Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-16
TIRE Posr OFFICE SITE
The Worn Of Boring Test rits ssr the reun-
dasicn TO Rexin Soon.

hne Won OF bortog Test t'tfe Tor the oun-
dasion 20 e~gin Soon.
The work Of boring the test pits in the soil 70
the site for the new city post oshec. for which
= contract vas made Yesterday With p. J. Con-
ley. will be begun in day two on the vest
side Of the square.
The number Of holes 20 be sunk is not def-
inisely determined, as much will depend upou
the success encountered. In case rock IL struck
in one shaft another will be sunk few feet die
tantin order 20 determine whether IL wee bed Of
hard pan or merely an occasional boulder. The
work viii he done by means of hydraulic pres
sure and pipes two inches in diameter will be
sunk rs fast ne the pit Is dug, so a. 10 protect
the sides from falling in.
he danger Of auckland IL the greatest
obstacle IN the way of success in such work,
PM The contractor is confident that there viii
DC none encountered In this instance. he has
maze many soundings IN this vicinity and 10
Wen acquainted with the surlnce geology.
MS inSchin. consists OF two tubes one within
the other the water. under the ordinary head
from the ciiys pipes, being sent down the
central tube and up the outer one. The drill
point or oorer IL kept working az the waer
! flows. and the material loosened is forced up
outside ana nows oct at the top. AZ
| soon ne a new stratum IL encountered IL "A a.
teeted st once from tho change in the Cos and
the machinery L. stopped at once and meas-
urenaent 10 taken. The mat.risis bored ont
can easily be preserved. az the water 10 strained
of.
ANOTHER WELL FOUND.
Yesterday morning. while Contractor
Gleasou's men we're blowing in the norsheas,
corner Of the square. they came across an old
well, filed with water that had been out Of
sight Tor an indefinite period. The top had
been covered over with plsnks and the soil had
accumulated on the top OF these until the we'll
was wholly shut out from sight II Was located
| IN the rear OF the old STAR Office. more recently
occupied by the bowling auction establishment
There was a remnant OF old pump still TO
be seen about foot above the p.aaks, and the
| well was tlled with water to within yard or
go OF the top A rod thrust down into the hole
struck bottom twenty-five feet below the ca
| easated grade. The brick sides were intact
ana the well seemed perfectly sound.
OLD SIDEWALKS UNEaRTHED.
Two or three old sidewalks Of brick have
been unesrthed By the eNcayator. from one 20
three feet below the surface The materials by
which they were covered were mostly the
refuse that would naturally accumulate in
back yards.
Most Of the soil taken out is natural clay and
but little of II seems TO have been placed in by
| man filling.
The work OF excnvaiing the square 10 going
on rapidly. and yesterday. after two OF the
eight weeks ct Mr.. Gleason's contract have
elapsed. he estimated that third OF the ma
terial had been removed. line force az work
mas Deen Increased, and every advantage 10
being taken OF the fine weather.
/ The architect. MIR. Edbrooke. is now engaged
IN a careful computation of the weights of the
building. which he hopes TO calculate 20 a very
accurate figure. The results of this ostimate
viii be combined with those Of the borings 10
furnish basis for deciding upon the founda-