Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-09-11
A GREENBACK FACTORY.
The New Building for the Engraving
and Printing Bureau,
Washington Post.

grlms and slght-seerS who are constant
ly streaming into Washington, flooding
hotels, overrunning It's public buildings
and points of. interest, anon riding,
driving or promenading about the city
admiring It's wide streets and regular
pagements, charming parks and, more
than all, the numerous exhibitions of
Horticulture, both public and private,
everywhere to be seen, Will soon have
their menu of attractions increased by
the completion of a new government
building. This is the proposed new
bureau Of engraving and printing, now
in course of completion, at the south
west corner of Fourteenth and streets,
South Washington, a handsome brick
building. which, while because Of its
location, it has not attracted any general
attention from strangers or residents,
is not only structure infinitely supe-
rior to any of its kind III this country in
point of unique architectural design,
beauty and ornamental finish, but,
when completed, will stand as monu-
ment to the excellence. merit and high
degree of success attained by this
branch of the scientific world Begun
twelve months ago, a continuous force
Of one hundred labOrers, mechanics,
ETC., have made rapid progress with the
structure, the walls of which have been
reared to the required altitude, and now
await the necessary roofing.
The building is f shaped, with the
main portion fronting on the southern
side of B street. This is $50 feet long
by 76 feet deep. At the east extremity
a wing runs south on Fourteenth street,
a distance of 1873 feet, covering tract
62 feet wide IN It's passage. With a
sufficient space Intervening to afford
graceful proportions to the structure, a
two-stOry building 70xS0 feet juts out
from about the centre and in the rear
OF the main building. The latter and
wing will be three stories in height and
surmounted by an attic story and hip
roof; and will also have q light base
ment and commodious cellar. The ex-
terror of the building is blending OF
the elements of strength, beauty, nov
, city and grandeur of constructive art.
To secure the necessary strength to
sustain the heavy machinery, etc, to
be placed in the building, the walls
have been made of solid thickness OF
two feet, and an air chamber with sup
porting wall-lining affords over foot OF
additional masonry. The style of ar
chitecture is Romanesque, and the
main building ends at the west in a
large pavilion, at the east extremity is
a pOnderOuS tower, and at the south
end of the Fourteenth street wing is a
handsome turret, which, as an orna-
ment alone, is a fitting piece of archi-
lecture to set off that portion of the
building. The main structure is sup
piled with centre pavilion. Through
out all of these ornamental adjuncts,
the same unique and original patterns
are uniformly noticeable. The walls
are of fine red brick, with water-tables,
window-sills and copings of brown
, stone; and are Interpreted with style
bates and bands of fancy mould bricks
Of original designs and special patterns,
marking the stories and springing lines
of the window arches, and giving an
excellent relief to the exterior. The
windows, doors and other openings are
all arched; those in the first story are
segm entail, with tym panums filled in
with moulded sunfiOWer bricks. Those
of the upper stories are semi
circular, and will be furnished with
quarry or cathedral glass above the
transoms. Piers rise to the springing
line Of the inferior arches, of the third
story windows from the summit of the
water-tables, where they become a part
Of continuous arcade. Above the
: main cornice, cOrbeled brackets sup
port the parapet of the main roof. The
Il, i ! 80
height of eighteen feet, and the lower
to ia ieet above the roof. An attic
cornice crowns the recediDg attic wall
and is of similar design to the one be-
low. The attic apartments are supplied
with circular windows. The main
doorway, which is in the tower at 3
: and Fourteenth streets. entering from
the former, is peculiarly attractive. Il
mas moulded jambs and arches, deer
recesses and slender columns, on brick
caps and bases Of carved stone. There
is a balcony above, supported on semi.
arches and secured by stone cantalivers
A diaper of moulded sunfower bricks
below is a most conspicuous, pleasing
and happy conceit. The tower also
contains the main stairs of iron, with
slate treads, and the stairway is lined
with buff and enameied bricks from the
lower hall to the roof. The tower is 13C
feet from the base to pinnacle. and will
be the receptacle of a four-faced clock,
with wrought iron d'als seven feet in
diameter, and also dials of glass, sus-
ceptible to illumination for night SER
vice; also of d bell. Steam elevators
will be placed in towers in the rear,
built especially for that purpose, and
extended above the roof to accommodate
the necessary mechanical equipment.
The turret at the south Of the Four
teenth street wing corbels out from the
basement, and attains dimensions suf:
ficent for the construction of a private
staircase from the superintendent
room to each floor above. 1t is crowned
by conical roof.
Inside the same consideration has
been paid to the structure, which will
be entirely ire-proof, the only vulner-
able portion beng some of the doors,
which will be of wood, and the window
sashes. The sills, ETC., will be of iron.
All the floors are of arched masonry,
with iron girder and teams as a foun-
dalton. The Orders have a span of
sixty-fve feet, and are fifteen feet apart.
The roof will be of iron and slate. The
boiler room, while connected with the
main building, will be separate. 1t will
be supplied with an engine of one-hun-
dreG-and-ffty horse power, to be fed by
eight boilers. A mammot1 chimney
$50 feet high, fifteen feet to the base,
has been erected, twenty feet OF which
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