Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-10

| government want building devoted exclusively
to the keeping of records and have been want
ing for some years. They haven't received the
accommodation yet, but possibly will soon, SIM
ply, and perhaps only, because a record build
ing has now become an absolute necessity.
new government printing Office was asked
for long ago, and Congress has finally managed
TO have q committee inquire as to the avail
ability OF three or four tracts Of land as the
new site That may be selected and work begun
| on the new structure by the end of this century
sometime, when the Congressional Library build
Ing and new city post Office nearly COM
pleted. But If the same old dilatory tactics
followed In providing record building Uncle
Sam will find himself one of these days in the
position OF either having to destroy ona-half of
his archives or moving them into the street for
want OF space 1t was only when the present
Congressional Library became so packed with
| books and the like that casual visitor to Mr.
Spofords headquarters could barely manage
to turn around in the place that a substantial
move was made to provide the much-required
building now in process of construction.
1t was only when rats began to hold high
1nks in the old post Office on Louisiana avenue,
and the constantly growing work in crowded
quarters made a day or so necessary for a letter
mailed at an avenue box to reach its destination
on Capitol Hill, that more commodious facii-
titles and prospective new Office were directed
by the national legislators. In neither case
"rnra;' ",e 81, e,uanseIeu .nlousn Tue over
through the want Of . record building in at
least three structures rented by the govern
ment for two Of the departments, to say moth
Ing OF the inconvenience entailed in one or two
others.
THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE AVENUE.
The various gentlemen who have advocated
schemes from time to time for locating public
bui,d;nos ~, .ho .o,,,h "a 90 a. -, -.
saw VI Wv "o0 e'
nno .hat Oh giving departmental upper stories
,ouei u very prounc one. VI course the library
ounuii.S oouio ,o' nave wen oeeh Iocated else
"nere .hah on the site occupied. But the city
pos. once was beginning, and there 10 plenty
iio,e room Ior new municipal building as
Nsn as . piece ol archi'ec'ure gwen up 10 the
sure heep,lg OF any records OF which the gov
ernment mas surplus: Inc Postmaster Cen
elai' az any ra'e; WIZ DO coinpehed 10 90
no remaSy 20 H. .rarrj;, ~ 80 ssNSaS - :.
the chiefs of the census and ordnance bnreaus
are in similar predicament. Mr. wanamaker
can probably help his department by occupying
.ne upper stories OF the post once on U street,
ous 'ne o'aors culihot ana must walt ior deVei-
op HN ~ a ia'ofapie cnarac1er;
20. -neise ga" INC iu.uie heeo Vi record
u.iuias % lii oacA as 'iie t,ihe when tue pen
s sl!oi once was cohstrnc.eo under MS super
.a.oil &c 'S ieoonuieilued sucp departure IN
ee'e,ai y, us annual reports, pot the soions
On tne mn couiun see matters IN that hight
anu e'erypooy KNOWS the record buiiding Is
LINK vi e'oiiu oeauty YET UNKNOWN; Inc CON-
niissioners were se'erai 'imes on the point OF
tS we SANE IN 'neir aVhual report,
Du' Dohoiuueo AZ ihiSh' huFs the chances Oh
'no Dlsiicts se'ung ne" municipal cara
'"nsaiy 1no lei iainea. ergo, US Aforesaid.
49,; ."T vi INC .aIu IorDios tne District
put,oInR tnspec1or taxing an o'lciai LOOK at
rue ' s'I uo lures 81 are puil. ana owned py the
government, Out ne mas jurisdiction IN those
Sthsco "heiciH puHuiHS Is ItdSeu DN Uncle
Sani 'oi .erin y! years anu thefi turned 10
uopni Incl Va o'uoi uses. AAese Atter capt.
hns":eio n' ihsPeo'eu On various occasions
snu III se'erai INSTANCES OF minor accidents
nrdareS 81 rouas tepa, men. oiiiclais we're
oIuereu " .enieoy matters 70 degree OF SAFETY
az iar as III theiI power. STAR man secured
some oala ABOUT 0Serioaoing In other buildings
nor uhoer oaP.. Eht"isles unit OF lnVestiga-
'ioH ana nere Is the JOINT result:
BUILDINGS IN BAD SHAPE.
Probably no two buildings either owned or
rented hv the government are in vorsa shano
g., a. ..,.;.s l.
i,on1 NC 49, n''r'1oHea 'na" 'nose uFed oy
the Post once department. near the main
neadquarters Itself Inc two referred to are
the Dig Drlch once mass on the northwest cor
ner OF 9TH and 4 streets and the Busch building,
dlagonaily across the thoroughfare, next door
to Concordla Hall. Both are held in Use under
lease, and Tor ordinary purposes would answer
every requirement.. But that Is where the diff
division Of the department have go far out
grown all Ordinary bounds In the last few years.
until now the condition OF affairs ensuing is
something really serious for the clerks who
work on the floors beneath tons and tons Of old
records, documents and archives of every sort
that have hnaiIy received Official disposition
ard gone III storage with previous Accommodations
OF tho kind. There arc millions OF Cancelled
money orders and postal notes alone. besides the
double quantities " other matter, which have
become too much for various divisions to store
in their own individual sanctums and had to
be placed In the only available space on the
upper floors OF the two buildings in question
The placements and lower floors we're crammed
full with records long ago and now the only
solution Of the problem must come from out
siue sources Encoupteoiy 'ne Sohecuon viii
6,trst ia Srnv;dad ,ha 49,, 81. .h;. sna II no
der the circumstances will be 10 bnid bont;re
and feed it on archives for q week or 90.
little more than year ago the clerks in
the larger rented building were startled
one afternoon by the crash OF plaster overhead,
followed by shower Of bricks. Fortunately
nobody was injured, but the next day Building
Inspector Entwisle was called in to diagnose
the case. He soon concluded that the accident
happened through the tremendous weight on
floors above the second, and directed that the
| brick arches, which were broken out be walled
| up solidly to prevent any future happenings Of
| the kind. This the department authorities