Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-29

RCDGING from the remarks heard daily
B there is probably no piece OF worh
Z under way outside of New York which
n excites more interest and curiosity
y than the construction OF the union
station with its north and south approaches
in washington. To one connected with the
ENTERPRISE and familiar with the details VI
,s both interesting and amusing to hear
the explatlations given as to the uses ana
nurposes OF the various portions OF the con-
strIctIon which when assembled and ear
or,tad 1ru,o will one day constitute one OF
the finest II not the finest. railroad termi-
nal I'm the world and the head house prove
one OF the most beautiful structures archi-
tecturally in America.
This great Improvement work Is oelhR
done in the name OF the Washington Ter
rnipal Company which is controlled Jointly
nv the Baltimore and Ohio and Pennsylva-
MIA railroads Mr.. w. T. Strouse assistant
engineer and representing the Baltimore
and Ohio interests in connection with the
work. gives a most complete and interest
ing description of what has been Done IN
the work now in progress. No one is prop
ably better qualified for this than Mr..
Strouse. He is regarded as capaole anu
efficient civil engineer
In his description Mr.. Strouse says that
the great number of piers and walls upon
which the head house Will stand, the 'ops
~ many of which projected twenty-five 10
thirty-hve feet above the normal SURFACE
of the ground, at the intersection OF Dela-
ware and Massachusetts avenues nave NJ
doubt been confusing to the layman- IN
deed nothing short Of a very Intimate
connection with the work and thorough
familiarity with the plans will serve TO re-
move all confusion. But the trenches. walls,
niers cuts entertainments and tunnels nave
ali had their functions, and today the work
Is so far advanced that the genera seheIhe
can easily be traced out upon the grouilu'
To simplify and minimize the number OF
construction problems, which, of necessity
would have to be met on work OF thls
magnitude the entire layout was u-Vlueu
into three separate divisions; me teIliliAli
denot bu;ldipg. the north approach and the
south approach. To avoid confusion anu
controversy with the operation aePa' tileh.9
Of The. Baltimore and ONO and FehiisS lNa4iit,
railroads uuon whose respective territories
,n7trh Of he work had TO be done. the c"n-
struction of the north approach anu tne
depot building was assigned 70 the pale-
more and Ohio railroad while the s0uth "P
proach and q portion of the Magfuuer coi-
1actI1n was assigned to the Pennsylvania
railroad .,
. THE north approach embraces the tram
yard of thirty-three tracks, power pia ~
express building, coach yard, having -
nacifv OF about $50 cars; engine ana repair
wards with the necessary engine mousse anu
shop facilities. together with the MetfopoH-
and NaStllN = ION ~ ANN Nm
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad ana a p9 DOT
ton of the Magruder connection Tor the I"
3 and ". railroad.
The south approach embraces tne sHueI,
covered work under the plaza. the tuih ,.
under Capitol Hi, and the connection win
the p B. and w. railroad on Virginia ave-
nue.
y
The concrete foundations of the depot
building which. over the greater portion,
are about forty-hve feet in height. are all
constructed and material for filing around
and between them has nearly all been de-
IfXered: the fill over a considerable area
reaching a depth of thirty-hve feet ABOVE
the original surface of the ground in the
vicinity The granite and brick work OF
the cast end Of the building is about ~
per cent completed. and practically all steel
work in this structure being largely wall
bearing. it can only be placed as the pro,
gress OF the masonry permits; There VIII
be about 1900 tons of steel IN the puilu-
Ing about 90 per cent OF which is on the
ground and about 10 per cent in place, the
coucuurse trusses having a span or ISo rect
being all in place In general, II may De
stated that about 60 per cent of the work
on the station building is now completed:
The masonry walls forming the limits OF
the terminal occupation and north approach
are all completed, with the exception OF
short gaps near I street, through which the
trains of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
are handled. All material required to MI
this space to the track levels, except IN
street. has been delivered, and upon por-
ton of this space tracks are now beng
laid. A system Of terra Gotta condults Tor
the accommodation of all electric wires
within the city limits is being Installed
the work at this time being about GO per
cent completed. .,.
Bridges Of concrete-steel construction
have been erected over II, Is, l. ana NJ
nd