Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-30
UP LOW LY
Lack Of Stone Causes Some Delay on City
Post Office.
Still the Work Progresses Steadily
and Will Move Faster SoOn-New
Contracts Awarded.

There is not enough of a crowd Of men at
work on the city post Office building during
these hot days to cause prostrations from
the heat They are not packed together like
sardines. and there is plenty Of room for
the circulatio of air about the great struc-
ture. Yet there is work being done, and it
Is but just to say it as going on at as rapid
q rate as the circumstances will allow. The
granite blocks Of the mezzanine story hich
includes the arches of the first story win
dows are being laid. and the building will
soon be up to the third story line, where
the rough dressed stone work will end and
the smooth faced or finished masonry will
be begun. This Is in accordance with the de-
cision recently reached by the officials of
the Treasury Department. who concluded
that the completion of the building on the
plan as started with rough blocks from
basement to attic, would give too dismal
effect to the building
Though there are over 100 men at work
at the Fox Island, Maine. quarres, where
the granite is being produced, dressing and
shaping the stones, it is difficult for the
stone contractors to supply the material
fast enough to keep the work going at the
speed which is doubtless desired by the
lGnS waiting public at Washington. All the
stone has hitherto been shipped from Fox
Island to this city by water. and the uncer-
tainties Of this method of transportation
have caused some embarrassing delays.
For Instance, a few days ago three vessels
laden with granite from the quarry reached
the wharf in this city within a few hours
of each other on the same day, although
the rirst vessel sailed ten days later than
the schooner which touched the wharf last.
AS result or the delay of the vessel which
sailed first all Of the masons were laid off
for day and half, owing to the lack of
granite. Now there Is quite a quantity on
Land but still the supply is so uncertain
that Mr.. Steinmetz, the agent of Contractor
Pierce. is considering the advisability of
wiring the Quarrymen to ship a few loads
by rail.
Mr.. Stelnmetz said this morning that by
the 10th OF July work would be so well In
hand that he could probably begin some of
the dressed stone laying in the third story.
He explained that not brick can be laid
above the granite walls, which must be
tied INTO the brick walls by anchors. The
prlck contractor has shown, he says every
disposition to hasten his part OF the work
and loses no time iE-getting the bricks laid
nush with the granite. The rough stone
laying, he continued. has proven very diff
cult. owing to the care which must he ex-
ercis ed in matching the joints, and he
thinks that. once the dressed walls are be-
gun the masonry will be put up at a much
more rapid rate
The contract for the next four stories of
iron work frame has been awarded by the
Treasury Department TO Brown Ketcham
& Co. of Indianapolis. at the very low rate
or S3o.3G per ton. This firm expects to COM
mence the construction CT the iron frame
on the northeast corner in two weeks and
they hope to be able to keep ahead so well
that the granite walls can be thrown up
very Closely behind them. The materials
for this sccord lot OF iron work have not
yet begun TO arrive
Superintendent kihsey said to a Star re-
porter this morning that he believed the
post offics had so far been pushed as fast
as circumstances would permit. There has
been no dearth of labor, he said, but rather
surplus. Once or twice there have been
difficulties In getting skilled men to work
been abundant. but this trouble has not
been encountered in the brick work The
materials for the central tower in the
middle OF the north front have been much
slower he said, in their arrival than he
could wish, and he hopes that arrange
ments may be made In a short time TO get
enough stone for this part OF the work on
the ground to push the tower ahead and
Keep II even with the walls. This stone is
arate from the other material. There Is a
great deal of carving upon 1t, much of
which Is being done at the quarries, and
this Is probably delaying the stone A large
part OF the finer work of carving will be
left, however, until a later day, to avoid
the danger of Its being broken In the con-
struction. There Is a great deal of beauti-
fu1 WORK Of this sCrt to be done on the
three large entrances. particularly on the
engines at work on the northeast north
west and southeast corners, and It Is in
tended to have fourth engine placed at
the southwest corner, and Mr.. Kinsey
thinks there will be no more delay after the
mezzanine story has been completed.