Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-13
THE DISTRICT BUILDING.
The Proposed New Structure-COndi.
ton Of the Present Quarters Of the
City Government.

AS stated in THE STAR, the District Commits.
sioners have presented to the House committee
on public buildings and grounds Mr.. Entwisle's
plan for new building for the District govern
ment. This plan, which proposes a building OF
24o feet front with depth OF 12O feet to cost
100000, has been described i'm THE STAR. Mr.
Entwisle suggests that the building be located
on the 9Th street side OF Judiciary square
In 1852 Building Inspector Thomas II. En-
tWlSle In accordance with an order OF Mai &,
j. Lydecker, made an examination OF the build
lngs on Az street. rented for District Offices as
TO their SAFETY and adaptabiiity for the purposes
Tor which they are used, and made the following
report: Morrison buildings are used as the Com.
mlssioners' Office, engineer department, assess
ors and tax collectors Office, water registrars
ONCE, auditor, property clerk, special assess
spector OF buildings Offices There are twenty
four rooms, four of which are OF fire-proof con-
struction, located in the center Of the building
having no light except from the small light
wells, and are therefore OF no use for Offices
leaving but fourteen rooms 10 be occupied The
number of persons employed I'm those fourteen
rooms is 81; all rooms except two on the first
Hoor, originally intended for stores, are OF ord-
nary size average 16x20 feet. In these
fourteen rooms are stored all books, MAPS
drawings, measurements, receipts and re-
QUESTIONS, special and general assessment books
IN TACT nearly all the records since the board
OF public works was established, must be kept
there on account of the vaults being crowded
rms building was originally intended for two
dwellings, and is built throughout OF wooden
stairways, joists and partitions. The two stair
ways are too narrow TO let two persons pass
each other conveniently. Several OF the more
important offices are located on third and
fourth floors, and, there being no elevator
they are constantly being complained of by
the great number OF persons having business
to transact. There is little or no ventilation
provided, and the air at times becomes SO foul
that 1T is necessary TO open the windows. The
only heating apparatus are two small sized
portable furnaces in the cellar, heating only
the hall and two large rooms on the first fioor
all other rooms being heated by stoves or
CRATES, which makes the heating expensive
compared with a general heating apparatus
run with one or two fires. The building
with its two small Well holes, one ia
each section, extending from second floor up,
ana OF very combustible construction would
In case OF fire, in an instant be enveloped In
flames, and IN such an event the loss to the Dis
being lost would evidently lead to endless liti-
CATION
These buildings were erected in 1854 by the
elder Morrison, a bookseller-father OF the
present w. H. Morrison-to extend his business
by night auction sales, and was for "A time used
for that purpose. Afterwards the upper rooms
were used as consultation rooms Tor the SUI
preme Court of the United States, and some
times as sleeping rooms for the judges. OF late
the building has grown quite filthy on account
of the defective plumbing and drainage. The
odor is very bad from the basement which is
damp and foul. The center part is DARK and
sunlight never shines there. The board of
public works reconstructed the rear portions
and built hre-proof vaults, but on too small a
scale, as they are crowded full of records and
valuable books. The old Washington library
Is also In those vaults, which are packed SO full
that no one is able to go through them.