Evening star., 1886-11-13
THE NEW DEPARTMENT BUILDING.
1t Will be Finally Completed at the
End Of Next Year.

L
End Of Next Year.
| STRUCTURE THAT HAS REQUIRED SIXTEEN
| YEARS TO BUILD-THE COST OVER TEN
| MILLION DoLLARS-THE WORK ON THE UN.
FINISHED WINGS GOING RAPIDLY FORWARD.
The west and center wings OF the State, War
and Navy department building, the only unfln-
| ished portions of the great structure, will be
completed and turned over to the War depart
ment Ia the winter OF 1878. The structure
was commenced In 1871, and will have
been sixteen years in building. The
total cost of its construction will be S1O.-
| 12o,0O0. A few years ago it was thought that
| the cost would be at least $10,25O. 600, but by
| careful management the difference has been
| saved and the cost will not be 50 great No
more money than already appropriated will be
required for the completion OF the building.
| The exterior is practically finished. All the
| walls are up and the roof will be finished In "a
couple Of weeks. The heating apparatus is
on the interior. however, before the wings are e
ready for occupancy.
| DIMENSIONS OF THE BUILDING.
The bniiding is rectangular, and its dimen-
sions from the faces of the walls not including
The projections, such as porticos, pasters, steps,
&C.. are 46S feet by 254 feet. The land occu-
pied by the building and its approaches ex-
tends 14O ieet T. ON north TO south and :SS4 feet
from east 10 west Its height ir'm the pave
fGet.
Everybody knows that 1t is built of granite, but
every body doesn't know that there are two
different kinds of that stone in the walls. The
granite of the basement approaches and court
yard walls is mostly from the quarries OF
Ninal Haven, Fox Island, Penobscot bay, Maine
1t is OF large grain and s warm or reddish gray
In color. The superstructure of the front Is all
from quarries on the James river, above Rich
mond. 1t is of finer grain than the other, and
| Is OF soft, blush gray color. Both kinds are
equally hard and durable. When they are dry
and In a bright light they are almost alike. but
The sa,ns .s Is ls Nesy
fear of fire is entertained. The contents of
any of the rooms might be consumed
without the flames spreading beyond the walls
of the room. The elevator car in the north
wing caught fire some time ago, and the wood
work connected with IL was all consumed, but
the fire did not extend beyond the elevator
shaft, although there was more or less damage
from water.
THE ARCHITECTURE.
This building is one of the most noticeable of
all the government buildings, both ON account
of its size and of lis style of architecture.
praise well as OF criticism. Many
people complain that the fronts are brok EN- too
,nucn ,I by small poriieos and piiasters out Of
and that the architectural effects are thereby
materially iessened. However that may be, it
Is well built, and is. without doubt, the best ar
ranged. heated and lighted OF any OF the gov
ernment buildings. Ii was designed by Mr.. A. b.
Muiett when he Was supervising architect OF the
lreasury, although the building AS 1t now stands
Is a very different looking structure from the
origir"' design prepared by him and approved
by >o etaries Fish, kObeson, and Beiknap.
Tue nges were made by him, however, and
not his successors. Work on the south wing,
Intended for the state department., was begun
In 1871 under Mr. Mullets direction. He was
succeeded by Architect Potter, and In 1875,
when the south wing had been completed and
the walls oi the east wing were erected up TO
the first story the charge of the construction OF
the building was transferred 10 the War depart
ment and was given into the care OF Col. I.
l.. Casey, assisted by Mr.. Bernard H. Green.
THE EAST WING
was completed and formally turned over to the
Secretary OF the Navy in 1880. Although this
wing was always intended tor the Navy depart
ment, it was occupied jointly by it and q por-
tion OF the War department, pending the eIec-
ton OF the north wing. The old War depart
ment building, fronting on the avenue, had to
be torn down before the north wing could be
erected. This old building was removed in
1879 and the north wing was erected
over 10 the ne war Department.. HaS but so'nse 9af,
nlshed scant accommodations Tor the Secretary
OF Wars office, adjutant generals office aud
rooms for the army headquarters The War
department even now occupies the upper story
OF the east and south wings of the building. The
west aud center wings, now nearing com pie
ton, are intended also IOr the War department,
but t he additional room Will not be sufficient
tor the needs OF the department. IL has
not yet been determined what bureaus shall
occupy the new quarters. The branches OF the
tion, aud IT would require nearly the whole of
tie State, War and Navy department building
10 accommodate them ALL Some predict That
eventually
THE WHOLE BUILDING
will be given up to the War department, and
that the State and Navy departments
will be provided with separate buildings
elsewhere. Doubtless the State depart
ment would otter no objections to such
"a project. Although most OF the War depart
ment bureaus are we'll accommodated it would
be more desirable to have them all together.
The eniei OF engineers office and the ordnance
department are located in the Old Winder
building. The paymaster generals office has a
building on the corner OF Pennsylvania avenue
and 11th street. TRe large building Oh the
southeastern corner of Pennsylvania avenue
and 10Th street Is the quarlernIaSter generals
Ofnce, while the medical department. has a
building on pennsylvania avenue north vi the
Treasury department and another on 10th
street, between and F streets, besides occupy
Ing rooms on street, near 10th street.
The plan proposed at present is to collect these
branches only so TAR as the additional room pro-
vided In the west and center wings of the new
building will permit. The old Navy Depart
ment building which ironted on 1jth street.
had TO be torn down before the construction OF
the last two wing, of the new building could be
commenced. This old and historic structure
was removed in February and March,
1854, and the construction OF the
west west and center wings was commenced
spring: The work has progressed very salts
factorily, Notwithstanding the many necessary
oOidJs. Ouc Vi tile great ODStaCleS mas Deeu the
oimcuity In securing appropriations at the
rlght time. But comparatively a small portion
OF the work has been done
On THE GROUND
All the stone was cut with exactitude at the
quarries. and all the iron work was made at the
foundries. 1t has required great deal
of care to make the necessary ARRANGEMENTS
ana when delays occurred in securing the
lunds required for making the contracts at the
proper Time the whole work was retarded. The
work OF erecting the building has been done by
the day, and this In itself Is no insignificant
task. There has always been a force OF men At
work during seasonabie weather, but a casual
glance at the growing structure would fail TO
convey an accurate idea oi It's immensity or of
the amount OF work required in It's con-
lite We're lifted and placed In position
by immense derricks and machinery
so nicely adjusted 10 perform their work
quickly and easily. When the immense blocks
Oh neaSy iron ccrnices were once in place one
could scarcely realize their size and weight.
ground before being placed in the building and
tnelr size coin pared with that OF familiar oh
Jects, the difficulties OF the undertaking of con-
structliig such u building could be appreca ted
All the wings OF the building ure thoroughly
heated and ventilated, but the systems in
tne horth ana east wings are more extensive
aud complete than those in the other wings
MOI that the latter are In any sense failures
Eut great strides have been made in the last
niteen years In such matters as ventilation.
heating, plumbing and lighting, and advantage
has been taken OF these Improvements in erect.
ing the new wings. Before the work was com
| menced provisions were made for a com ple te
| system, every stone not only had its pr,,per
/ position seiected. but il was known exactly
where every nue., every air duct, every gas pipe,