The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-11-12
wAsHrNGToN's NEW DEPOT.
Tic Southern to Run its Trains Int
1t or the 1sth-Description of the
$4,000. 900 Building.

IHC southern 10 KUN It's 1Fdtf1S 1ntf
1t on the 1sth-DescFiption of the
1900, 900 Building.
Washington, November Sit has
been announced hat beginning Sun
day morning, November IL. all South
era railway trains entering and leav-
ing Washington, d. C., will use the
new twenty-million-dollar passenger
station, afording the travelling public
an opportunity Of inspecting one or
| the worlds most elaborate and costly
| passenger terminals. The trains will
! enter the city of Washington over the
| compaHy's new double-tracked bridge
across the historic Potomac river,
| which is nearly a mile wide at this
! point, and proceed above grade along
Maryland avenue to First and South
Capitol streets, at which point they
. enter a double-track twin tunne un-
der Capitol Hill, at the northern emo
of which the trains enter the new ter
minal station, connections being made
with diyerging lines for all points cas-
and west.
This new station is the finest and
most important result of the agitation
for better station facilities at the ma
tional capital which was begun in 1901
in keeping with plans Tor a more BEAU
tiful and symmetrical development ut
Washington. 1t is the result OF a mu-
tual agreement between the railroads
entering the capital city.
An advantageous site with a plaza
200 feet wide by one thousand long
near the capitol was selected because
of its many advantages as a dlstrlb-
uting point for passengers, and the
numerous streets, no less than nine,
centering at this point. Through these
cOnverging venue large bodies or
people can arrive or depart without
inconvenience.
The plaza also affords ample room
for massing troops and spectators for
those imposing public ceremonies
which take place at the gateway of q
great capital.
The plaza itself, sloping gently
away from the station, will be decor
ated with balustrades and fountains,
and a terrace separating it from the
fore court about 100 feet wide sur
rounding the entire building.
The station building proper is built
of white granite. The three entrance
arches, fifty feet in height. far exceed
in scale their Roman prototypes. These
central doorways lead into a vaulted
open air vestibule and thence into the
main waiting room. The 40-foot arches
of the end paVilions are Doth carriage
entrances. The one toward the east
is for official use, and leads to a suite
of apartments exclusively for the pres
ident and the guests of the nation.
The central vestibule and end paviI-
ions are connected by an open air
pOrtico or Ioggia with railway offices
in the second story above. The portico
and the vestibules together constitute
a continuous covered porch running
along the front Of thee ntire building
atfording at every point protection
from the elements. No matter at
what point one approaches the build
ing n can at once be under cover
no insignificant matter in a building
L~Nd5Ol lS I,1OO ICCI Ol inc
line Of the front and two ends.
The general waiting room, with a
clear width of $50 feet and length of
220 feet, is covered by a Roman barre
vault 80 feet high and decorated with
sunken Golfers or panels after the
nanner Of the baths of Diocletian. It
is lighted by a semi-circular window
rs feet in diameter at each end. and
by five semi-circular windows of 80
feet diameter on each side. Not even
Imperial Rome, al her greatest, pos
sessed a hall of such proportions.
Around this hall are grouped the din
ing ROOM, lunch room, telephone tele-
graph, parcel room. smoking room,
and WOmen's waiting room, while the
ticket offices and baggage room are on
opposite sides of a lobby so feet wide
and SIS feet high opening directly from
the waiting room.
The cost of this entire Improvement,
including approaches. will the about
$4,000 200. Special to Charlotte
Chronicle.