Evening star., 1902-03-17
THE RAILWAYS ACTION
AGREED TO AID PARK COMMIS-
SIoN'S PLANS.
Consented to Give Up Their Present
Locations to Make Union Sta
ton Possible.

In speaking OK the proposed uNlOu TdL-
way station to Star reporter Mr. ]. H.
Burnham, president of the park commits
sion and architect for the new station, said:
When the commission for the beautif1ca-
tion of Washington was appointed the
Baltimore and Ohio railway was entitled
under an act Of Congress passed in March,
1901, to condemn and occupy site for
depot fronting on street, and the Penn
sylvania railway under the same act was
given a strip of land about 400 feet wide
crossing the mall. The commission found
almost at once that unless the Pennsy1-
vania railway would leave the mall and
build it's station elsewhere the improve
ment of that great park would be impossi-
BILE. No one had any serious hope that the
Pennsylvania company would withdraw;
however. in the summer of 1901 the presi-
dent of that company gave notice that they
would do so, provided the government
would meet them in a spirit which would
enable them to justify the move with their
stockholders 1t was then suggested that
the Pennsylvania and B. & o. companies
should together build union station at
the site on c street granted to the latter
By Congress, the Southern railway reach
ing the location through tunnel under
Capitol Hill. But after careful cOnSidera-
tion it was found that this site for union
station was not adequate and also that it
would result in a train shed extending over
Massachusetts, avenue. and, therefore, the
commission suggested that the station
should be just north of MaSsa chusettS ave-
nue., the center of the building being on
the axis of Delaware avenue, about half a
mile from the Capitol.
This location has finally been accepted as
the best by the District committee, the En-
gineer Commissioner, the park commission
and the railway companies the latter con-
senting to make the moves provided the
government will treat them in easonable
manner. The attitude of the railways has
been public-spirited and most admirable in
this matter. They have consented to give
up a location eminently fit for their busi-
ness. and for no other purpose than to help
out the general conditions of convenience
and beauty as laid down by the park COM
mission.
Park Commissions Suggestion.
I'm front of the proposed station the park
commission has laid out public plaza to
be Go0x12o0 feet, and ornamented with fit
ting terrace. basins and fountains. Facing
this and setting back a hundred feet from
the line Of Massachusetts avenue will be
the marble facade of the station 7G0 feet
long. In the center of it is the grand gate
way to the capital. through which every
one who comes TO or goes from Washington
must pass. AS there is no railroad entering
the city that will not this station, it be-
comes the vestibule of the capital. This
being the fact, the Importance of this sta
ton is greater than that of any other one
in any city in the world. If there We're sew
eral stations in the city, each might be
tTedteu as d railway Sneu ana the dTcnlteC-
tural expression would not properly be of
too high an order. But not SO this one. The
three great features of a capital city being
the halls of legislation, the executive build
ings and the vestibue and s the latter SEEM
ed equal to the former, it is felt by the rail-
road companies that the style of this build
ing should not be other than that of the
other two Therefore 1t is that the design
goes back to pure Roman motives, the CEN
tral portion being derived directly from the
triumphal arch of Constantine and the
wings being brought into subordination to
them.
Monumental Design.
THE central part, the vestibule of the
station, is 293 feet wide, containing three
arches, each opening being about thirty
by sixty feet with end pavilons for foot
passengers. The waiting room will be 130
by 30 feet. it's walls of masonry and it's
arched ceiling of glass and iron. The
usual rooms of grand station are added.
Behind the head house is a lobby SO by
800 feet, and an open space next the tracks
runs beside this lobby, this space being
forty feet. The lobby opens out with the
side streets and is perfectly accessible to
the waiting rooms.
THE design of this station is intend q
to be monumental in every respect and to
be in keeping with the dignity of the chief
city of America and with its present and
future beauty.
The design, as presented. is tentatiye.
1t has been examined by the railway au-
thorities and approved In general way,
but has not yet been approved officially
But probably the final building will not
differ much from the one now designed
which. when completed. should be a source
of pride to all our citizens. 1t will prob
ably be of white MARBLE