The Indianapolis journal., 1885-02-21
THE PROPOSED NEW DEPOT.
The Handsome Building with Which
the Old One Will Be Replaced.
-S0nething AbOut the Plans and General APP
pearance of the Structure-A Talk
with V. 7. Malott.

The Journal herewith presents its readers
with a cut of the proposed new union depot,
taken from photograph made from the plans.
The present Union Depot was opened for business
on the 18th of September, 1853-nearly thirty
two years ago. No one, to look at this grimy
and dismal heap Of bricks, would suppose it to be
so young, and so far as the present needs of this
city in the way of a passenger depot are con-
cerned, it might as we'll have been built a hun
dred years ago.
Yesterday afternoon Journal reporter was
shown by v. Z. Malott, of the Union Railway
Company, the plans for the new structure, the
bill to authorize the erection and establish
ing of which has just passed the State
Senate, and will, of course, pass the
House and become law. The plans selected
chosen from twelve different plans, nearly
every railway entering here furnishing one.
From the dozen plans so furnished three were
taken and the separate excellencies of the three
were combined in the one plan finally accepted.
The newdepot as shown by this plan. is in two
parts-frst, the station for the accommodation of
passengers, and second, the shed for the trains.
The train shed is seven hundred feet long, with
baggage, mail and express rooms at each end,
east and west. with exit gates in the space be-
tween. This she'd which is Of brick. iron, stone.
slate and glass, provides for nine through and
four local tracks.
North of the center of this long structure is
the main building or passenger station This
building is of brick. with stone trimmings, slate
and iron, and is fire proof.--IJ will have an open
Spaes se shrs not less than 200 feet in width
by 100 feet in depth. This portion of the build
..l. l. oJ.As A.
lsO feet long by l4S feet wide three stories high
with a clock tower $50 feet high, in the center of
the front and smaller corner towers. On the
ground floor are the general waiting room, ladies'
waiting rooms, parlors, etc. The general wait
ing room is in the form of a cross, it's greatest
length being 148 feet, from north to south,
while the east and west arm is 112 feet long.
the width of each arm of the cross being 40
feet The ladies' general waiting room is So
feet by 54 feet, aud the ladies' parior 90 feet by
10 feet. The lunchroom will be "a feet by 66
feet, the kitchen 20 feet by 40 feet. the dining
room 81 feet by sc feet, the smoking room %
feet by 81 feet, the barber shop 18 feet by. 81
feet. These, with the ticket, sleeping-car, tele
graph, omnibus and station masters offices, are
all on the ground floor. also the news
.
the approach is from the south to the trains.
Five tracks, four local and one through. can
be reached without crossing track an admir-
able arrangement and reducing the danger to
travellers to the minimum. In the train shed
there will be the greatest possible amount of
light; not only is light admitted from the ends
and sides but there two tiers of large glass
windows in the roof.
The tracks will be arranged so as to bring
them straight through the train she'd and in
such manner that all the trains will be let out
OF the tracks without any interference whatever,
even with the longest trains that may be brought
in, matter of very serious moment now, where
such interference greatly retards the operating
of trains at the present depot
The clock tower of the depot is to be 180 feet
high, the corner towers SO feet the height of the
three stories 81 feet the height of the center of
the building l08 feet From the front Of the
depot to the south line of the train shed is dis
tance of 336 feet No one who examines the
plans can help acknowledge that their faithful
carrying out will result in one of the handsonl-
est depots in the country The second and third
floors of the building will be for offices and other
needs Several of the roads will probably wish
to have ofices in the building and there will be
conductors rooms, etc
The Union Railway Company now controls
strip of ground, with Louisiana street on the
north land to varying depths southwark aver
aging about half square, from Meridian
street to Mississippi street. distance of three
squares. However, no definite location has vet
been determined upon Most of the plans were
prepared with view of locating the new
depot either on its present site or in
its immediate vicinity, and contemplated
such an arrangement of the main tracks as would
facilitate the movements of incoming and out
going trains. One idea which has met with
favor, suggested the locating of the depot be-
tween Tennessee and Mississippi streets, one
square north of the present tracks. This would
involve the purchase of Cohurn u Joness lumber
yard and the vacating of Mississippi street, with
the placing of viaduct. to be constructed at the
cost OF theraiiway companies, at Tennessee street
over the tracks
Another idea locates the main building across
Louisiana street. on the ground now occupied by
the stables OF the streetrailway company. This
would necessitate the vacating of Louisiana
street from polat about 200 feet west of the
see street. The main building would front
be diverted half square to the north and west.
TO Tennessee street Another idea is to have
the main building occupy the Spencer House
site. and, in the other cases. front north
From the front of the depot building to the line
of the alley north of the Spencer House
there would be a large open space,
to be owned and controlled by the company.
Another idea contempiates the purchase for the
depot building site of the property at the north
east corner OF Louisiana and Illinois streets. The
purchase Of either this corner or that occupied
by the Spencer House would probably result in
the obliteration OF the tunnel-a consummation
d0voutly to be wished
The term "shed' used for the building
covering the tracks. conveys the impression