Evening star., 1899-04-26
Talk With Lieutenant Sewell, in
Charge of Construction.
NINE ACRES OF FLOOR SPACE
Plans for the Greatest Printing
Shop in the World.
P r E L l MIN AIRY WORK

| The preliminary work to be done upon.the
| new building for the government printing
| Office, which will occupy the site bounded
| by North Capitol and G streets and Jack
| son alley Immediately south of the present
| office, is being prosecuted with vim and
energy which bespeak rapid progress until
! completion crowns all the labor
| Lieut.. John Stephen Sewell of the Corps
| of Engineers of the army. who Will super
| wise and direct the entire work, has secured
offices on the second floor of No. 735 North
| Capitol street, where he pleasantly received
| a reporter for The Star this morning. Lieu
tenant Sewell is young, but in experience
] and judgment he is mature, as proved by
| the admirable manner in which he has met
| the many difficult duties that have devolv-
| ed upon him in the past He was made
| major of volunteers at the outbreak of the
war with Spain and was promoted to be
lieutenant colonel of the 1st United States
Volunteers, but has been mustered out and
assigned to his present very important
! duty, which is similar to that performed
| by Mr. bernard Green on the new Congress
| sional Library building. He will doubtless
accomplish it with equal success.
Sale of Buildings on Site.
Last week Lieutenant Sewell advertised
| for proposals for the sale and removal of
| the building now occupying the site
| of the future government printing office.
There are twenty-four parcels to be
thus disposed Of, consisting Of six
three-story brick dwellings and out
buildings, and one two-story brick building
and four two-story bricks, with several
| brick stables and other outbuildings on G
street, and some Trick and frame dwellings
| and shops in jackson alley. Bids for
| groups of houses will be favored in prefer
| ence to those for single houses and the
rght IS reserved to reject any or all bids.
All buildings must be paid for in cash and
removed within thirty days after the day of
acceptance of proposals. The bids will be
opened May IS.
A Talk With Lieut.. Seweu
"As soon as the bids are received and the
decision upon their acceptance reached"
said Lieut.. Sewell this morning. contracts
for the excavation will be awarded The
sum of 100000 has been authorized, as
you are aware, for the actual construction
of the new building, of which S32U, 900 has
been already appropriated. This sum in
cludes no equipment of machinery 1t is
our purpose to make it a model plant. The
construction will consist of a steel skeleton.
and something Ike ten or twelve million
pounds of steel will be used in it, The out
er walls will be largely of brick Some
stone will be used, but not a great deal.
1T Will be made as thoroughly fireproof as
a building can be made, and We propose to
have it 50 strong that there will never be
any danger OF q collapse, matter how
heavily the floors may be loaded.
The building" continued Lieut. Sewell
will be seven stories above the basement
and probably 125 feet in height. BY the
way. / may state that there is no danger
Of a collapse in the present building If
has been thoroughly strengthened and those
in it now take immediate measures to re-
Eeye any strain where loads seem to be too
heavy.
ITO return, the new building will have
systematic ventilation r,Ian 1P
dows. In such a building the problems of
light and ventilation are necessarily intri-
cate, but the plans under consideration will.
think, successfully solve all difficulties
To BE Finished in 1902
There will be complex system of form
lifts, elevators and conveyors requisite to
such workshop, and the building will be
made as comfortable as possible with every
arrangement for the convenience of those
occupying it. The heating facilities viii be
as complete as those of ventilation both
being absolute requisites to the health of
the workers in such an establishment
Il hope to have the plans ready for the
beginning OF the steel work early next year
The prosecution of this will depend largely
OF course. upon the condition of the steel
nlarket M Is now very animated. but am
OF the opinion that several months hence
VIII see lessening of its activity
The purpose is to complete the huildinp
and have it ready for occupancy within
three years-in 1902. The crying necessity
Tor new quarters for the most novel and
complicated printing Office in the world de-
mands quick work. 1t may give you some
Idea OF the proposed building when / tell
you that its floor space, including the base
ment, sidewalk vaults and the power house
extension, viii cover a little over nine
acres.
The plans Of the building" said I.ieut
Sewel1, in conclusion, ARE being workad
out in conjunction with the steam and
electrical engineers of the government
printing office, and Mr.. j. G. Hill is doing
AL the architectural work The only nor
tons of the design, other than the execu
ave, for which l am responsible, are .le
structural features"