The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-03-13
BIDS FOR ANNEX
Of REPRESENTATIVES,
Proposals for Cut Stone Will
Be Opened Wednesday,
CONTRACTS BY PIECEMEAL
Design Will Follow That Of Capt.
to- and Be Subordinate
TO It.

representatives.
be awarded in accordance with the gen |
eral rules followed in such matters.
The terms of the contract which will |
be entered into with the successful bid |
der, call for a commencement OF the |
work within thirty days. That is to say, |
the stone contractors viii nave TO begin |
to cut his stone at the quarries within !!
thirty days from March 10, or from the |
date of the execution of the contract |
The time of completion is set at two |
years. and for every day within that
time when the contract or any part OF !
It is unfuiflled. the contractor will have
to forfeit the sum of S100,
Mr.. Woods Plans.
Superintendent Woods has followed an
interesting plan In order 10 save time.
Instead of waiting until the plans ana
specifications for everything-stone,
steel, etc-have been completed and
then asking for BIDS, he has taken up
one thing at time. The stone CONTRACT
will be well underway before the steel
work is ready for bids 1t Is believed |
that Superintendent Woods in this man
ner will be able to break all RECORDS IN
the erection of building of this size.
The contractors attention will be call
ed TO the eight-hour law. and no laborer
viii be allowed 10 work longer than
eight hours.
In two years Superintendent Woods eS-
poets the building TO be ready Tor occu-
nancy The members of the SiXtieth
Congress will probably be the first to en-
ter the new office building, ana the mem
beers viii be the poSSeSSors OF one o. TIE
finest office buildings in the country.
the chief draughtsraan announced sat
lirtiay that if good weather prevails the
work Of laying corcrete foundations VIII
be begun about one week from today;
BY the time the foundations are liid
the stone contractor Will be feaoy-
Motive of the Design.
In designing the new building the OBJ
lect has been TO subordinate II 10 the
Capitol at the same time making il just
as much like that historic structure as
possible The architecture in many
niaees is similar 10 that of the Capitol.
Inside the building will be as simple as
can be- AS explained by the head
draughtsman Saturday. the object aim
ed at is TO secure an up-to-date office
The building itself will be almost as
large as the Congressional Library. The
rs1aiis- front is on B street southeast, and
win be 476 feet. 2 inches in length The
lengths of the frontages on the other
streets are as follows: New jersey,
avenue 47e feet, / inch. c street, 34S
feet, 3 inches, and First street, 402 feet,
6 inches
1t will be seen that there is a i der
ence of Us feet in the B street aad c
street frontage. giving the building
Court in the Center.
In the center Of the building there
will be an immense court 300 feet in
diameter This court will be open, and
beautiful plants ana flowers will be
planted, so to give the place an ap-
pearancc of tropical grandeur.
The offices are arranged around this
court in a double row. either facing the
street or the interior.
The corridors run from wall TO wall
and are a little over twelve feet in width,
being extremely simple ia design.
Unda. the present arrangement there
will be $50 offices. in the building. Each
member will get one office. which is
very simple In design, and entirely lack
ing in any Of the palattal -conVf;niences
referred to in some OF the newspapers
The rooms are twenty-five feet in depth
and about sixteen feet in width. There
will Re no costly wainscoting or any
thing To distinguish the offices from:
those IN any modern othce building;
Each room will be supplied with small
coat closet and d washstand.
The Main Entrance.
The main entrance to the building vii
be at the corner of New Jersey avenue
and street, directly opposite thu
House wing of the Capitol This en-.
trance win be approached by a beau
tiful driveway The fist thing of III
terest after entering this main door
way, and perhaps the only elaborate
design in the building. IS the rotunda
designed and patterned after the grea
rotunda in the Capitol.
The rotunda is 70 feet inches il
diameter and visitors will be reminded
instantly OF the more famous rotundf
across the street, except that this Ont
will not extend beyond the roof.
Back of the rotunda on the SECOND
floor is the assembly room approached
h4y {
elevators. This room is one of the fea
lures Of the new office building. and Il
sc feet long and 81 feet wide. The room
was primarily designed for public hear
ings At the present time public hear
fngs upon many important bills-Dis
trict bills for example-are almost i'm
possible because of lack OF room. Thi
assembly hall will accommodate a!
many people as would be necessary a
any time
Rooms for Caucuses.
Here the leaders of the different par
ties viii also call their colleagues. anc
behind closed doors discuss party af
fairs in caucus There will be a larg,
room for the majority and one for tn
minority. Barber shops, toilet rooms
etc, will be in duplicate, one for botl
parties.
Next in interest TO the rotunda anC
assembly rooms is the cafe or dininl
room, which win be located at the cor
ner Of First and b streets. just opposite
the Congressional Library. This dining
room viii extend TO two floors. the see
ond and third. The room the thir6
floor will possibly be made private fol
members alone.
great deal OF attention has beer
given 10 elevators There Will be twelve
elevators for passengers, besides two Oh
three for freight. The elevators are III
pairs
Brilliantly Lighted Halls.
One feature about the building viii be
the brilliantly lighted halls, which will
be supplied with the most modern elec-
tTic equipment.
The postoffice, telephone and telegraph
station viii be located in q large room
in the rear OF the rotunda on the first
floor
On the b street front only three stories