Evening star., 1897-03-10
PUSHING THE WORK
Renewed Activity at the New City
Post Office.
PROVISION FOR SECRET SURVEILLANCE
Lookouts From Which Detective:
Can See but Not Be Seen.
APPORTIONMENT OF ROOMS

There was considerable activity at the
new city post office today. and there has
been since the beginning of the week. Some
of the results of the resumption of active
work are apparent to pedestrians on the
avenue who have doubtless noticed the
window framing which has been placed in
nearly all the windows in the several
rounded corners of the big building But /
there really is life and hustle inside the big
court. any one who steps under the
arched doorways will at once discover.
This IS because three of the largest con-
tracts necessary in the completion of the
building have been awarded. and the con-
tractors are beginning operations under
the terms of their specifications.
Many of the rooms on the first story have
been partitioned off and the walls ard
ceilings nearly ready to be plaste-ed
Carpenters were at work building deck
roof around the large interior court. where
ventilators will be placed, and after this
work is done the skylights in the roof that
is to span the court can be put in. Brick
layers were engaged in the basement doing
some necessary work there. and laborers
were employed today in excavating on the
18th street front for coal shute. which Is
to be built directly in front of the entrance
il st at the foot of the steps. The plans
contemplate a series OF Tracks III the DdSc-
ment, which will run from the coal shute
to the several furnaces. AS the coal is
dumped 1t can be received into cars spe-
cially prepared for the purpose and these
wheeled away to the bins or to the boilers,
as occasion may require.
Plumbers were on hand in the big struc-
tGre making preparations to begin in earn
est the work called for under their con-
tract, and the same may be said of the
workmen engaged by the contractor for the
heating apparatus. The heating contract is
probably the largest that has been or viii
be given out in the course of construction
at the post Office. In carrying out its spe-
citcations. miles and miles of steam pipes
will be used, besides larger pipes and iiues.
Six immense tubular boilers will be re-
CURED. with furnaces capable of converting
the water in them rapidly into steam.
The POstmaster's Room.
When the building is occupied for post
office purposes the room of the city post
master will be located at the northeast
corner of the building On the first floor.
| This is an especially desirable situation.
| and the Offices will be CHEEKY and pleasant.
with large windows on both the 11th street
and Pennsylvania avenue fronts. The office
| of the assistant postmaster will be on the
| 11th street side. between the postmasters 8
room and the 1lth street entrance.
Directly south Of the east entrance are
| to be situated the Offices of the cashier.
! HeSe nave DSen dfTeaOS DdTtlllDHeu
and are large and commodious. In the
| cashiers room is located a large steel
vault. in which will be placed the safe
| that will be utilized for keeping safely
the amount of money on hand and the
| stock of stamps. postal cards. postal orders
| and other valuable papers
In the cashiers own room and in those
adjoining, in which the clerks of his office
will have their desks, one may now notice
| high up in the wall near the ceiling small
| openings sbout two feet square. These
| openings will remain in the walls even
| after the building is completed and occu-
| pied. They are connected with secret
| passageway from the basement, and it is
| said that they are interded for the use
of members of the secret service or other
J spoilers who may be requested to look in
I upon the clerks who handle the money in
| the post office a, times of which they are
not aware. From these lookouts view
they are located, though. it is said. the
clerks will be entirely ignorant that they
| are under surveillance.
Lookouts for Detectives.
Provision has also been made in the
| court OF the first floor for similar lookouts
or espionage windows. The distribution of
| mail will all be done in the court, it Is
said. and the working rooms of the letter
carriers will also be located there There
are to be three winding staircases from
the cellar through the floor up to the roof
of the mezza nine stcry, where an unob-
structed view be had Of the work
rooms below. There are now three open
ings left in the floor of the court, sections
of the court that have lot yet been arche,l
| over the rest of the floor has been. and
these opo nngs 1t is sad to be utilized
for the purpose mentioned. One of them
is directly in the center of the court, and
the other two are midway toward the
north and south fronts of the building.
Whether the building will be in such a
stage of completion by the 1st of next july
as will permit the occupancy of the base
ment. first floor and mezzanine story by
the city post office is still undetermined
question. Those who are in charge of the
work Of construction say that there would
Seem to be no good reason why the interior
finishing of the part of the building to be
and his force of clerks and carriers cannot
be completed by summer time. 1t is not
expected. however. that the entire build
ing will be finished by that time.
But it Is thought that the plumbers can
at least finish their work in the lower part
Of the building by July. leaving the re-
mainder TO be completed after that date
and as for the heating, there is no expac-
| tation that artificial heat will be required
| in any portion CT the big structure at the
time the local post Office hopes to take
| possession of its new quarters. 1t Is
| thought that II sufficient force Is kept
employed the work of finishing the interior
of the lower story can he completed by
July 1.
Senator Mitchell nnd the Judgeshfp.