Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-24
BIG PRINTING OFFICE.
When the New Building Will
Be Occupied.
SOLIDLY CONSTRUCTED
IMMENSE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL
USED IN IT'S ERECTION.
Delays Occasioned in Failure to Obtain
Iron and Brick-Formed to
Sustain Great Weight.

The building in which will be quartered
the greatest printing office that has ever
existed is now practically completed, and
in a few months will be occupied. This
building is for the government printing Of
flee and has already become landmark of
the city that can be seen looming up promt-
nently among the handsome structures in
which the business of the nation Is con-
Quoted. It Is located on the northwest cor
ner of North Capitol and G streets on
site comprising about an acre and two
thirds adjacent to the old government
printing Office building.
The construction Of the government print
ing office building was authorized March g.
1899. at which time the engineer department
had only tentative drawings of the pro-
posed structure. The construction was to
be under an engineer of the corps Of engi-
neers of the army and Capt. Sewell was Sc
lected to supervise the work and to take
charge of all details relating to the con-
struction. The work waS delayed by diff
Guilty in getting steel materiak and bricks,
a large portion Of the latter being faced
bricks. which. in numbers. ran into mil
lions.
Ground Broken
Ground was broken for the new building
July "a. 1899. and from that time forward
the work progressed without any delay ex-
cept those short periods caused by the i'm
possibility to secure material as rapidly as
it could be put in place. The steel struct-
ural work Is believed to be equal If not su-
perior, to anything of the kind anywhere
Every care was taken to make this por-
ton of the building as perfect as possible
and quantities Of steel were at times re-
tected when it was thought they did not
come UP to the standard of the require
oarfo Tho dot fn,,c 40
larly heavy. and both in the design and in
the construction the necessity to provide
building that would carry great weights
was borne in mind.
rendered necessary from the fact that a
great deal Of heavy machinery is to be
placed in the building and extremely heavy
weights of metal and paper were to be pro-
v1ded for. The old fear Of fire which has on
many occasions created CONSERVATION when
the old printing Office building was consid-
cred has no possible place in the mind Of
the most imaginative in relation to the new
building. 1t Is freproof to the utmost ex-
tent, the steel work being protected SO that
IN the case of heat being generated by the
burning of any material that might be
placed In the building 1t could not affect
the strength of the. structure by the warp
Ing Of the metal. In every other way
neither time nor money has been spared to
make the structure one Of those that can
be said to have been erected for "al1 time :"
Two Features.
There are two features of the building
that have been criticised though these crit
icisms do not reflect on any one in an un-
complimentary way. The discussion con-
corning the architectural development Of
the city. which has been carried on during
the past several years, and which has re-
suited in a policy for the erection of build
tngs of medium height and of light colored
re- hnd ,nf H.,
sentiment when the new government print
ing office was designed. large amount
of space was needed While the area of
the site was about one and two thirds acres
as much as. nine acres of floor space was
to be provided and the only way 1T could
be done was to go up in the air and the
heavens were In that way invaded to the
extent necessary for seven high stories. A
walls, though on the interior glazed bricks
were utilized to add as much as possible
to the light effect within and to provide
a clean surface. If the building We're de-
cure more ground site, 1t is likely that
the structure would be a couple Of stories
lower and that the exterior would be of
some light stone or brick
The. failure to Introduce these ideas in
the plan was simply the result of the gem
eral sentiment prevailing at the time. which
regarded the structure as entirely satis-
Factory. But the architect made build
beauty and simplicity of its Ines making
1t altogether the most beautiful home Of
printing office of It's size in the world
IN design II was borne 10 mind that it
was 70 pc workshop, the ornamental fea-
cures being Kept In subsection because of
its nature. ELS nc;
Material Used
To construct the building ten millions OF
brick were required. togehheriwith about
twelve millions of pounds. of steel. The
floors are supported by the steel frame,
the outer walls answering but Little purpose
except to inclose the structure The aver
age height of the building above the side
walk is 123 feet.
In the structure there are $40 steel col
umns, which enable the NsSrss1to stand a
load of 65,000,000 pounds-EiltpH is largely
nuirss IS o Of any weight VIA be re-
vided by means of electric, fahs and for
the quick movement of t!M large corps of
Workmen and for the Transfer of ma
terial there are twelve electric elevators.
For the Illumination of tie building at
night there will be 1000 ircandescent cleo
tr1c lights. A complete system Of tele-
phones will be installed, SO that every por-
tioa OF the building will have facilities for
for this immense network of wires for
lighting and telephoning without any UNI
slightly effect. false ceilings have been pro-
v ,,,,sa throughout the building through
- w run.
The building is heated by steam, about
10000 pounds of steel pipe being used for
that purpose. The steam radiators have
peen placed IN recesses under the window
silis In order that they may not be In the
wa. Under the system Of ventilation
fresh afr Will en- en- under the window stills.
Foul air will be carried lfoni EACH Noor
through stacks running UP the middle :.
all Of the big rooms 49,
An Ice plant has been installed to furnish
drinking water all of which will ha ffltarad