Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-14
NEW QUARTERS NEEDED
aEoLoaIcAL SURVEY rs MUCH
CROWDED.
Many Rooms Are Dark--Property In
Danger From Fire - Annual
Rent Now Paid $34,soo

The need OF the United States geological
survey for q new building In this city is
declared to be most pressing. as every one
who Visits the survey In It's present quar-
tiers must realize.
The bureau gives permanent employment
to about 1000 persons. and temporary field
employment. chiefly In summer. to nearly
as many more. OF this force about 600 are
engaged at times. and during every winter.
on office work In Washington. For their
accommodation two buildings are at present
rented, one at 1880 F street northwest, for
general once work, and one In the adjoin-
ing alley for the exclusive uss OF the divi-
sion Of engraving and printing.
Floor Space Inadequate.
The floor space occupied. including base
ment, amounts to 1O5, $40 square feet, which
is quite inadequate. Even the corridors
have to be utilized for desk space or map
cases. 1t Ii necessary to supply quarters
for some employees in the National Mu-
scum and Smithsonian Institution and 9TH
ers are permitted for lack Of proper Office ac-
Communications to work at home.
A large part OF the survey office work is
OF such character as to demand much more
space than that sufficient merely for the
desks and chairs OF employees. Chemists.
physicists. photographers. photographers,
other specialists must have room for their
instruments. apparatus, maps, working
specimens. drawings, photographic stones,
presses, etc. There Ii no doubt that the
degree Of crowding to which the Office force
Is now subjected diminishes the quantity
and depreciates the quality of theiy work.
Even though the buildings now occupied
by the survey were sufficiently oommodious,
they could never be made suitable for the
purposes of the bureau. The delicate ply
Steal apparatus Is constantly affected by
vibrations from the heavy printing presses.
Rooms Dark and Crowded.
At least Is rooms In the main building are
SO dark that 1t Is impossible to work in
them without the aid of artificial light. In
the darkest Of these rooms As persons are
working from In the morning until 4:3O
In the afternoon by the help of electric
light. Unless they are soon provided with
better-ighted rooms their vision will be
permanently impaired and their capacity
lot work correspondingly decreased.
Not the least important reason for hous-
Ing the survey In a modern, fireproof build
Ing OF its own Is the consideration that
government property and records valued at
approximately 100000 are in constant
danger or loss by fire. Recently over $1O,-
600 worth Of property was destroyed in 90
minutes by fire in the Photographic lab
oratory on the top floor OF the main build.
ing. inc buildings contain over 100000
square feet OF vanished and infiammable
wooden partitions, along which fire could
spread with great rapidity. Many OF the
records thus fiimsily sheltered could not be
replaced at any price.
!, stss1 The Building Needed.
What the survey needs lis a strong, fire.
proof. well-ighted building containing a
net available space OF at least 100. 600 square
feet, exclusive OF basement and halls. Such
building would cost about 81. 2O0, 600 The
annual rent paid on the buildings now oc-
cupied is $3.50 which Is nearly per cent
on 81, 10000
"A Dill for such a structure as Is required
was introduced in the Senate by Mr.. Flint
OF Cal1rornia ON March q and In the House
OF Representatives by Mr. Sherman of New