Wellington Independent MONDAY, MAY 15, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3199, 15 May 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent MONDAY, MAY 15, 1871.

Session after session have hon. members complained of the want of ventilation in the Houses of Parliament. Most pathetically did they assure us last session, that all the previous attempts at supplying this desideratum had only ended in making matters worse. The Hon. John Hall, on the item of £6000 " for repairs to Government buildings and erection of new offices," pointedly remarked: "Tbe attention of the Government should be specially directed to the improvement of tlie ventilation of tbe House of Representatives, the atmosphere of which was really injurious to heallh. The only advantage of the present House was that honorable members could experience, without the troublo of travelling, the temperature of the torrid zone by going to one part of the room, and the temperature of the arctic regions in another, and also realise something of the atmosphere of the black hole of Calcutta." The Government, deeply sensible of the discomfort felt by all, ■md «he actunl loss of health to some mem ben-, from these causes, determined if possible to remedy the eyil, and called upon the Colonial Architect to consider and report upon the subject, with a view to remove if possible so serious a drawback to the business of the country — many members being doubtless compelled to leave such a fetid at mospherc, when their presence in the House might bave been of inestimable advantage. Tbe Government were advised, we understand, that any complete system of ventilation must be combined with heating, and that as the art of thermal ventilation had been brought to great perfection in England, the services of some well-known engineer of large experience should be engaged. Complete plans and sections of the Houses of Parliament were accordingly prepared, and sent through the Home Agent to Mr George Bower, of St. Neot's, Huntingdonshire ; and a complete warming and ventilating apparatus has been received for each chamber, and is now in course of erection. The drawings and instructions accompanying the order were so clear and full that no difficulty has been found in putting it up. The principles advanced and the contrivances suggested by the Colonial Architect in his letter ordering tbe apparatus have, we understand, been closely carried out by the English Engineer, and all the appliances fit as if they had been made on the spot. With regard to the warming and ventilation of lame buildings, it is now generally conceded by those who utivo

devoted the greatest attention to the subject, that there is no plan so efficacious as the diffusion of warmth by the circulation of hot water at a low pressure, through a system of pipes. Under the low pressure system, the water contained in the pipes can never reach a temperature so high as 212 ° , and thus it is that air, coming in contact with any surface heated at no higher temperature, is not vitiated in any way, but retains its normal purity without injury by such contact. The warming of the Parliament House is accordingly effected by hot water circulating through three inch pipes, under a raised platform, nine inches high, erected round eachchamber. j These pipes are connected at both ends with a tubular boiler, the tubes being enclosed in an iron casing, which also contains thefurnace, and, in appearance, is much like a large hall stove. A few feet above the boiler a small supply cistern is provided with water laid on to it from the Government water supply. The cold water enters the boiler by a three-quarter inch feed pipe from this cistern, andtapped into the three inch return pipe close to the furnace. The hot water passes out at the top of the boiler through a single three inch pipe, and immediately branches into two, and flows along one end of the chamber ; here, by suitable castings, the two pipes supply two others, and these four pipes continue round the remaining three sides of the chamber, being again brought into one before returning to the boiler. Thus a continuous circulation of hot water is kept vp — the water flowing hot from the boiler, and returning to it again, when cool, to be warmed up again. The whole is rendered safe by a three-quarter expansion pipe tapped into the highest point of the threeinch flow and turned over the top of the cistern. All necessary valves are provided to adjust the supply and the arrangements for regulating the furnace are very complete. The boiler is furnished with a selfacting regulator, so that the fire may be made to burn from eight to twentyfour hours without attention, as may be desired. By a simple contrivance the fire-bars can be inverted, and the embers instantly turned into the ash-pit. Gas coke is recommended as the best fuel. The ventilation of the chambers is ■affected on a complete system. On the outside of each chamber large gratings are enclosed by brickwork for the admission of fresh air, regulating the supply by valves and dampers, which communicate with the cold air channels enclosed round the chambers under the floors, and separated from the circulating hot water pipes, excepting at intervals of two or three feet, whero small apertures about nine inches by six inches are left. The hot water pipes are also enclosed in a channel, and the fresh air passing through those apertures becomes warmed, and the current passes through ornamental perforated iron fixed all round the edge or riser of the platform, the dampers and valves regulating the supply to a nicety. We have now as much fresh air and warmth admitted into the chambers as can maintain a uniform temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and, to take away the vitiated air is the next aim of the apparatus. In the ceilings of each chamber are fixed three archimedean screw ventilators, of. such size as to admit of the extraction of 1800 cubic feet per minute of foul air from the House of Representatives, and 1500 cubic feet per minute from the Legislative Council Chamber, each fitted with valves to regulate the extraction. The ventilators are beautiful specimens of workmanship. The English engineer undertakes by his contract that the the apparatus for each house shall be of sufficient power for raising and maintaining a temperature of 60 degrees, with a temperature outside of 30 degrees, allowing for ample ventilation, and providing means of regulating the same. The whole apparatus is strikingly illustrative of the practical, diffusive, and salutary policy of the present Government. Not to spin too fine an analogy, it may be described as resembling that policy in its main features, of successfully achieving with English aid objects greatly desired for many years, of diffusing its blessings equally on all sides, and substituting for an atmosphere vitiated by stagnation one more healthful and more invigorating. Let us hope that as this improvement is certain to be greatly valued by the new Parliament, so the policy of which it is tho f.ypu wAI als** meet with as ready and as general an appreciation. Everything indeed points in this direction at present. The success of the Ci'lonial Treasurer has proved that he did not over-estimate the credit of Ne>. Zealand ; and many who formerly thought his schemes wild and speculative have had their opinions suddenly changed by seeing them stand the severest test possible, viz., the test of the London stock exchange. Confidence is a plant of slow growth, but when they see tha best judges approve of, and the most astute capitalists invest in. schemes which thoy foolishly thought too grand to be achieved, they can no longer withhold their confidence from a Ministry that has dared so nobly, and has triumphed so conspicuously.