Evening star., 1903-07-29
DISTRICT NOTIFIED
PRELIMINARY TO CONSTRUCTION
OF UNION DEPOT.
Terms of the Terminal Agreement
Cost of the Improvement
$14,ooo,ooo


ly interested in the announcement made in
Baltimore yesterday of the award of the
contract by the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company for the construction of the
eastern approach and viaduct leading into
the new union depot to be constructed on
Massachusetts avenue at the junction OF
Delaware avenue northeast. brief An
noUncement Of the award Of the contract
was made in The Star last evening. The
contract was let to McMullen & McDer-
mott and the Hoffman Engineering and
Construction Company, both firms having
headquarters in the city of Philadelphia
They submitted a bid to do the work Jointly
for a sum in excess of $2,Oe0,00O, and within
a time limit of two years.
Mr.. Hoffman of the Hoffman Engineering
Company was In the city late yesterday
afternoon. He came over from Baltimore.
where the contract had been signed. and
notified the engineer officials of the local
government. MIR. Hoffman is quite well
known locally having been a bidder several
times on municipal work here
Work has already been begun on the new
tunnel in the Southeast section of the city.
and the permit for the viaduct through the
southwest section has been Issued The
contract has also been awarded by the
Pennsylvania company for the construction
of the tunnel under Capitol Hill. 1t is an
nounced that work on the eastern approach
signed yesterday will be started soon as
the contractors can get their men and i'm
plements here. Altogether the union sta
tion work Is progressing at rate that Is
especially gratifying to the District author
tiles and bespeaks an early completion OK
the great Improvement.
Provisions of Terminal Agreement.
Under the terminal agreement the Balti-
more and Ohio IS to construct the connec-
tions and stone viaduct from Montello, on
the Washington branch. to the station at
Massa chusetts avenue. The contract en-
braces the eastern approach to the new
station, the freight yards, roundhouses and
connecting tracks to be used by the system.
The approach from Montello will be about
three miles in length, and from the latter
place will dfverge the tracks of the Metro
politan branch furnishing the outlet to the
west, while the other tracks will be that of
the Washington branch the northern out
let which passes through baltimore. Inc
tracks of the Pennsylvania railroad will
connect with the terminal approach at
about the same point.
The great stone viaduct. which will be one
of the construction features of the vast
work, will contain ten tracks running from
New York avenue to the terminal. This
viaduct will be about mile and a quarter
long, and the constant stream OF traffic
into Washington will pour over it. Stone
selected instead of steel In the con-
struction SO as to make it thoroughly
lasting
The station itself. which will contain
twenty or more tracks. Will be built under
the direction of Architect d. H. Burnham
of Chicago 1t will be OF marble and have
ornate landscape effects surrounding 1t.
The decorative features will conform with
those of the public buildings of Wash
ingtOn.
Cost of Improvement.
When finished the entire terminal will
have cost s14.0OO.0cO. and Washington will
have the finest station in the world. The
legislation covering the construction Of the
work makes 1t impossible to shut out any
railroad which may wish to enter, and al
ready plans are made for entry that will
represent one-fifth of the total railroad
mileage of the country. While denials have
teen made. 1t is fully expected that the
Gould interests will eventually have q con-
nection between the capital city and the
Wabash terminal to be located in Balti-
more. This would add some 1900 ad-
ditional mileage from which to feed
The roads that have already arranged to
enter the terminal the Pennsylvan MIA
the Baltimore and Ohio. the Atlantic Coast
Line and Louisville and Nashville. the
Chesapeake and Ohio. the Norfolk and
Western. the Seaboard Air Line and the
Southern railroad. Their combined mile
age is about Al go
The Washington branch will have to sup
ply about 4.oDUD of the Baltimore and
Ohio expenditure for the terminal improve
ments. and the state of Maryland, owning
about one-third of the stock of the branch
has deep interest. Dividends We're sus-
pended on the stock of this branch several
years ago and a large surplus accumulated
in preparation for the expense. Grades will
be reduced at Hanover Junction and a
cutoff will be built at the Relay. When all
the Improvements contemplated are carried
out it Is expected that it will be possible
to run express trains from Baltimore to
Washington IN 30 minutes