The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-06-07
A MASSIVE STRUCTURE.
THE NEW WASHINGTON g. GEORGE
TOWN RAILROAD OwER-HOUsE.
The Completed Plans Received-The
Building Will Be Six Stories High
with Tower ON Each Corner-To Fill
the Whole Square.


the Whole Square.
The plans for the new power-house of the
Washington and Georgetown Road show that
the building will be one of the finest and most
substantial in the city, and add materially to
its architectural beauty. Architect w. G.
Root, of Kansas City, who made the plans,
has forwarded them to President Hurt, in
whose Office they are daily admired by many
interested in this handsome addition to Wash
ington's progress The blue prints cover
twenty sheets that are about 4x3 feet in size.
Even the most minute details are contained
in them, and one can see at a glance the
manner In which every inch of space will be
utilized. The building is to have six stories,
which will attain the height of 100 feet 1t
will cover the entire area of the square which
fronts 240 feet on < and d streets and 100
feet inches on Thirteenth-and- half and
Fourteenth streets. Handmade select brick,
laid in red marter, with heavy ornamental
trimmings of brownstone and Ohio blue stone,
will constitute the exterior building material.
The front, which will face Pennsylvania avenue
and street, presents grand effect. In the
centre is the main entrance constructed of
beautifully carved brownstone, on either side
Of the door being the figures "1S91.'' Above
four small arched windows will be d panel en-
graved with 'Washington and Georgetown
Railroad" Directly over the entrance are two
wide arched windows, each two stories in
height; two similar ones extend through the
fourth and fifth stories. while small arched
windows give light to the sixth story. Above
these windows the roof is peaked and finished
with Spanish tiles. A flagstaff tops the peak.
All the windows ON the front are two stories
In height, with the exception of the first and
sixth stories. On each Of the four corners
there will be a prettily decorated hexagonal
tower, which extends to the roof and ends in
peaks with tile roofs. On Fourteenth street
there will be private entrance, while on
Thirteenth-and-a-half street the tracks will
enter about midway in the block. The rear
will contain entrances for coal wagons, etc.
The entire basement of the power-house will
be used for storage purposes and cable vaults.
The railroad company will only occupy the
basement and first and second stories, the ex-
act purposes to which the remainder of the
building will be put not having been deter
mined upon.
On the right of the large corridor into which
the main entrance opens will be rooms for the
road, while directly above them, on the sec
ond floor, will be located the private rooms of
the officers of the railroad company. On the
opposite side of the corridor is the machine
shop and directly in the rear well-equipped
stable, which will be occupied by repair
train, to be used in case of break in the cable,
etc. Back of this are the tension and boiler
rooms. The remainder of the first floor will
be the extensive engine-room, which is two
stories in height. 1t will cover the space from
the rear of the Offices to ID street and from
Fourteenth street to the centre of the building.
balcony extending from the rear of the Off
cers' rooms will be for the benefit of visitors,
| and from it the immense machinery can be
| overlooked. The remainder of the second
| story will be utilized as repair shop, paint
| room, coal vaults, and extension of the boiler
| apparatus. The other four stories will be al
| lowed to remain undivided until demand is
made for them either as halls ofice-rooms, or
| to whatever use they may be put.
In the centre of the building will be large
well, which supplies abundant light and air to
| the interior not reached by the exterior Win
| dows. Lavatories and closets will be placed
on every floor. Running almost through the
centre of the building, from north to south,
| will be tire-proot brick wall. In tne oulldlng
there will be freight elevator and car ele-
yator besides several for people. The entire
square will be surrounded by an asphalt pave
| ment.
All the interior fnishngs and decorations
viii be of the finest material, while every con
venience and comfort that modern inventions
have made accessible will be used. Work on
the foundation was begun last Monday by a
large force of men, and will so forward with
out interruption until completed. This work
| in itself is an immense undertaking and will
take until the first of October to finish it..
Mr.. David Pullman, the contractor having
charge of this, found that piles will haye'to be
driven to secure firm foundation. He esti-
mates that it will benecessaryto drive twenty
one hundred piles each thirty-fye feet in
length in order to obtain the necessary firm
ness. On top of the four rows of piles
there will be a solid bed of concrete. On
this capstones will be laid for the piers of
masonry that will be erected on them. Be
tween the piers there viii be arches of
masonry, thus making foundation that will
be perfectly secure and firm. AS soon as the
fo,,ndation of ODa norton is inisbad the bl1ild-