The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-19
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

terest me as a relic collector said Rich
ard Banks. Of Boston, who was at
ChamberIin's last week. but l think
that ! have Just seen the thing Of ali
things which / should like TO possess ]
viii show YOU he continued. as he.rose
from the table al which he was intend
ing to take lunch, and stepped out
through the doors to the front steps
There he turned and pointed to~-the
weather strip on the right hand storm
door. L want YOU to look at the bead
ing. Just by the brass handle You will
see that it is near enough TO the handle
for every hand that reaches out to open
the door. to brush the projecting wood
Zach hand that has been put upon the
handle has removed with the nails OF its
fingers Il little silver of wood from the
beadin. of the weather strip, only an IN
nnltesiTuaI piece. but by the friction a
little SemicircuIar place has been cut out
just as if rats mad gnawed it.
To the ordinary unimaginative NOR
tai that small bit of worn wood may
mean nothing. but to ne it means a great
deal As 1 come inside, and see all these
pictures of great men who made this
place a frequent resort, 1 am reminded
that il was the constant action OF their
distinguished fingers that made the little
samicircular place in that weather strip.
Could anything be more unique Where
in the world could you find anything like
il? Perhaps the cane of Victoria, or the
AK Of Gladstone, might have a somewhat
similar sentiment attached 10 IL But
those are concerned only with one man
and one woman. This is the work OF an
almost countless number of men who
have made themselves famous IN legisla-
tive annals. and in the naval and military
history Of their country.
That little strip of wood bears the dis
tinct impress OF the personality o. the
present Executive of the United States.
His hand and his finger nails helped TO
make that. hole Tom Reed is represented
IN il. President Garfield, President Ei;tf-
riSCn. Admiral Dewey. PM Shefldai-
Grant. and 50 on through an endless ilsl
Of great names. Except for the 1sNHt that
il is much better IN its present place
adding its little charm to LOCALITY so
full of great associations, l should want
TO purchase il, have it sawed out ana
replaced Hy d new piece. l have not yet
however. progressed far enough toward
vandalism. to he capable Of that, but /
must get out OF the reach OF H. or VIII
be SUTely tempted.
If You wish to realize how much Of a
maritime nation the United States is be
coming. YOU should visit the shipyards
at Newport News" said G. f Adams. al
the Riggs, today. y have been living
there for some time. bat when I went in
to the yards Just before 1 came 70 Wash
ington the work going on was a surprise
and a revelation to me- There i every
thing building there. from steam yacht
to q battleship. and the work is going on
all at once. And what Is now visible IS
by no means all of it. There are other
Erb work
has not Yet begun. but which Will be
started by the middle Of the summer 1t
may give You an idea OF the enormous
size Of the yards and the work that is
being done there to tell you that 300
men are now employed by the company
and that IN few months the number
viii in all probability be increased to -
csc
The interest Of the city and the work
iugmen is now centred upon the launch
ing Of the big mail steamer Korea. which
is expected 10 take place Saturday morn
ing at Il o'clock. She Is the largest ship
ever built in an American shipyard. be-
ing thirty feet longer than the St Louis
or the St. Paul, Of the American line. She
is an immense thing as she stands upon
the stocks. She is fully as high as the
top of the Treasury Building. and would
probably take up most Of Fifteenth Street
from the Avenue to New York Ave
nue., II she were placed in it She Is
built 10 carry both freight and passen-
gers. and viii make the trip from San
Francisco to China. probably touching at
Honolulu. and Japan Her speed win be
unsurpassed on the Pacific. and fully
equal to the fleetest ocean greyhOUndS
that ply between New York and South
amDtOu or Liverpool
The sister ship to the Korea, the 81
IBERIA, IS only partly done The Morgan
line steamship. FL Vale. which is to be
magnificent boat of its class, though not
50 large as the Korea, is nearing compile
tiDn. On the Illinois - per cent Of the
work has been done The monitor Ar
/ kansas Is 60 per cent toward completion
| The North German Lloyd has its great
ship the Main. which was SO badly dam
aged during the Hoboken fire, III the yard
TO be practically built over again, and
there are other big vessels there for re
pairs or improvements
The monetary side of the question IS
also interesting Taking all together.
there is about $25,090,oIO worth Of work
being done. This calculation includes
three WaTShips, for which contracts have
just been made In addition to this there
is an immense amount of general work
being done. the value Of which cannot be
exactly determined.
J. B. Brady. of New York. was in
Washington last night at the Raleigh He
IS here IN connection with some contracts
for ears which the Southern Railway is
about to let
Though the newest thing in car con-
struCtiOu the pressed steel car is now
the most popular he said 1t is only
three years since they were first made
Now almost every railroad in the country
uses them Previous TO three years ago
they were bulky and heavy. They We're
composed Of thick, weiShty beams and
braces that made the car d load in itself
Now iightnrSs and strength are combined
with durability. There are no big Orders
or thicS braces, everything is light and
compact The materials used are pressed
| ont 81 fine quality steel In the shops Of
| one company there is a machine which
| takes q sect Of metal over fifty feet
| long, and with one motion presses 1t into
a shape with curled ends and edges, ready
| TO be put IN place on the side Of the
/ car The machine IS a wonderfully DOW
erfUI one, and its die is an enormous
| piece OF steel fifty feet long and several
| feet thick
Pressed steel cars mark a great REQ
| luton IA the equipment in the freight
| department of q railroad especially ON
used to replace its wooden cars in a few
years Il VIII have car which viii last
simost indefinitely, and which suffers
very little damage in ii smash-up
The main virtue OF the pressed steel
CIR Is ITS carrying capacity as compared
with its weight A ear Of standard size
| Is not Oaly lighter than a wooden car
/ Of the same measurements bur has a
greater capacity. The steel construction
/ reduces what is called the tare and