Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-22
RUSHING THE WORK.
Over Half Hundred Today on the
City Post Office.

The Grim Determination and the Burst of
Energy have at last succeeded in effecting
a fusion on the post office site and from
now on there may be expected vigorous
campaign against time and the elements.
This morning there were some additional
men put on the work, and by IL o'clock
there were fifty-five men iaboring on the
structure. enough to finish the building by
the 10th of April, 1897. That is according
to the old calculation. which was instituted
when there was absolutely no prospect that
SO many men would ever be seen at once
On the walls. But today there is every evil
denCe of gleeful intention to get through
with the job, whatever 1t may cost, and
Superintendent kinsey wears a broad smile
as he surveys the scene, and the fOremen
are giving orders and the men are running
around, and really 1t is quite exciting. One
of the forcmen did not turn up this morn
ing, and SO five of the men had to be laid
off for about three hours. These were the
handlers of the iron on the ground so that
the total for today may be Il bit Inaccurate.
But there Is no use in splitting hairs,
especially as there is no likelihood that the
date mentioned will be realized.
The blue derrick Is at last ready to hoist
the stone for the second story In place but
the masons have not yet been hired for this
work. The wagons are delivering stone
every day, and there is enough material on
hand to begin with. The bricklayers are
growing weary with waiting, for they can
not begin until the stone work has been
started sufficiently to give them a clear
field.
The iron work is now far ahead of the
masonry, and there Is no longer any ex-
cuse for the delay in the latter work on the
ground that the iron contractor was behind
time The latter's time expired on the 9th
of September, SO that he is now nearly
seven weeks behind time. That period
should have been enough for the contractor
for the SuperStructure to catch up with his
dates, but he does not seem to have done
il. The iron frames are now nearly COM
plete the entire east side, and the south
side win soon look like an immense bind
cage. 1t now appears probable that the
frames for the second and third stories will
be set long before the masons are AWAY
from the northeast corner The original
plan was that the iron work should he
finished In sections. and that the masonS
should follow the frames so closely that nv
the time the frames for two stories had
been set all around the building the masons
would be clear away ami the fourth and
fifth stories could be begun at the northeast
corner. so that there would lie no lapse in
the work.
That was a beautiful theory. but n hos
not functioned i'll any particular as Vet
The frame for the northeast corner has now
been practically finished for nearly TON
days and not a stone mas been set II 10
not beyond the range of probability that the
iron contra ctor will be obliged To Uait Cor.
weeks if not ntbS, before he can beeio
on the fourth story. for frost time has be-
gun. and it will not be many weeks before
freezing weather sets in, which win SION
all masonry work 1t Is quite reasoDahIe
to believe that the fourth story viii NOT he
started until open weather comes in tbe
spring, IL then.i