Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-02
TWO IMPROVEMENTS
WORK ON UNION STATION AND
FILTRATION PLANT.

Satisfactory progress has been made on
the union station during the past year.
The concrete foundations for the building
proper and the viaducts in its immediate
vicinity have been practically finished. The
Virginia avenue tunnel connecting the
northern and southern tracks for through
freight traffic only has been completed so
far as the excavations are concerned, and
the passenger tunnel under Capitol Hill has
been completed as far north from the
southern end as the square between New
Jersey avenue and 1st and B and c streets
southeast and as far south from the north
ern end as the block between c, and ID
streets on a line with 1st street northeast.
All this work was done by the open-cut sys-
tenn and the contractors are now engaged
in boring the tunnel through under LIST
street to connect the two points given as
the ends of the completed work. a propo-
sition was advanced during the fall to con-
struct the entire tunnel by the open cut
and cover system and the Commissioners
of the District approved the plan, but
protest was made against this system ana
the railroad officials withdrew the PROPOSE
ton, postpOning consideration until after
the assembling of Congress. The work OF
boring the tunnel was begun, however, ana
nothing more was said of the open cut
work.
The work of regarding the streets in the
vicinity of the station site has gone on
with the least possible interruption during
the year. The grade of X and L streets
northeast has been finally established and
the viaduct walls at both places completed.
The new coal dump has been completed
north of NJ street between LIST and I'd
streets northeast, and the coal depots for
merly at f and G streets along the lines OF
list street and Delaware avenue have been
removed to the new dumps. The tracks OF
the Metropolitan branch of the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad have been removed from
list street northeast and temporary tracks
have been laid through the blocks between
North Capitol and LIST streets northeast
from 1 street to the present New Jersey
avenue station. The positions Of the old
tracks are to be used for part of the foun-
dation walls of the station viaduct. The
H street viaduct has been put well under
way and will probably be finished by sum-
mer or fall. Progress has been positive all
along the line of the work, at both ends and
at the station itself, the contractors work.
ing from the ends toward the middle, while
other contractors were engaged on the sta
ton site itself.
Filtration Plant.
The completion of the filtration plant near
the Soldiers Home reservoir was seriously
impeded by fire which occurred November
80 and destroyed $4,000 worth of machin-
cry and material used in the construction.
The work on the plant was getting along in
two-thirds of the plant was finished, the
little that remained to be done was expected
to be completed by the first of January.
The fire, however, destroyed much material
and machinery and the contractors have
secured an extension Of time. There were
two contracts for the construction OF the
plant. The first called for the completion
of a portion of the apparatus by January /,
1905, and the other by September l. 1905.
Many obstacles were encountered in the
building of the plant. The first contracting
firm made an assignment and receiver
was placed in charge of the work. The
construction has gone on under the direc-
ton of the receiver. More progress was
made on the plant during the past summer
than was made in the same length of time
before or on any other filtration plant in
the country. 1t was expected to have the
works running two-thirds capacity by the
middle of January and it is not yet known
whether or not this can be done. Two
thirds of the total capacity will give the
city 80 100000 gallons of filtered water per
day. The consumption is estimated at Co.
000oG0, and the first water from the plant
will be sent to certain selected districts of
the city. The entire plant will be finished
and in operation by next fall. it is prom
Used. The full capacity of the plant will be
$4,000, 600 gallons per days