The Washington times., 1906-03-18
WORK ON UNION
STATION PROJECT
Inclement Weather Retard-
ed Operations in February.
HOPING FOR GOOD WEATHER
Engineers Report Discloses Interesting
Details of Progress That Is Being
Made on Big Improvement.

According TO the engineers report
the work of constructing the new
Union Station, the progress made dur
ing February was not as satisfactory
as would be desired. This lack of prog
ress was largely due TO inclement
weather. and. with the opening OF
spring, the building operations are ex-
pected to go ahead rapidly.
The contractors have started laying
granite at the east end OF the building.
which work has been held up for the
past two or three months. Fair prog
ress has been made IN the laying or in
terror granite In the vestibules OF the
main waiting room OF the station.
The hreproofing work has been car
ried on rapidly as the conditions
would permit. The steel work over
the concourse is now erected for dis
tance Of about 2s0 feet. covering the
entire east wing OF the main building.
Progress on the brick work has been
good and an effort is being made to
increase the force on this class OF
work Considerable granite has been
received during the month. and what is
being received is being distributed so
that it can be set without further
handling after being unloaded.
The plumbing work. piping for cleo
trio wires. etc. is being pushed as rap
idly as the other work on the building
will allow
Terminal Train Shed.
No work was done between II street
and the concourse during the month.
The corcreting of III street bridge
however. has progressed very satisfac-
torily during the month. All OF the
concrete has been deposited between the
beams over the entire area. Water
proofing has been placed over 90 per
cent OF the bridge. No re-enforced con-
crete has been put in place up TO this
time.
The east half OF Florida avenue
bridge has been completed. and the
west half is all completed except a
small amount of waterproofing and the
rc-enforced concrete on top. Nj street
and the L street bridge have been COM
pleted and the X street bridge is about
finished.
The freight track on the terminal ap-
proach has been extended from the frog
of No. coal track TO the north side OF
l. street. and ties and rails are being
distributed for the main tracks on the
east half of the approach. between Flor
ida avenue and NJ street.
The placing OF stone in the cutters
back OF the abu~ments has progressed
satisfactorily. and sufficient work has
been done a the various bridges 90 per-
NIT the laying of certain tracks across
the bridges II is probable that this
class of work will be completed for all
the bridges, except II street. in the
%
Delayed by Strike.
No work was done on the powerhouse
during the month. as this work is still
being tied up by the strike OF the
American Bridge Company Some steel
work. however was received during the
month.
The Custodis Chimney Constr iction
Company has started on the erection Of
the stack at the powerhouse. the
masonry at this time being carried up
20 a height of about eight feet above
the hoor line.
No grading was done during the month
in the space 20 be occupied by the
coachysrd. roundhouse and shops. as
the contractors were obliged 70 discon-
tinue steam shovel work the end of
January on account of lack Of space in
which to waste The material Satisfac-
tory progress has been made in the lay
ing of tracks in the coach yard
The signal bridges along tbs main
tracks near the Twelfth street tower
were erected and painted during the
month. and are now ready for the signal
company.
All the main girders for the ~ bridge
have been placed on the masonry. al
though they are not all in position. A
start has been made at the east end on
placing the floor system in position No
masonry was put in at the New York
avenue bridge during the month.
Special forms are now being made for
the construction OF the west abutments
above the neat line The excavation for
the east abutment has been carried down
20 a depth Of about ten or twelve feet.
Work on Tower
The interlocking tower at the east enc
OF the ''Y" is all completed with the ex-
ception of installing the plumbing feat
ures, which cannot be done until suita-
BILE drainage is provided. Arrange1ents
have been made for laying a. drain pipe
from the tower to the thirty-six Inch
main east of Twelfth street.
The tower at Rhode Island avenue is
hOthpltltu Will lile exception Oh
the plumbing fixtures.
A considerable amount OF porous drair
pipe has been laid for the purpose OF
draining the engine yard in the vicinity
OF the shops and some track work hal
also been done in this vicinity
Ties have been placed in position fol
the laying of the Philadelphia. Baltimor,
and Washington tracks between Fair
view and Montana avenues. and tn,
foadbed Is almost completed for the pOr
ton Of the line between Montana svenu,
and the crossing OF the washington
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio. A:
soon as rail Is received from the Phila-
delphia- Baltimore and Washington rail
road this track will be laId and ballasted
With the completion of the re-enforceC
concrete work on The various bridges
and the filling ~ the cutters in the real
with broken stone. the laying OF track
on the terminal approach should pro
gress satisfactorily during the mex
month, provided the weather is not too
cold