Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-25
TO REST ON TRACKS
Unique Foundation Of House
Office Building,
NOTHING BUT TUNNELS
ONE UNDER THREE OF ITS
CORNERS.
Members Of Congress May Leave Their
Seats and Talks Cars Without
Going Outdoors.
NOTHING BUT TUNNELS

When the new Office building for the
House of Representatives Is completed the
southeast corner will rest exactly over the
Pennsylvania railroad tunnel. and II the
present plans for branch tunnel into the
building are carried out this branch tunnel
will enter the building under the southwest
corner.
The details of excavation and tunnel Goa
struction are at present the subject OF ne
collation. between the railroad officials and
Superintendent Elliott Woods of the Capitoi
building. 1t is expected that title to the
site of the proposed office building will be
obtained by the government by July next
Arrangements for clearing the site OF the
present buildings occupying 1t and the COM
mencement of excavation will be completed
before that time, SO that no delay will be
occaSioned.
A Temporary Track.
If the present plan is carried out tenn
porary track will be laid from the Penn
sylvania avenue road up New Jersey ave-
nue. to the site of the new building and
the dirt to be excavated will be taken out
on railroad cars. An immense amount OF
earth will have to be removed as 1t Is the
purpose to lay the subbasement floor OF the
building at least twenty-five feet below the
level The building is to occupy a space
275x325. and when hole of this size is dug
twenty-five feet deep it will mean that an
immense amount of earth Is to be removed.
The plans for changing the tracks Of the
Pennsylvania road SO as to reach the pro-
posed new union station by tunnel between
the Capitol and Congressional Library con-
template curve in the tunnel just before
it reaches the Capitol grounds from the
south.
This curye will bring the tunnel exactly
under the southeast corner of the office
building, and much figuring and engineer
ing calculation has been done by the road
engineers in conjunction with Mr.. Woods
to figure on the effect. if any, this will have
on the stability of the foundations of the
building. The bottom or bed of the tunnel
will be at least twenty-five feet below the
foundation of the building, or fifty feet
from the surface of the ground at this
place. The corner of the building will rest
directly over the tunnel, and every assur-
ance is given that it's construction will be
in such a manner as will make 1t ample
foundation for the corner of the building.
Change Of Plan.
When the proposition was first made to
have switch enter the building so that
cars could be pushed right into the center
court in its center, 1t was thought that the
switch could branch off from the tracks In
the tunnel at the southeast corner. A
careful study Of the plan. however, has led
the railroad engineers to abandon this idea
for the principal reason that the main tun-
mel Is to be used exclusively for passenger
traffic, and any switch in it would make the
possibility Of accident greater For this
reason the plan has been practically agreed
upon to have the Office building tracks
branch Off from the main tracks of the
road just before the latter enter the tunnel
This branch will run entirely under ground,
but when it reaches the building it will be
but twenty-five feet below the surface, or
on a level with the Sub-baSement floor.
This tunnel, as stated, will enter the
building under the southwest corner, thus
making a railroad tunnel under two of the
corners of the structure. The latter tun-
mel, however, on account of being on a
level with the Subbasement floor, will in
no way interfere with the foundations of
the building.
Still another tunnel is to enter the office
building, that from the Capitol. This tun-
mel is to be built to allow easy access to
and from the Capitol 1t is to be equipped
with miniature electric railway capable
of transporting members Of Congress from
their offices in the new building to the Capt.
toll This tunnel will doubtless enter the
building under the northwest corner of the
building. The tracks in this tunnel will also
Doubtless be on level with the subbase-
ment floor. and will be reached from the
other floors of the building by elevators
Advantage Of Shipping Facilities.
Inc great advantage of having shipping
facilities in the building, with railroad
cars standing on the tracks convenient to
be loaded with congressional documents, is
considered to amply justify the additional
expense which the plan may occasion. The
office building commission, consisting Of
Representatives Cannon. Hepburn and
Richardson. 1t is understood, has given
its approval to the plan. The commits
sion has also considered in detail the prob
able effect Of building over the main tun-
mel of the Pennsylvania railroad. The en-
gineers of the road were heard at length
on this point before the site was selected.
When the building is completed and the
new system of car service in operation the
mail of members of Congress will, be
switched directly into the Office building
and outgoing mail will be handled directly
from the building also, making it's transfer
to the post office unnecessary When the
new place is completed a member will be
able to leave his seat in the House, drop
down to the basement, take the trolley car
to the Office building, there transfer to
private car on the Pennsylvania road, and
leave the city without even going out into
the open