The Washington times., 1905-03-29
.HURRY|NG WORK
ON new STATION
Several Hundred More Men
Employed.
THIRTY PER CENT DONE
Railroad Officers Expect to Have Sew
enty Per Cent Completed by
Winter.

Increased forces We're put on all parts
of the new Union Station work and
other big railroad improvements in
Washington this morning, and the
spring rush has commenced in earn
est. The forces on the station were fG-
creased 200, and on the various ytr1s
and tunnels, where the frost and snow
of winter compelled The engineers to
practically drop everything, several hum
dred more were engaged.
Before the winter delays thirgs again
the station viii navs- been 10 Icr cent
completed Both the Pennsylvania ard
Baltimore and Ohio officers believe they
can complete the station in eighteen
months but this beiief Is not shared by
engineers.
The station is now only 30 per cent
completed, which IS much more than tne
layman would expect in looking ever The
would not be aware OF the tedious un-
derground work that has been going on.
However. the figures are correct. for
with the exception OF some nnimportant
walls of the west side of the JiS struc-
ture. all foundations are in, hardened
and ready for the granite walls. The
figures as TO progress made are FUR
nished by Assistant Chief Engineer VII
| liam =. Strouse, who IS IN local chai ge
of the building OF the Union Station
proper and the northern approaches
| Iron Work Being Placed.
The first of the iron work on the sta
ton. rising in the air like the skeleton
} Of some huge red giant. is being placed
| today. Mr. Strouse said this morning
| that $500 tons of steel are either already
in position, or on the ground ready TO
/ go up. This amount however, Is only
small fraction of the quantity TO be
! used.
Wooden trestles have been erected
| through First street, and onto the site
| Of the plaza, and the filling In has be-
gun from several points. Portions Of
| the plaza will have 10 be built up TWEEN
| ty-tWo feet
Two million of the fourteen million
| bricks needed for the station have beer
received, and the masons are getting
ready to lay them. This work il to be
| commenced Monday.
/ Derriclcs are being erected to place the
granite Of the station walls proper and
in few days they will begin TO rise
Fill Swallows Up Dirt.
The great fill between the station and
II street has swallowed up so far 1000,
| 900 cubic yards OF dirt, and 300 600 more
are needed. This will be in place in two
months and residents of Washington
Will IUtn De eIdDltG 70 see now the
| grounds around the vast station are GO
ing to appear.
The brick are coming from yards al
Laurel, Md, and some of the grl.f.4.e is
coming from Port Deposit. More will b,
obtained from Vermont Pennsylvania
mills are furnishing the steel and iron
As to the approaches, Mr.. Strouse sait
this morning that they were being de
layed in some cases by the station Hls
but that Ehe new Baltimore and Obi,
coach yards in lexington had been g.
per cent completed. The bridges anC
abutments at II, Is, /. and NJ streets
and Florida avenue had been 50 pc
cent completed. which in ordinar,
English means that they will be read,
for use IN a couple of weeks
The small mourt2tn which interpOse,
itself in the way of the Baltimore anC
OHIO railroad tracks at New York ave
nue. extended and the Brentwood road
, Is melting away fast. Mr.. Strouse an
nounced that 1,500, 600 cubic yards of thi
sturdy landmark of the suburbs, whiel
fcld guns ard soldiers not far from
Fort Stevens. when Gen Jlba! Earl,
and his Confederates were beaten bacl
from Washington, and which was plow
ed with shot and shell, have been re
moved.