Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-02
WILLRUSH THE WORK
Supervising Architect Pattisou Will
Have the New Postoffice
FINISHED In VERY SHORT ORDER.
Contractors to be Notified That They Must
Hustle With Will.
ONLYAFEW CONTRACTS YET TO BE LET

Pittsburg's new Government building, at
Fourth avenue and Smithfeld street, is to
be rushed to completion by Supervising
Architect Joseph N. Pattison.
Mr.. Pattison assumed his position yester-
day morning. His predecessor, Mr.. Michael
l.. Malone, was not on hand to turn over the
office. He is in Washington, it is said, to
file objections to his removal.
The new superintendent Is thoroughly con-
versant with the building, having examined
It number of times in his late role of
United States Inspector of Public Works.
He did not waste much time with inspecting
the building, but proceeded to make himself
conversant with the routine work of his
office. ~.....
To-day Mr.. Pattison will have a meeting
with all the contractors who are or ought to
be at work on the building. These gentle
men will be impressed with the fact that the
work has to be hustled through at the high
est rate of speed consistent with good results.
Soldering won't go. Mr.. Pattison expects
no difficulty with the contractors. but be-
lieves that they will warmly second his en-
deavor to complete the building.
CONTRACTS NEARLY ALL LET.
Mr.. Pattison was very busy yesterday
afternoon, but stopped for few minutes to
speak about the work he now has in charge.
He said: 81 nave not made as thorough an
examination of the building as 1 will in a
day or two. That class of work which
progresses slowly is finished, and the work
to be done now can be rushed without inl-
pairing the quality. Nearly all the con-
tracts have been let, and think the only
ones OF any Importance yet to be awarded
are those for the approaches to the building
for putting in cement floors in the basement,
and for the painting and glazing. The bids
for these contracts are to be opened at the
department at Washington on December %.
''Of course, there is always little delay
in awarding contracts. Great bodies move
slowly, you know. 1t takes some time to
consider the bids, then the contractors have TO
file their bonds, and there are other matters to
be attended to. Sometimes the bids are
higher than the amount appropriated, and
new bids have TO be advertised for. Just as
soon as the work of building the approaches
is commenced we will tear down the high
board fence around the building. Yes,
understand that some people are tired of
looking at the fence. Well, it will not be
up much longer.
MAKING ROOM FOR THE PoSToFFICE.
"The work of stating the roof will be COM
menced Immediately. The states are now
on the way here. The roof is water-tight in
its present condition, and the completion of
the interior will not be delayed moment by
that In fact, in the present condition of
the building, there is no one contract which
need wait minute on the completion of any
other contract
II want to get the first floor and basement
finished at the earliest possible moment in
order to furnish accommodations for the
postofficc. Postmaster Mexican is in ter
cibly cramped quarters now, and want to
give relief. To this end all the work will
be concentrated on that portion of the build
ing. None OF the other departments which
will occupy the building are really suffering
for lack OF accommodations. As soon as the
postofice portion of the building is finished
the workmen will be sent into the upper
fl pors.
1T is impossible for me to say now when
the building will be com pleted, 5ut we in
tend to push the work as fast as possible.
Tomorrow we will have the steam-ittels
putting in the heating apparatus, and the
other inside work will be rushed rapidly to
a conclusion"
NOT ROOM ENOUGH TO WORK.
Postmaster Mexican is very anxious to
get into the new building. His force is so
cramped in the present quarters that it is all
it can do to dispose OF large and rapidly in
creasing mail which goes through the Pitts
burg Postof1ice. Every day the Postmaster
is exercising his architectural ability by
having window driven through wall
here, door there and putting up building
somewhere else.
The Postmaster expects to use the base
ment of the new building for storage pur-
poses. washrooms, etc. The actual work of
the department will be done on the first
floor. The Postmaster and his assistant,
with their clerks and stenograp pliers, will
occupy two Offices at the corner of Fourth
avenue and Smithfeld street. On the top
floor of the building will be dormitory for
the accommodation o: the clerks of the
railway mail service. They are now billeted
in the top of the old postofice, and their
quarters are anything but cheerful.
Mr.. Mexican anticipates with great pleas
ure his speedy removal into the building
which has for decade been growing up
with the community.