Second report from the Select Committee on Ventilation and Lighting of the House : together with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Select Committee on Ventilation of the House.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Second report from the Select Committee on Ventilation and Lighting of the House : together with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence, appendix and index. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    D. B. Reid, that may be connected with new works and with the new state M,D* of the building. 26 March 372- D° you obtain the same air for the supply which you 1852. give from below as for that which you give from above?— No ; we should be very glad if we could. If we could have taken it all from the Clock Tower or the Victoria Tower we should have preferred it. 373. That from above comes from a different source?— Yes ; it comes from the river front, except when the effluvium from the bone factory sets upon that opening, and then it is shut up, and the air is taken from the opposite side. 374. Chairman.'] You mean to take the supply as much as possible from the top of the Clock Tower, do not you ? — Except when a particular chimney occasions a current of bad air to set upon that tower. 375. Sir D. Norreys.'] Have you gone through all those causes which you consider disturbing causes in respect to the equal temperature which you would wish to keep up in the House of Commons. For instance, are the passages which pass the Public Bill Office and the Journal Office, which communicate by a staircase with the outer air, under your control, or under that of Sir Charles Barry ?—They are not under my control. 376. Have you ever had reason to complain of a violent cold draught rushing through the doors into the Commons' lobby, which is under your control, from those passages?—• Repeatedly; last night the carpet was blown open ; a heavy leaded carpet was blown open at each of those doors, and a strong current was passing. 377. Chairman.] Which doors do you refer to?—The doors leading to the Journal Office and to Mr. Dorington's office, on each side of the Commons' corridor; that is the corridor be- tween the central hall and the Commons' lobby. 378. Sir D. Norreys.] Is it possible for you to carry out a system of perfect ventilation, when you are always liable to have it deranged by violent cold currents, such as arise from those communications with the outer air, which are not under your own control? —It is absolutely impos^ sible. Permit me also to mention, in connexion with this point, as a mere illustration of the subject, that though certain progress has been made in building double doors, yet really they are comparatively of no effect in many places, from what is done being only half sufficient to meet the objects required. Take Westminster Hall, for instance. Instead of the old large door, which had a small wicket in it, there are now several large
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