Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-11
THE AVERAGE DROPS
Only Nineteen Men on the City Post Office
Today.
An Explanation ReGardlug Iron Work,
Which, However, Does Not
Thoroughly Explain.

The Burst of Energy that made a brief
appearance on the new city post Office last
week has gone into the hospital for re-
pairs 1t has been attacked by a serious
deliridm, consequent upon overwork, ami
is threatened with a prolonged case of ner-
vous prostration. The weather was too
good for it. Consequently. today. one of
the finest days of the year, there are only
nineteen at work en- the building, nineteen
large strong men, who are scattered
around on the great structure so far apart
that they are in danger of getting lone
some They haze been accustomed of late
to such a crowd OF companions that the
change is making them sad
This establishes q new rate for the FIN
ishing of the structure. Ever since The
Star began its counting the average has
been above the old normal figure of twenty.
and so the date of August IL. 1906. that
was originally fixed upon as the probable
time of completion, has been the bottom
notch all through the various computations
that have been made. But now the period
of possible waiting must be heightened a
bit 1t is estimated that nineteen men
working on the building during each work
ing day of the year would frish the struc-
ture about January ., 1907, a little over
twelve years hence.
The uench has not teen finished, hut
work on it has been suspended. and there
still remains the western section to do.
This is because the space in front OF the
main entrance Is needed for the storage of
the stone that has now come. designed for
that part of the building. This stone is
beginning to get TO the ground an small
quantities, and the masons vho hope to
be engaged on the work are watching the
progress of things from the northeast gate
with anxious eyes. The derrick for hoist
ing the stone is still in its old place, while
a few men are tying the framework on the
northeast corner together Yesterday Su-
perintendent Kinsey estimated that the
work of laying the stone OF the second
story would probably be begun this week.
but that hope does not Seem liable to be
realized. there is now no stone for that
part of the building on the ground, and the
hoisting apparatus is out Of gear.
new engine was brought into the
grounds today and is now placed on the
foundation in the basement. This Is de-
signed to hurt the totals Of the numbers of
men employed 4 good deal a little later on,
as the steam power will be used instead OF
hod-carriers heres fter to hoist the bricks
to the walls. That is quite an item, and so
maybe there will be kink or two in the cal
culations few weeks from now. OF course.
the steam power can be run with fewer
men while doing as much work, and so the
applica ton of modern appliances may tend
to float the hopes of the citizens. Yet, as
the DEiChWNrk on tnlS lOD Is never DenifQ-
hand but is nominally made 20 wait on the
stone laying. there will here be little or no
gain in the end.
Foreman Conner. who is looking after the
interests of the Brown-Ketcham Company.
the contractors for the iron work. said this
morning to Star man that the chief cause
of delay, in his opinion, is the practice of
the architects office Of giving out the con-
tracts for the work in parts and in not
awarding the later contracts until just as
they are to go into execution. In his judg-
ment the building would have been much
hastened if the Treasury Department had
asked for bids on the whole structure. al
lowing the contractor to make subcontracts.
which, of course, he would so time that they
would be executed promptly and i'm due sea-
son. As it is, the small contra ctors either
interfere with each other, or there is a lapse
between them, almost always making delay.
He said that his company had had the same
difficulty with almost every government job
that they had undertaken. He WAS also fore
man for the Indianapolis company in put
ting the iron work into the library build
ing, and he pointed to this structure today
as one of the few works that has ever been
accomplis he'd in this country without Sc
rious delays and troubles There he said
everything have been ordered i'm advance ana
there have been no bitches owing to useless
red tape and dilatory plans. In reference
to the present job, he said that there had
been quite a delay caused by the depart
ment at 'he outset, when the plans were
withheld for some reason
Nol"ltnslahdlnS this plea, the fact re-
mains that the Rrown-Ketchan Comnauv
with a fun acquaintance with the WAYS of
the architects office contracted to complete
the work in three months, and has failed
utterly TO do IL. The excuse that iron work
is Slow of production and that the rolling
mills cannot be depended upon to produce
the material on tim is not altogether valid
for this H. fact We'll known to the trade
tEat should be taken into consideration
when the bid Is made The time limit of
the bid Is supposed to cover all such factors
sandow Might Help.
To the Editor Of Tie Evening Star:
Would it not be a paying scheme to hire
the services Of the celebrated "Sandow' TO
lift the new post office a story or tive and
Re luce the number of years for its contem-
plated completion? f. NJ.