The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-06-21


A large crowd was gathered at the corner
of Thirteen and-a-half and D streets all day
yesterday watching in an idle, listless manner
$500 pound weight as 1t fell with thud on
a pile and drove it into the earth. But few of
the onlookers, however. appreciated that they
were viewing the first steps in the construc-
tion of one of the biggest undertakings ever
commenced in this city. The new power
house of the Washington and Georgetown
Railroad is to be massive structure and to
secure a solid foundation for 1t is an enter
prise of no small proportions. The plans for
this work, even TO the most minute details,
are completed and the work will go forward
as rapidly as possible until the 1st of next
October, when the contract calls for the COM
pletion of this part of the building. The
foundation alone will entail an expenditure
of $4,000. The first of this work was
begun when last spring number of test holes
were bored at every part of the lot and test
piles driven to determine precisely the solid
ity of the earth at every spot in the square.
This was but the beginning of mathematical
problems which have resulted in the drawing
of plans showing the location of every pile,
the depth to which it will be necessary to
drive it to secure irmness and the pressure
which each pile will bear when the entire
building is completed This part of the un-
dertaking was accomplished in the offices of
Mr.. w. G. Root of Kansas City, who is the
architect for the entire project of laying the
cable road. The contract for the foundation
is let to Mr.. David Pullman of Kansas City,
who has reputation for his excellent work.
His foreman is Mr.. Alfred Harled of Chicago,
who came to this city especially to supervise this
work. The interests of Architect Root and the
general management Of affairs is taken care OF
by Mr.. John j. Clark, who seems to be ubiou-
tous. He has every detail of the construction
at his fingers end Mr.. Clark will remain
here until the power house is finished. The
sub-contract for the driving of the piles is let
to Mr.. Auschietz OF Pittsburg.
The ground for the foundation was broken
June lst and the bulk of the digging is now
completed. On Friday the large engine and
derrick to be used in driving the piles was put
in position and the first pile driven. Before
this part of the work is finished, 2, 2,166 piles
varying in length from 25 to 35 feet, will be
forced into the earth. This work began in the
northeast corner of the square, at the inter-
section of Thirteenth-a and d streets.
These rows of piles will be driven in groups of
four piles, covering an area of 14x9 feet
This method will be followed around the en-
tire square where the main walls are, and at
each spot where a supporting column rests.
Two engines and derricks will be continually
at work. The piling along Thirteenth h-and-a-
half street will be first completed 30 that the
masonry and concrete can follow Immediately
The Z street front will be the next row driven.
When the piles have been sunk trench will
be dug around them two feet below the da-
tum or high water line and the piles sawed off.
In the trench there will be filling of nine
inches of Portland cement concrete. On the
top of each pile will be placed stone slab,
four feet square and fifteen inches thick. Over
these will be another layer of concrete nine
inches in thickness. On this the six piers of
heavy bridge masonry or block rubble will be
constructed.
The method employed in determining Che
number of piles to be utilized is what is known
as the 'isolated pier construction" The en-
tire weight from the roof to the foundation
is computed and in this case was found to be
1S7 tons to the square foot. Each pile will
sustain from Is to IS tons according to the
solidity of the earth, which is ascertaned
from the test borings and thus the number
of piles to be placed under each pier of masonry
is obtained.
Under the engine-room it will be necessary
to construct deep basement, and when the
digging is completed if it is found that it goes
below the datum line, an absolutely water proof
flooring will be put down. This will be ac-
complished by laying the stone in hot asphal-
tum.
In the construction of the foundation besides
the 2l66 piles, there will be used 900 square
yards of earth, 1900 square yards of concrete,
$3.50 cords of stone and a large number of
railroad irons, eye beams, etc. By the time
the foundation is completed, it is believed
that thewalls will be well under way.
A Union Station at Glen Echo.
The Glen Echo, Georgetown, and Tennally-
town and the Tennallytown and Rockville