Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-04
UNION DEPOT SITE
Blasting Has Been Stopped in Order to
Protect Neighboring Houses
The Gigantic Task of Excavating
Thousands of Tons of ROck-WOrk
Going Forward.


union street car depot on NJ street, George
town, has alarmed people living in the
neighborhood, until a lively watch is kept
on the operations there. Undeniably, the
proportions of the undertaking so great
that to the uninfcrmed spectator there
may seem to be cause for apprehension.
This, at least, was reasonable. when a few
days ago the continual blasting shook the
whole hill, and threatened TO cause gen-
eral landslide which would involve ad-
joining houses and the surface Of Prospect
street for the length of Il block. But all
blasting was ordered stopped by the rail-
way company before any action was taken
by the District autLoriti.,s. and every pos
si0le precaution Is being taken 20 prevent
any mishap.
The Situation.
The situation, briefly stated, is this: The
excavation for this union depot, which is
to be 200 feet wide by 80 long, involves the
removal, chiefly by blasting, of a mass
of rock, some hard and firmly in place,
some rotten ard liable to slide together
with a large proportion Of earth. This
mass. roughly estimated. amounts prob
ably to 5000 tons of matter. The rocks
in this enormous weight trend from the
northwest to the southeast.
A landslide, II it should occur, might re-
suit in the displacement of two-th1rds OF
the entire mass Of rock and cartn. Inc
first excavation made was along the east
side of the proposed structure. This Is
trench twelve feet wide and sixty feet deep.
at the rear of the lot on Prospect street,
and for q distance OF $50 feet southwafd
toward NJ street. Every precaut1on has
been taken where this excavation has been
made Heavy snoring timbers have been
placed every few feet directly across the
trench squarely against the breast Of the
1or Ia nm
These timbers are supported by braces,
and the greatest possible strength OF the
snoring Is secured.
The Danger Well Considered.
The weight of rock and earth that they
hold in place is we'll known. and Mr.. }. L..
Parsons the superintendent for the con-
tractors said this morning that he was al
ways careful to have the supports amply
in excess of the requirements. He has
been engaged in this sort of work twenty
five years and says he has never had man
killed or even hurt under him. 1t is clear,
of course, that If these precautions had
not been taken hole sunk sixty feet In
the ground only thirty feet from the MOI
ris house-a four,story brick str structureI 'n'e,a
would have caused a landslide that would
have split the Morris house in two ana
caused its destruction. Further blasting
and excavation on the west side OF the
lot might have damaged the home OF Mrs.
cottage.
When the work began it was supposed
that the contractors had only solid rock 70
deal with, in which case no damage could
POSSIBLY have been apprehended by those
living in the vicinity. AS soon as 1t was
found that the rock was rotten the railway
company, which has an inspector con-
stantly on the ground, and the contractors
modified their plans and took the most
thorough precautions against accidents.
Plans for Greater Strength.
The plans of the building were at once
chang gcd and measures taken to thicken
the walls. The wall along the east side
Of the depot. as now provided for. is to
be II feet thick at the base on Prospect
street.
This 11-foot wall will be continued up
20 feet from the bottom. Then 1t will be
feet thick for Is feet. and then feet TO
the surface. These thickresses Will ex-
tead forward to the south from Prospect
street 80 feet From there on, where the
hill slopes, and the pressure diminishes, the
wall will be narrower.1o feet at the DOT
she next 45 feet 1t will be feet, feet
inches, and 6 feet in the various vents
from the base to the top. On street,
where the hill slooes to the grade OF the
street and there is no lateral pressure to
sustain the walls will nowhere be less
than feet thick. Thus 1t is apparent that
provision is made for an ample retaining
wall.
The present contract includes the exca-
walton for only the east side of the lot.
The contractors gave a $4,000 bond by
the American Security Company OF New
York and cannot themselves AFFORD to take
any chances, even If the railway company
or the District authorities were negligent.
Contracts have not been let for the excava-
ton along Prospect street and on the west
side Of the lot, but these are already pre-
pared, and the plans are ready, so thatthe
work will be provided for in a few days.
Probably no work will be undertaken for
the present that requires blasting. The
east wall will be built as rapidly as possi-
BILE and completed, it is expected, in about
two months. The landslide that occurred
two weeks ago did no damage. No blasting
has been done since it occurred. Most OF
the excavation where this landslide oc-
Cured can be done probably with the pick
and shovel, and beyond all doubt will be
done under just as thorough care and pre-
caution as the contractors have displayed
in the work so far.
Mr.. Dunlop OF the Washington and
Georgetown Railway Company said this
morning that the District authorities and
the railway company had their inspectors
there all the time to inspect and report on
every stage of the work, so that they
would have immediate notice II anything
occurred that might endanger any adjoin-
ing property, and neither the company nor
the contractors could afford to neglect any
safeguard available to protect themselves
the men and the nelghbors.