Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-09
THE CITY POST OFFICE
Some of the Cement Floors to Be Replaced
by New Ones.
The Terra Gotta Thing All Right
What Mr.. kemper Says on
the Subject.

Work on the new city post Office has at
| last reached a stage where the next thing
| in order is to put in the permanent flooring
on the first mezzanine and second floors of
| the big building.
To facilitate the work of removing the
dirt and debris which has collected on these
floors a wooden chute has been built out
| from one of the second tier of windows on
| the 18th street side and into this is thrown
all the sweepings of one sort and another.
The presence of this chute in some way
has given rise to a story, which has met
| with general credence, that the founda-
tions for the three floors mentioned are
faulty and must be torn out. According to
this story, the contrac tor in charge of that
part of the work protested against the spe-
cifications for the flooring when he received
them from the supervising architects Of
flee, and expressed the opinion that they
v ould not last more than a year.
According to those in charge of the work,
the terra-cotta foundations for the flooring
have proved thoroughly satisfactory and
that not single piece has had to be cut
out or otherwise removed except to accom-
modate the pipes for plumbing and heating.
What MIR. Kemper Says.
c. E. Kemper, acting supervising archi-
tect of the Treasury Department, said to
a Star reporter this morning that the con-
as had been represented. 1.-The concreting
on the first and mezzanine floors failed to
stand properly, and it was found necessary
to renew it, The floors of terra Gotta,
covered with concrete, and there is nothing
wrong with the terra Gotta"
Asked why the concrete had failed to
stand, Mr.. kemper said that the hauling
and pulling of heavy articles over it was the
cause.
E. B. Johnston & Co of Chicago were
fCr hp rchn in
Guiding the concrete. but they have been
paid in full for their work and the gov
ernment has nobody to hold responsible,
even if it could be established that the
work had been poorly done by the con-
tractors. E. F. Goebel is the contractor for
the interior work of the basement first and
nezzanine floors, but he had nothing to do
with the concrete. The government WILL
therefore, be the loser.
Mr.. kemIer was asked if it was true
that the contractors had notified the gov
ernment when they were putting down the
concrete that it would not last a year.
There was some question raised about
II, said MIR. kemper, but the formula for
the concrete which was put down had been
in satisfactory use in this office for fifteen
years. 1t was, however subjected to un-
usual wear and tear, and failed to stand"
The concrete is to be replaced by another,
which, IL is claimed. will be sufficiently
strong to withstand any usage to which it
may be subjected. The mezZ mime floor is
the one commonly known as the second
floor.
The Matter of Quarters.
Secretary Gage and Postmaster General
Gary will have a conference this week to
decide the matter of quarters for the lat
ter in the new post office building. They
will also decide the protest submitted by
Auditor Castle of the Post Office Depart
ment. Mr.. Castle is a treasury official, and
has entered protest against the quarters
assigned to him and his force. He COM
plains that he will be too far removed from
his employees. He has been assigned Of
fces on the second floor, while the force un-
der him have been put in the seventh and
eighth floors Mr.. Castle also complains
that the quarters are insufficient.
As heretofore stated, the Postmaster
General is satisfied with the arrangement
already made as to himself and force. The
whole matter, however, will have to be
passed upon by Secretary Gage