged in the performance of 

 such work. 



And be it further resolved, That for the purpose of paying the cost of said changes 

 and alterations the sum of $30,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, be, and 

 the same is hereby, appropriated out of the contingent fund of the House, to be 

 expended under the direction of said board. 



Recommitted. 

 February 27, 1879 House. 



Mr. CASEY YOUNG, from the Select Committee on Ventilation of the 

 Hall of the House of Representatives, submitted a report: 



The select committee charged with the duty of inquiring into the present method 

 of heating, lighting, and ventilating the Hall of the House of Representatives, and 

 whether or not its acoustic properties can be improved, have given the subject a 



