The San Francisco call., 1896-04-12

rooms to be devoted to the postofice
should be arranged.
The acting supervising architect said to
The CALL correspondent to-day:
I'VE are now waiting to hear from Post
master McCoppin. You understand that
these buildings are taken up in their regu-
lar order, and San Francisco has now been
reached, but we cannot go on with our
plans until the Federal officers have
agreed as to arrangement of their several
and respective rooms"
Another official of the supervising
architects Office, who, however, does not
wish to be quoted, said to The CALL cor
respondent that unless the Federal or
ficers speedily agreed on the interior ar
rangement of the. building the architect
would take the matter in his own hands
and go ahead with the plans. He said
that one of the United States Judges had
been very much dissatisfied with the de-
signs of the building, and had lntimated
TO the department that unless the plans
were changed he would object TO moving
into it. He did not say who this official
was, but it is surmised that it was either
Judge Mckenna or Judge Morrow. 1T
was further ascertained that the supervls-
ing architect would modify the plans and
general design of the building. The de-
sign, as prepared by the former architect
of the treasury, O'Rourke, was the style of
Italian renaissance The modified plans
will be after the style of Spanish renals-
sance, and the appearance of the building
will be greatly changed and improved.
Indeed, the change Will be so radical that
the appearance of the building will be
altogether different.
An officer of the supervising architects
Office said to a CALL correspondent to- day {:
"Of course we cannot decide on the design
until we know how much space each one
of the Federal Offices viii need, and until
Postmaster McCoppin sends on his own
ideas We cannot go ahead with the plans.
But N general, it will be enough to say
that the general appearance of the build
ing will be greatly improved and beauti-
fed"
The CALL correspondent asked the reason
for changing the design of the building
and was told that the former plans had
been prepared by Supervising Architect
O'Rourke, but that the present architect,
Akin, was not altogether satisfied with
them, and had directed draughtsmen of the
office TO prepare other designs. The cor
respondent inquired when the people of
San Francisco might reasonably expect
the work of construction TO begin, and was
told that ii all depended on the Federal
officers, but as soon as Postmaster McCop-
pin responded to the request of the
architects Office, and it was found that
the ideas of the several Federal officers
might be amalgamated, the draughtsmen
OF the office would Immediately begin to
draw new sketch plans.
''Then, when in your opinion will real
construction of the building commence?'
asked the correspondent.
The acting supervising architect replied i:
THAT would be i'm possible to say. 1t
might be only month or SO, and it might
be year, but you may say 10 your people
that the San Francisco building has been
reached in regular order and work viii be
rushed as rapidly as possible. These
buildings are taken up in the order in
which appropriations were made by Con-
gress, and heretofore it has been impossi-
BILE for us to do anything with the San
Francisco building for the reason that
there were other buildings ahead OF it, and
for the further reason that there has been
delay in hearing from Federal officers In
California;
This was all the satisfaction that could
be obtained from the architect.
Senator Perkins said to The CALL CORE
spondent tonight:
The way the supervising architect has
acted in this matter has been very aggra-
waiting. Several months ago Judge Nc
kenna wrote me. giving his ideas as to ar
rangements OF courtrooms, judges cham
bers, clerks and marshals' rooms, etc.
"He was anxious to have the courtrooms
located at the several corners of the build
ing, so as to secure as much light as possi-
bic, and also suggested that for the sake of
convenience the clerks and marshals'
offices and other rooms connected with the
court all be situated on the same floor. l
went to see the supervising architect and
had short interview with him. He ex-
pressed regret that the work on the build
ing had been delayed, but said that the
office was swamped with work and he was
doing his best with the force he had and
that there would be many buildings to
claim his attention. Time went on, and
finally wrote him, suggesting that if he
would send me an estimate of the amount
required for additional craftsmen l would
introduce bill in the Senate to appropri-
ate money for that purpose, as was done in
the case of Chicago's postoffice, when
Congress made special appropriation to
secure craftsmen for that building. was
somewhat surprised at receiving no an
swer to my letter, for | had naturally sup
posed that the supervising architect would
be willing and anxious to have assistance
furnished him.
81 wrote him again, but received no
satisfaction. Then l sent a special mes
senger conveying an intimation that l
could not understand his reason for not
replying to my communications. l in
structed my messenger to secure some
kind OF answer, The architect promised
TO furnish me the data l had requested,
but never received them.
ut was very discourteous treatment. to
say the least, and l gave him to under
stand that unless l received some informa-
tion from him / would introduce a reso-
luton in the Senate demanding to know
from the Secretary of the Treasury the
reason for delay in commencing work on
the building and diractinp hin, +o prooood