The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-01-11
Philadelphia's New Postofioe Building the
Finest in the World it is Arranged.

ing on Chestnut, Ninth and Market
street, to be used for the postoffice and
federal offices, will be opened in short
time for business. This edifice, which
has quietly reared its massive head
during the last eleven years, will have
cost the United States government,
finished and equipped, nearly $S,000,-
600. 1t is one-half size larger than the
New York postoflice building, and is
said TO be the finest structure of its
kind in the world. The government
paid Sl,40l,2O0 for the site on which
the building stands, but since its cree
ton and the addition Of the Record of
flee to the block land owners in the
plot bounded by Ninth and Tenth,
Chestnut and Market have placed ia.
bulous prices upon the value of their
ground. The total appropriations for
the postofiice have been S6,050,000,
but the amount was insufficient, ard an
additional appropriation will be made
by congress.
The building is of granite, the base
ment from the Old Dominion quarries,
and the remainder from the Dix Island
quarries, on the coast of Maine. AT
the latter place all the granite blocks
were cut and marked, and sent here to
be put in place. The entire work of
setting the stones was done by George
Watson, an expert mason, except one
season, when he had an assistant. The
digging of the immense cellar was be-
gun on October IL, 1878, and the work
had been constantly under the care of
John Macarthur, jr., as superintendent,
and a. Nj. Smedley as assistant. Ex-
Postmaster III. III. Bingham was the
first custodian and disbursing agent of
the funds. He was followed by George
w. Fairman, then Colonel A. Louden
Snowden had to look after it, then Gen
eral Hartranft scanned the bills, and
after him came General Huidekoper,
who is kept busy in pushing the con-
tractors so as to get his department into
the building as soon as possible. The
building has a front on Chestnut street
of l75 feet 0 inches on Ninth street
4S4 feet, and on Market street Of 175
feet l inch. The dome is 10 feet
above the curb line. The foundation
stones are two feet in thickness, and
rest upon concrete.
The frat floor will be devoted entire
ly to the uses of the postoffice depart
ment The large room at the corner
of Ninth and Chestnut streets will be
used by the postmaster. Next to this
on the west is large apartment, which
will contain the offices of the postmas-
ter's private secretary and the assistant
custodian of the building. This room
will also be used as a general lobby for
the public, and will contain desks,
chairs and conveniences for writing and
reading. Adjoining will be the assis-
tant postmasters room, and next to the
Record building will be the apartments
of the cashier, auditor and paymaster.
All these positions are now filed by Mr..
James Il. Bingham, but it is likely they
will be separated and more appoint
ments made. Immediately in the rear
of this room will be the Office Of the
superintendent of the mails. He will
be so situated as to command view of
the entire first floor The mailing
department will have its desks and
boxes under large skylight in the
western end of the building, nearest to
Chestnut street, and the carriers depart
ment will be under the same light, near
Market street. Carriers and employees
will enter and leave the building by
way of Chant street to Tenth, and let
ters intended for points reached by
trains from Broad street station will be
received and dispatched up to within
fifteen minutes of the time of the start
ing of the trains.
The entire front on Ninth street,
from Market to Chestnut, will always
present busy scene. 1t is here that
the public will come in contact with the
department There will be wide
corridor extending the length of the
building, and on the west side of thi,
will be the handsome mahogany glass
screens behind which the clerks will
stand. Along the top of these screens
will be movable windows of cathedra
glass, so as to secure ventilation IL
warm weather. Beginning neares
Chestnut street will be the general 1e
livery department then the newspape
delivery next two wholesale staml
clerks then the foreign department
There will be fifteen boxes for drop
letters. In the centre of the Nintl
street front the Office Of the chief clerI
will be located, and near him will be
new official who will have charge of the
bureau of information and inquiry con
cerning the rates of postage, and every
thing connected with the department
To the north of him will be the loci
and newspaper boxes, of whicl
there will be l,l64. These ar
of bronze, each having heav,
plate glass front, The money orde
and registered letter departments vii
occupy two large rooms on the Marke
street front.
The first floor will be lighted by 10
large electric arc lights. The building
= will require 5000 tons of coal per yea
+ to heat it, and $4,000 will be needle
= every year tor gas and water and fo
e keeping the building in order In tn
Y basement there will be twelve bath tub
5 for the use of the carriers and clerk
d Ninety regular employees will be neeC
= ed to take care of the building and o
:. fees in it. The postmaster will b
= custodian of the building without exit
T. compensation, but he will have an a
:, sistant who will be paid $500, an
?. who will look after the details of ii
a work.
IS The second floor will be used by II
United States sub-treasury on Il
= Chestnut street front by the pensic
a officer on Ninth street, and the intern
+. revenue collector on the Market sire
It front.
d The third floor will be devoted to Il
J. United States courts, the United Stat
d marshal and the navy pay Office
d The fourth floor will be used by IL
). railway mail service officers. III
j. entire building will be furnished in sol
d mahogany, and will require over 10,
a yards of carpet, All the furniture
b, being made in Cincinnati and Chic