Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-10
BETHEL WHITE GRANITE
Material to Be Used in New
Union Station.
DECISION REACHED
COL. RIDDLES REcoMMENDA-
T1oNs ADOPTED.
Commissioners Receive Statement Gov.
ering Investigations Of the Quarlies
and Cost Of Material.

constructed of Bethel white granite, the
District Commissioners having reached that
decision at about noon today following the
submission of the report of Capt. Chester
Harding on the results of his inspection of
the quarries in Vermont as the official rep
resentative of the District authorities The
action Of the Commissioners as a whole
was taken upon the recommendation of
Col. John Biddle, Engineer Commissioner,
who presents an interesting report relative
to the material to be used in the construc-
ton OF the terminal structure proper.
Col Biddle In his report states that the
cost Of the station building If erected out
OF the Bethel granite will be but little. if
any, less than If constructed out Of white
marble Of the grade ordinarily used for
building purposes. From investigation, he
says, he Is of the opinion that the quarry
will furnish sufficient quantity of Stone
OF uniform quality within time to complete
the building by the date specified in the
act of Congress authorizing the construc-
ton Of the railroad terminal in Washing
ton.
1t Is stated that the Commissioners have
not as yet taken up the question Of the
selection of stone for the new municira al
building. and there Is no reference to this
subject contained in the reports Of either
Col. Biddle or Capt. Harding.
Col. Biddle's Report.
The recommendation and report of Col.
Biddle regarding the use of the Bethel
granite in the new union station is as fol-
lows:
II move that the request Of the railroad
companies to use Bethel white granite,
from the quarries at Bethel, VT, for the
new union station to be erected in this city
be approved, the stone used to be equal to
the sample submitted and kept on file in
the office of the Engineer Commissioner.
1.-THE authority of the Commissioners to
pass upon this question Is given in the act
for the construction of the station, which
states that all constructions by the rail-
roads due to change of grade incident to
the abolition of grade crossings shall be
approved by the Commissioners. The Com
missioners have, therefore, the right to
approve or disapprove, In their discretion.
any sample of material that may be SUBJ
mitted. but they are not authorized to die
tate to the railroad companies what spe-
cific stone they shall use. The act requires
that the station building shall cost not less
than $4OO0,OOO, and any action Of the Com
missioners that would. force the railroad
companies to a greater expense is not, in
my opinion, authorized. o.
No Specification Made.
1.-THE act of Congress does not specify
what material shall be used, In his report
to the Senate upon this, matter Senator Nc
MILAN. then chairman of the Senate COM
mittee on the District Of Columbia. stated
that the building would be constructed of
white marble and would be monumental in
character. While this was not Incorporated
in the act the authority for the statement
has never been questioned by the railroad
companies, and if the understanding which
evidently existed at that time were Insisted
upon at present as being desirable, marble
could doubtless be required for use In the
building.
THE railroad company has submitted
sample of stone it desires to use in the
building. 1t is a white granite, flecked
with dark spots, and is of a very hand
some texture. The cost of the building, If
constructed of this stone, would probably
be but little, If any, less than if con-
structed of the grade of marble ordinarily
used for building purposes, such as the
Public Library on Mount Vernon Square,
and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The
architect of the building, Mr.. d. H. Burn
ham of Chicago, states that he desires this
granite because in his opinion it is SUI
perior for such purpose. Samples of the
stone were submitted to the Washington
Chapter of the American Institute of Archi-
tects and the Washington Architectural
Club, which bodies are believed to be rep
resentative of the architects of the city.
The samples were also shown to the super
vising architect of the treasury and to
leading architects from New York and
Philadelphia. 1t is the unanimous opinion
that the material is pre-emnently fit for
such building as the proposed union sta
ton
Ample Supply of Stone.
II have also investigated the question as
to whether the quarry will furnish suf-
ficient quantity of stone of the same tex
ture as the sample submitted within time
to complete the building by the date
named in the act. / have obtained from
Mr. Cassatt president of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company. report by engineers
whom he sent to examine the quarry.
rerort has also been made on the subject
by Capt. Chester Harding, Corps of Engf-
reers, U. s.. A, assistant to the Engineer
Commissioner, and supervisor of construc-
ton of the new District building, who has
just returned from visit to the quarry.
These reports agree that there Is suf-
ficient amount of stone in the quarry for
the purpose, but that the facilities for
taking it out in large quantities are yet
lacking The stone covers such space
that there should be no difficulty in open
ing up sufficient quarrIes to take out the
required amount within the time limit; it
seems to be simply question of energy
in pushing the work forward
THE contracts with the railroad COM
panies require that the stone shall be de-
livered by the first of July. 1905. 1t is be-
lieved that it is possible to do this but
even If there should be delay Of six
nCnths in getting out the stone, the build
ing could still be completed within the time
set by the act of Congress. namely, five
years from the date of the passage Of the
act which was passed February 3D. 1903.
II have had an examination made of the
sample, with such facilities as we have in
this office, and find 1t of good quality.
Capt. Harding reports that the Indications
at the quarry show good weathering."
Capt. Harding's Investigation.
Capt Harding, in his report to the Com
missioners, states that THE Bethel quarries
are situated on hillside about three and
one-half miles northeast ofSBethel, VT, on
the main line of the Central Vermont rail-
road. The site of the quarry, he states is
estimated to be at an elevation of about 500
or COO feet above the grade of the railroad,
At the time of his visit the ground was COW
cred with several inches of snow, and it
was impracticable to verify by inspection
the statements that the granite outcrops
over the entire area Of the deposit; but he
states that he did see the stone outcropping
at numerous points along the hillside for
distance of about half a mile In his opin-
ion, with but very little Stripping stone
uniform with the sample submitted by the
contractor can be quarried at all points
throughout that distance.
While the quarry is at present only slight
ly developed, says Capt. Harding, and the