Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-13
Bids Invited For a Notable and
Costly Structure.
DIFFICULTIES THAT WERE OVERCOME
Description Of the Building and Its
Many Novelties.
ARCHITECTURAL POINTS

After many VexatouS delayS, que 10 d
complexity of causes. the plans and speci-
fcations of the proposed new union sta
ton at the corner of Seth and NJ streets
in West Washington have been completed
end approved by the District Commission
ers, and the Washington and Georgetown
Railroad Company has asked for bids for
the col struction of the building. Readers
of The Star are familiar with reasons
which led to the demand for such build
ing. as well with the numerous causes
which nave combined to delay its erection.
Congress passed a bill requiring the Wash
ington and Georgetown Railroad Company
to build a union station for the accommo
daton of ell railroad lines reaching West
Washington. 1t was intended that the
Washington and Georgetown Company
should occupy the first floor OF the struc-
ture; that the projected Washington and
Arlington electric road, which intended to
come across the Aqueduct bridge on an
elevated trestle, should use the second
floor; that the proposed Georgetown and
Great Falls electric road should come IN,
by means of trestles, on the third floor,
and that the Metropolitan Street Railroad
Company should enter the fourth floor on
Prospect street, which would be on level
with that story. 1t was provided in the
bill that the structure should be built in
accordance with the approval of the Dis
trict Commissioners After the measure
was passed another law was enacted pre-
venting the use of the Adueduct bridge for
railroad purposes, and this effectually stop
ped any road coming across that structure,
temporarily at least Then the Metropoli-
tain Railroad Company secured an addi-
tional right OF way around Prospect street
which led it to decide that it would not join
in the occupancy of the new union station
These unexpected occurrences caused a
change in the plans, so the building for
whose erection bids have been invited will
be but three instead of four stories, as
originally contemplated.
Immense Engineering Difficulties.
The work of excavating, not only the
foundation, but the immense hill that oc-
cupied the site of the coming structure, was
immense and difficult. The lot extended
$50 feet on NJ street, 242 on 36th and $50
feet on Prospect avenue.
1t was a bluff of earth and rock sixty
feet high. and to remove this required en-
gineering abilities of superior order so
that the surrounding property might be
properly protected. The contractors and
the company were frequently taken into
courts by the owners of contiguous prop
erty, particularly Mrs. Morris, whose hand
some residence adjoins the site on the east;
The courts refused to grant many desired
injunctions, but directed that care should
be taken in the use of explosives, and un-
der rigid restrictions the work was con-
tinued to completion. Over $4,000 cubic
yards of rock and earth were excavated.
On the Prospect avenue portion, which
was sixty feet in height, along part of 36th
street and next to Mrs. Morris it was nee
essary to put up a break wall thirteen feet
thick at the base. made of concrete and
strengthened with pilasters that it could
easily hold up any amount of earth which
might press against 1t.
The Proposed Building.
Within this massive embrasure and sup
ported by 1t, but separated from 1t enough
to allow free passage of air, so as to pre-
vent the walls of the building from becom-
ing damp, the new union station will be
erected. 1t will be absolutely fre-proof,
and everything in the building will be car
ricd directly steel. The whole structure
will be built on the principle of steel col
umns supporting the floors, the joists of
which are to be formed of the steel rails
upon which the cars occupying the various
floors will be run. The floors will be of
either concrete or tile arches. If of con-
crete they Will be given tensile strength by
the introduction of steel or of wiring
cording to the Roebling system. The entire
rear part of the structure will be used for
car storage of the Washington and George
town railroad, and the architect, Mr.
Waddy B. Wood has displayed remark
able ingenuity in arranging the massive
columns of steel which support the various
floors in such manner as to secure the
most available amount of space possible
for the accommodation of the cars.
Attractive in Appearance.
The front elevation of the building will
be particularly attractive The first story
will be built of Milford pink granite, with
carving concentrated in the center over lie
main entrance and at the base of the
tower. The second story will be of mot
tied brown brick which material will be
continued in the windows of the third
story, which will be finished in mansard-
roof style, with red Spanish tiling. The
front elevation will be 60 feet high, and in
the cent ar tower of mottled brown brick
VIII rise to height of 125 feet. This will
also be surmounted by a roof of Spanish
-ilins and high upon its sides will be the
words Union Station in gilded letters. 1t
will also contain a clock with dials on front
face of the tower. Mr.. Wood has handled
the exterior of the building in a particu-
larry graceful way. as a glance at the ac-
companying cut will illustrate and he las
managed the difficult problem set for him
In a particularly praiseworthy manner
when ii comes to relieving the ediftce of
the appearance of leaning against the hill.
By harmonizing his colors and relieving
the mass of the building here and there by
well-conceived breaks and curves, he has
succeeded In making the building stand
out from its surroundings, and it is conf