Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-12
TO ENLARGE THE TREASURY
ANOTHER Story PROPOSED BY THE
"a ~
SUPERVISING ARCHITECT.
His Letter Sent to Congress, With the
Recommendations of the
2e Secretary.

The text of the recommendation of the
Secretary of the Treasury for improve
provements to the treasury building recent
ly communicated to the House, contained
letter from the supervising architect. as fol-
lows:
Il have the honor to call your attention
to the overcrowding Of the treasury build
ing. which has produced such condition
| of congestion to make it not only neces-
sary to utilize for the occupancy of clerks
rooms originally intended only for files and
miscellaneous uses and therefore entirely
inadequate and unsuited for such purpose
but also to erect buildings of unsatisfactory
character in the courts Of the building,
| originally intended to furnish to the rooms
| opening thereon light and ar lnlS con
! veI ting of rooms planned for storage or files
| into office rooms has made 1t necessary TO
| store large mass of valuable mes IN
| spaces which are dark and inaccessible anu
| in many cases, of non-hreproof construc-
| ton, and the danger Of such records being
destroyed has been recently emphasized by
a fire which occurred in the building.
THE architectural features of the treas
| ury building make my enlargement "nlch
| would change Its character very undcsira-
| BILE; but upon investigation. 1T Is 1ouna
| that an additional story could be erected
| the walls of which would be practically hid
den by the balustrate which at present sur
| mounts the cornice.
| The scheme for placing such All addi-
| tional story includes rendering practically
| fireproof the non-fireproof space above re-
| ferred to. now used for files. and from the
estimates made in this office it appears that
| the work can be done at cost OF $2ioot'
| 1T is not believed that in any other way
| would it be possible to obtain so large an
amount of available space FOR an equal sum
| of money by placing such an additional
| story. Therefore it is suggested that the
| attention of Congress be called to -lstlng
| conditions. and that it be requested to ap-
| propriate the sum of $4,000 to carry out
| the work as above outlined.
| 1 have the honor to call your attention
| further to the fact that from time to time
| the attention of Congress has been drawn
| to the desirability of changing the soft
| stone of the east front of the treasury
| building to granite, of which material the
main portion of the building Is constructed
| and to state that the necessity for making
| this change has been recently emphasized
! by the dropping of a large dentil from the
| cornice to the sidewalk below in the i'm
| mediate vicinity of 'passers. Similar stones
are liable to drop at any time, and there is
| always danger Of injury to pedestrians. 1t
| is impossible to detect stones which are LA
| BILE to fail or to take steps to secure them
| in place. Therefore it is suggested that the
| matter be again presented to Congress,
with a statement Of the facts relative to the
| dangerous condition of the disintegra ting
| stone and that 1t be asked to appropriate
| the sum of $4,000 for replacing the soft
| stone with granite, which amount is the
| sum the estimates made in this office indi-
| cate will be the cost Of making the change"