The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-15
BIRMINGHAM'S TERMINAL
 BEAUTIFULLY ARRANGED

or platform sheds is a smoke and rain wall designed to prevent the roll of smoke under the platform sheds and to prevent the admission of rain from the ten-foot aperture between the projecting roofs of the upper sheds. Drainage is se- cured with economy and success by means of the inverted sheds and by conductins the water to the center line of these sheds, where it is trapped and carried through down spouts concealed in the beams and columns to the sub-drainage below the train platforms The design is cantilever transcersely and the arch longturinallS. It is unit system, and admits of eX- pansion or contraction without dspro- portionate difference in cost of construc- tion. There is nothing exposed in the con- struction of these sheds and platforms but the concreate, which, of course, keeps the cost of maintenance at minimum.
 The train platforms are reached from the station building and from the midway by emans of an underpass subway This is thirty feet wide and is entered by commodious stairway from the mid way, the subway having stairwayo as cending from both sides to the train plat forms above, which obviates the neces- sity for any crossing whatever of any track at track grade. Baggage, mail and express matter are handled upon the tracK level, but always around the ends of the trains and thence on the individual plat forms, the movement of the baggage, mail and express matter being always m the direction opposite from the direction of the movement of passengers, and the liability to injury is greatly lessened; in fact, there is practically no danger from a casualty, for the ssystem here inaugu- rated Is a preventive. Passengers leaving trains by way of the subway reach the midway and station buildings by stair ways leading to each side of the entrance staircase.
 The station building, or head house proper, is separated from the tracks and train sheds by a broad and commanding midway, the middle section of which is devoted to passenger traffic, while each end Is used for the handling of mail, bag gage and express matter. Under this sys tenn there can be no confusion in handling the traffic, as on the train platform it can be handled only in limited way The platforms being twenty feet wide, the inconvenience is slight
 The station building proper Is a noble example of well planned and harmonious architecture, designed by MT. P. Thcrn- ton Marye of Atlanta, and under construc- ton by the Oliver-Sollitt company of Chi cago. A view of the building from the architects drawings, was published in the Manufacturers Record nearly two
  brick, stone and reinforced concrete, with trimmings in terra cotta and marble. IL consists of two wings comparatively low, two towers connecting the wings with center section or main building, and a middle building containing the main walt ing rooms and utilities, with lofty dome of magnificent proportions. The south wing is devoted to colored waiting rooms, corridors, etc., and to baggage and mail. The north wing Is devoted to dining rooms lunch counters, station offices and express rooms. The center section is de- voted to the use, comforts and conven- fences of white passengers exclusively, and is well designed to meet its most ex- acting requirements. All facilities afford ed white passengers are duplicated Tor colored passengers.
 The colored waiting rooms and baggage and mail wing has space follows; Col ored waiting rooms. 5200 square feet; bag gage and mail, 22,G 600 square feet; total for wing, 17s0O square feet.
 The dining rooms. lunch counters, of- fees and express wing has space allotted thus: Dining rooms, lunch rooms ana or fees. 5000 square feet; express rooms, lo- 300 square feet; total TOT "lhs' -1'0O" square feet
 The center section or main building has 20, 400 square feet; the midways, corn dors. eoncourses, etc, have 37,1W square feet; the train shed and platform covers an area of .509 square feet maHlns the total area under cover 241 100 square feet.
 The total cost will be about S1,750O0O.
 The wonderful growth of Birmingham and the expansion and development Of Us contiguous interests may be fairly esti- mated by a comparison between the floor space of the new terminal station and that of the union station. that was until recent date deemed sufficient for all pur- poses: The new terminal station has in buildings 62 725 square feet. in midway 37,11O square feet; total 99,S25 square feet. Thus the station, midway and shed of the new terminal have 241 900 square feet, and the station. midway and shed of the union depot have 6S,2 236 square feet
 These facts carry their own comment.
 J. M. K.