Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
AT DIZZY HEIGHTS
From the Top of the New City Post
Office Building.
THE VAST MAZE OF IRON WORK
Tick|ish Work Done by Men and
How They Do It.
SOME OF THE RIL S

Ones first impression as he stands on the
top of the new city post office building is
that he is at an elevation of about 5000
feet above the level of anywhere.
Some mountains are pretty high, but
when one has reached the summit he is
still standing on a piece of the earth, and
If he falls he only drops to the ground
That is as far he tumbles when he
leaves the top of the huge shell that will
some day be fine post office building, but
those who have gone down have not lived
to tell the tale
For some time past the sight of a num-
Der of wolkmen climbing about the tur-
rets and dormers. of the big building like
so many flies, has interested people along
the avenue, who have stopped and shaded
their eyes to look up and watch men at
work in about as awkward and perilous
situations as can be conceived Of The most
curious part of it all was the apparent
Indifference with which they went about
their tasks. To fit about on such lofty
pinnacles, hammerirg away at stone and
iron, with nothing between one and the
hard, cold earth below but some November
sunshine and a pretty good quality of at
mosphere requires a genuinely good nerve
.
had better not ask for employment on the
top floor OF the post office building. But
the ironworkers pay 10 more attention to
1t than If they were putting in a few hours
of work on solid ground. 1t is simply the
old story Of familiarity breeding contempt,
W ich applies to danger we'll as to any
other element of human existence. After
nearly four years of more or less faithful
work the structure is up pretty nearly as
high as 1t will ever be. The stone work is
almost completed. but when the building
will be ready for occupancy Is quite an
other matter
A Rather TickRish Place.
Yesterday morning Star reporter spent
a couple of hours wandering about among
the trusses and beams and upper air that
make up what will be eventually the
eighth story of the big building.
1t was gorgeous fall morning, and the
breezes that circulated abou. the summit of
the structure We're made up of a better
quality of air than is noticeable q hundred
and fifty feet nearer the surface of the
earth. But it was altogether too high for
comfort. It's all RICH. when you are ac-
customed to it, but that is just where the
rub comes in.
Superintendent Kinsey, who acted as
guide and informant, walked about as I'M
concernedly as any of the ninble iron
workers, and, being a man of substance
more than 200 pounds of substance-he in
spired the feeling that where he could go
1t would be possible for man less well fed
to go in safety, which is all well enough
as far as 1t goes, but it doesn't go far
enough when it comes to traversing a mar
Tow plank spread across he beams.
1t was very much like the little four
year-old boy of this city the first time he
ever noticed a big iron railroad bridge
spa ming wide river. why" said he.
loo king out of the car window, its dess
fin but air an criss-crosses.
A Maze of Iron Work.
Access to the big building was had by
way of the east entrance on 18th street.
The big door is pretty well hidden by the
fence and the little frame buildings that
answer as offices of construction. The first
view of Il interior from that point gives
one only the impression Of vast maze of
iron work. There is good deal of same
ress about it, withal, and the whole thing
looks like a honeycomb or a mammoth file
cabinet, in which might be stored the rec
ords Of the ages.
A house builder or a barn raiser of CEN
tury ago would think 1t very curious way
indeed to construct a building. 1t is ap-
parently nothing but great network Of
steel and iron beams, columns and trusses
within the outer sheet of granite walls. In
the center of it all is the great court.
Eight stories above it will be the flying roof
of glass.
The original plan provided for interior
galleries each floor overlooking the
court somewhat similar to the interior of
the pension Office MS Woulu nave lett
one room between the gallery and the
outer wall. But since the work was begun
the plans have been changed, so chat now
1t is intended to construct interior hall
ways between the inner and outer rooms.
This will largely increase the total number
OF rooms in the building, although it will
diminish the size Of the rooms.
These halls will be lighted for the most
part through windows and glass doors, let
ting in light both from the streets and the
ir terror court. Officials in the architects
office have been at work recently laying
out plans for the rooms to be occupied by
the city post office proper. According to
present expectation the city postmaster will
east corner of the building. which will
make one of the handsomeSt offices in The
capital.
Rooms In the Towers.
When completed the building will be pro-
ground to the top floor. Three of these will
be on the 18th street side and two on the
opposite side of the building In the rear
there will be hoists from the basement to
the first floor for the convenience of the
employees CT the city post office.
The only stone work of any importance
that remains still to be done is on tile front
of the building, where about the tower a
couple. of stories are still to be completed
The carved stone frieZe which was in place
Just above the lettering. Ammo Domini, etc.
has been removed, and is to be put back
again at the top of the eighth story The
tower will have then seven stories higher
to run. 1t will contain office rooms for two
or three floors above the top of the build
ing proper and above that provision will