Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-22
Stone for Municipal Building
to Be Selected.
INSPECTION OF MARBLE
COMMISSIONERS WEST AND BID
DIE RETURN TODAY
Favorably Impressed With Material
Found in Georgia-Date Set
for Hearing.

Commissioners West and Bidde returned
this morning from their trip to Savannah
and Atlanta Ga, whittier they went for the
purpose of inspecting buildings erected out
of the Cherokee marble the material which
has been offered to the District building
commission out of which to erect the new
municipal building. The Commissioners
both stated that they saw several hand
some buildings constructed of this marble
and that they were very favora5ly Impress
ed with it. They also visited the Cherokee
marble quarry and state that it is we'll
developed and well-equipped quarry
1t was learned today that the District
building commission, consisting of the
three Commissioners and Secretary Shaw.
will probably hold a meeting next Friday
afternoon, when it is thought the question
of the selection of the stone for the new
home of the District government will be
definitely settled
The Commissioners desired to have the
meeting today, but Secretary Shaw is out
of the city and the conference could not be
arranged, so next Friday afternoon was set
for the meeting.
Alleged Erroneous Impression.
The members of the commission, 1t is
understood, believe there is an erroneous
impression among some citizens with refer
ence to points involved in the construction
of the new District building. The work on
the structure, it is declared. has not only
been unduly delayed, but everything possi-
BILE has been done to expedite the compile
ton of the project. Several plans have been
adopted which were calculated to hasten
the work on the building, among others be-
ing the scheme to secure the stone for the
in 70 and in adj
vance of the contract for the construction
work
The original request made by the Conn
missioners for an appropriation for new
municipal building called for s., 100000 for
the entire project Congress, however, IN
authorizing the erection of the structure
gave only S1.JO0,OC0 in the first instance
and of this amount $3.50 900 was set ASIDE
by the act for the purchase of a site by the
Secretary of the Treasury. Owing to the
nature of the ground selected for the site
the commission was required TO eXpend an
extra $1OOOO for pillng and WaterproonhS
for the foundations of the building, which
left of the original appropriation only $500
900 for the erection of the building. with
this amount. it is declared, only cheap
looking red brick dwelling could have been
constructed.
The Commissioners again asked for $500,
600 the limit of cost for the project, but
Congress, in it's second appropriation, placed
the limit at 81 100000. 1t was finally detin-
itely ascertained that the commission could
build nothing but a brick or limestone
structure within this limit, and at the last
session they renewed their request for the
third time that the total cost of the build
ing be fixed at s., 100000 This request was
finally granted.
The Work Accomplished.
The commission. however, it is declared,
has not been idle in this work since the
first appropriation made for the struc-
ture. The architects had to be selected,
plans drawn and approved, the foundations
had to be constructed, and many important
details had to be carefully considered and
executed As soon as the additional $5G0.OO0
was granted the commission Immediately
became active in the matter of selecting
the stone and it is believed this point Will
shortly be settled. The foundations of the
building will be completed within very
short time and the erection of the super
structure will be commenced within few
months. it is hoped.
1t is confidently believed that the
tNenty-eight figures, which the architects
planned to have in the outside of the
building will be eliminated. These figures
were not designed as statues representing
persons, but merely ideal figures for
namentatiOn, They had not been approved
BIZ the commission and ii is thought they
will not be approved. The figures were
designated on the plans which could have
beer inspected by any citizen upon re-
quest to the Commissioners or the super
visor of construction.
in connection with the selection of stone
Commissioner mcfarland stated this
morning that while in Providence, R. l.,
last February he took occasion to view the
capital building of the state of Ri ode
Island which is erected out of Cherokee
marble. He says he considers the struc-
tuie a fine white building.