The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-09-19
WASHINGTON LETTER
Especial Correspondence

paw ~
material for the future searcher of his
toric ruins than that put in the corner
stone Of the senate office building
Among the more important objects
were the following:
The Holy Bible, donated by the So.
cie;y Of Oldest Inhabitants Of Wash.
ington: copy Of the Declaration Of In.
dependence, copy Of the constitution
OF the United States, imprint Of the
seal Of the United States, a silk Amer.
lean flag, donated by the National So.
ciety. Daughters Of the American Rev.
olution; copy Of the map of the United
States, 1906; old prints Of the White
House. a photograph. with autograph,
and an engraving of President Theo-
dorc Roosevelt; an engraving of Vice
President Fairbanks, gavel specially
designed by Frederick n. Owen and
made from historic American oak,
Washington City Directory for 1906,
copy Of the W~ashingto N Telephone Di-
rectory, edition of June Is. 1906; cop
les OF local daily papers, current issue.
Plans For New Building.
In conformity with the capitol build.
Ing the b street front Of the senate
office building will show three stories
above ground, but the grade falls away
so rapidly on Delaware avenue and
First street that the c street front
will be five stories above ground. the
lowest story being the subbasement.
The architectural treatment Of the h
street, Delaware avenu and G street
fronts Of the senate Office building is
Identical with the treatment of the
corresponding fronts of the house Of
flee building.
The building will contain in the three
principal stories n~inety-nine Office
suits of w rooms, ten single offices
and six committee room besides the
conference room and the dining room.
There will also be a rotunda at Della
a avenue and b street, as in the
house Office building. with the main
staircase between it and the confer
ence room. the latter overlooking the
court.
Exterior Of Building.
The exterior of the building is to be
classic in design. 1t suggests in its
general division Of parts the Garde
Mobile on the Place de la COncorde,
Paris. while the pavilions are modelled
on those of the Colonnade du Louvre.
Alphabetically the front is divided into
two parts. the lower, corresponding to
the first story Of the building, consti-
tuting a ''rusticated" base on which,
extending through the second and third
stories, is the colonnade, surmounte1
by its entablature and balustrade.
Identical In Design.
The senate and house office buildings,
each occupying the same position in
relation to the capitol, are indentical in
size and design. The height Of the
buildings has been restricted that they
may not overpower the capitol, and
they have been kept simple in design,
without ~pedilnents, domes or other &C.
centuated points of architectural inter
est, any of which, it was felt. would
detract from the effect of the capitol
building. This does not mean that the
office "'ldings will be uninteresting by
any /, The long ~colonnades and
the paw, will be both interesting
and impre- sive. with sufficient orna-
n.ent and other detail judiciously
placed so as to heiglten the genera
effect.
Stone From Vermont.
The senate Office building will be
faced with Concord granite up to the
first floor line. Above the first floor the
street fronts will be faced with YER
mont marble and the courts faced with
Indiana limestone.
The contract for the stone work for
the street fronts has been awarded to
the Vermont Marble company on its
bid OF 100000. and for the court fronts
to William Bradley & Son on their bid
of $136.G0O.
All drawings required in the con.
structlon Of both Office buildings are
made in a drafting room attached to
the office Of the superintendent Of the
capitol, subject to the criticism of the
consulting architect, John NJ. Carrere,
of the firm of Carrere & Hastings,
New York city.
New Bridge Opened.
The new bridge of the Washington,
and Mount Vernon railway
over Little Hunting creek, Virginia,
which has been under construction for
several months, has been completed.
The erection of the new bridge was
rendered necessary by the changes that
been made in the grade of the
railway within the past year, in order
to do away, as much as possible, with
the steep ascent from Little Hunting
creek to Mount Vernon. which required
the expenditure of much power and
was wearing on the ears that had to
crawl up the hill at a very slow rate.
Sounded That Way.
William J.. Carr Of the state depart
ment had occasion to call at the house
Of a neighbor late at night. He rang
doorbell. After a long wait a head
poked out Of the second foor window.
who's there?" asked a voice.
"Nfr. Carr" was tho rnnlv