The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-01-22
WILL Be READY SOON
UNION STATION A REVELATION TO
THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN 1T.
WORK PROGRESSING RAPIDLY,
IDEA MAY DE GAINED OF HOW
BUILDING WILL LOOK.


Allowed Except on Business-Seen
From the Outside, There Is Much
to Interest-Great Shed Is Practi-
caIIy Finixhed-Win he Plenty of
Light AGOrded-Six Tracks Have
been Laid-There Is Room for Two
MOre-Thc Great ROtunda Is the
Architectural Triumph of the
Building.
Work on the Savannah Union Station
has progressed to a point that admits
of an excellent idea being formed as
to just what appearance the building,
both in it's exterior and interior, will
present when completed. Opportunity
to gain this idea, however, is not open
to all who might desire it, for instruc
tons have been issued to allow no one
to enter the building who has no bust
ness there. These instructions are
observed strictly, and it is only
through permission from the superin-
tending architect or the contractors
that admittance can be gained.
The building was visited yesterday
by representative of the Morning
News. Rapid strides had been made
within the last three or four weeks.
Among the workmen now employed
are the painters and decorators who
are following upon the heels of the
carpenters.
One who has not seen the building
at all, and there are many such in Sa-
vannah, is impressed when he gets his
first view. There is little comprehen-
sion of the magnitude of the structure,
and a sight of it is required to con-
vince one that Savannah has a railway
station nearing completion that will
compare favorably with those of many
of the largest cities in the country.
The great shed has been practically
completed. Owing to the delay in get
4! ting the steel for it's construction,
work did not proceed as rapidly as
had been expected. Once the ship
ments of the steel had been received,
| however, operations went on at a live
| ly pace, and now the shed is practi-
| cally finished. There remain the sky
| Nights to. be put in, but this will not
| require much time
! So numerous. are the skylights and
so large that there will never be any
| cause for complaint of the lighting. In
! great plates of glazed glass the sky
| lights are made a part of the roof.
| Beneath the glass plates, as a pre-
cautionary measure, will be fastened
wire MEETINGS, which will serve to pre-
vent danger from the fall of the glass,
should it, through anyachance, be shat
| tered. Several of the skylights have
| been finished.
| Six tracks have already been laid
| in the shed, and there is room left for
| two more Those will not ha Iaid for
the present The flooring of the shed
| will be of wood. This has not yet
| been put down, but the contrac tors say
| it will be the work of a short time to
| finish the floor, once it is begun. Men
| are now engaged in clearing the great
space beneath the shed, prepare tory
for laying the floor.
! The triumph of architectural art in
the station is the great rotunda, which
is to be a waiting room. Opening upon
this are the windows of offices, above
/ each of which appears the name of
some one of the important railway CEN
tiers of this section and of the North
! and East. In the center of the rotun-
| da, surrounded by the flooring of
smootheet artificial stone. attractively
| figured, is to be a fountain, upon which
work is now in progress About this
! fountain will be grouped palms and fol-
| iage plants.
In the dizzy hight of the dome of the
rotunda painters are at work, as they
are at various parts of the building
Some feet from the floor of the rotunda
runs wide balcony, affording means
| of communication for the offices that
are located in the second story of the
station. Massive columns support the
! ceiling of this balcony and add to its
attractive appearance.
| Many other rooms are included in
| the building, which, it is expected, will
| be completed by March l. The only de-
feet in its appearance will then be the
| brick drugstore which sEH. sands at
the corner of Stewart and West Broad
| streets. The land and the building
are owned by the Union Station Com
pany, but the druggist has a lease upon
the property, which cannot be possessed
| by the company until the expiration of
| the lease. When it has expired, the
building will be torn down to make
room for the porte cochere of the sta
| ton.