The Washington times., 1905-04-09
UNION STATION
FOUNDATIONS UP
Completed Yesterday by
Army Of Workmen.
LAYING TRAIN ROOM WALLS
Cutting Away Patterson Hill to Sup
ply Dirt to Fill in Big Holes
Elsewhere.
LAYING TRAIN ROOM WALLS

The foundations of the new Union
Station, except an unimportant part
near the west wall, were completed yes-
terday.
number of nasons were put to work
laying the brick walls of the train
rooms from the concourse at the north
end of the station to the mouth of the
First street tunnel. on the south.
The force of masons Is to be increa sed
tomorrow. Assistant Chies Engineer
William l. Strouse expects to complete
this part of the huge structure before
May i.
Brick From Laurel.
Brick for the purpose is now being
received from Laurel. Md, in train
ioads. daily, and is piled in great dumps
near the station
Trains are also bringing in vast guam
titles of granite from Port Deposit.
Assistant Engineer Charles H Spencer
in charge OF the work on the big struc-
ture in the absence of Engineer Strouse.
who has gone to Chicago to hurry M
material. said that none of this stone
would be put in place for several weeks
It Is necessary first to get in place the
steel portion of the station
10 bu1ld Granite Walls.
Tile building of the granite walls
proper, however" he said. is to be
commenced before May l. Unless there
is unforeseen delay, the outer walls will
all be up before the beginning of next
winter
Mr.. Spencer, chief assistant to Mr..
Strouse. is, like the latter. a young man,
but well versed In his profession, So his
predictions are valuable.
Though the best known and highest
priced engineers and architects in the
United States planned the station and
other improvements. it is Mr.. Strouse
and Mr.. Spencer who have to see that
the plans are carried out. They are per-
sonally responsible for every brick and
stone that goes into the great $40, ,0oO, coo
improvements.
Cover Miles Every Day.
They go over nearly every foot of
a strip, ten miles long and from one
half to mile wide, every day. In
addition to the station, they are in
charge of a. number of other important
structures and all of the big Baltimore
and Ohio yard and track improvements
10 the north of the station.
Nearly all the construction is done
: by contractors under the engineers
supervision. Counting the contractors
men they have under them a small army
Friday and Saturday large gangs of
men were busy erecting tall trestles
over which trains are to bring in the
olrt taken from Patterson Hill, the
small mountain at New York avenue
extended and Brentwood road
Hill to Be Leveled.
This prominence is to be cut away to
the levels around the station. The lat
ter is to be filled In to a depth "a some
places of forty feet
1t was said yesterday that in ahe sec
tion near the Government Printing Office
and south Of the station more than
zoo.0oo square yards of dirt have been
filed in from the other excavations, no.
tably tie new Office building for tic
House Of Representatives. More will
come in few days from the building
OF the same character to be erected for
the Senate
The hill, so long famous in Washing
ton affairs, as part of the historic Pat
terson estate, is melting away fast
The engineers said yesterday that by
the end of the summer all Of 1t will
have disappeared and the freight yards
viii have taken its place.
Work has also begun on the founda-
tons Of the power-house, which is To
supply light and heat TO the station.
This structure is 10 be located at II
street
The building In which the express
matter is 10 be stored is also under way
Tracks are being laid in the new Ralti-
more and Ohio coach yard at Ecking-
ton.