The Washington herald., 1907-10-26

That wonderful nature-fake story about
Jack and the house he built is the vision
airy production of some person long since
dead. but that house of granite and
marble down near the Capitol Is q real
building-the new home Of the Baltimore
and Ohio and the Pennsylvania railroads
in this city. The management Of these
railroad lines are going to open this mag
nifcent structure tomorrow morning,
about $50 by the clock. OF thereabouts
Mr. Jack had the assistance Of goblins,
and other supernatural folk. who were
iegislated out of existence before the IN
terstate Commerce Commission was in
vented. 1t seemed. therefore. to most
everybody in the crowd Of newspaper
men who journeyed through the new sta
ton yesterday. that it far excels Mr.
Jacks work. It also shows that the cor
porations are still managing 70 make
both ends meet and that they have a lit
tie surplus left over for rainy days.
Because the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road will operate its first train into the
new station tomorrow morning. MandeI
Sener. press agent for the Baltimore and
Ohio and George W. Martin. superin-
tendent Of the Washington Terminal
Company, acted as guides for two hours
yesterday afternoon and explained every
thing eXplainable.
Any person who starts into this station
might have the idea that outside Of its
bigness, its unquestioned beauty Of ma
terial and proportion, there isn't much to
IL in the railroad line that is different
from any other station.
lie Sees Difference.
But after he enters he sees there is
difference. It isn't going 10 matter 10
the railroad companies whether the guest
Of the hour is King Edward Of England.
Anthony COmstock Of New York. or Pietro
Giovanni Of Naples. There is a cute little
state reception room. where King Ed
ward could play a game Of cribbage in
privacy while waiting his train. Mr.
Comstock could saunter about the vast
c0ncourse, admiring the chaste art. or
linger in the waiting-room where there
would be nothing except immodest post
cards 10 offend his critical eye. For
Mr.. Giovanna. there would be a separate
emigrants room.
OF course, there are rooms exclusively
for ladies. although neither these nor the
general waiting room are finished. The
state reception room and the conc0urse
are almost ready for occupancy, while
the dining-rooms and a few others viii be
completed in "a few weeks
The first thing most people viii do
after they pass through any one of nine
doors-from the Capitol side-into the
waiting-room viii be to glance about for
the ticket office. The facilities for takinS
in money-made compulsory iu Washing
ton by the abolition Of passes-are COM
plete There are seven -icket windows.
and each one. aS vas explained yester-
day, is complete In itself like a fve-dollar
bill
The system Of handling baggage Is 10
be a novelty IN Washington. Any person
who drives up IN a carriage 10 any par
ucular entrance Will. when he exhibits
tendency % have baggage on his per-
son. he given a sort Of check by the
Cerebus who guards the portal He is
then expected TO rush In ard part with
little money 10 the ticket clerk Then
he is ready 20 check his trunk He is
expected TO walk over 10 the baggage
wiadows. just opposite the ticket sellers.
and get a check for his baggage.
All baggage goes 20 the basement and
thence 10 trains. The passenger admires
the main waiung-roou for while. and
then strolls into concolrse T60 feet
long, more than leo feet wide and 20 feet
high. II he feels Ike il and has time
he viii be able somewhere in the TWEEN
ty-seven gates that confront him To find
his train. over every gate. 10 facilitate
the search. viii be an electric sign with
the name OF the train, its destination, and
the time of departure.
There Are Tbirty-One Tracks.
Standing on the edge OF the train shed
beyond the gates, if the shed and yards
are not too greatly fl ed with cars, the
waiting passenger might see spread fan
Ike before him thirty-one tracks. Twenty
Of these tracks are on level with Del
aware avenue or a little above, while
the other eleven are twenty-five feet, or
a little more. lower The higher tracks,
called the elevated by the railroad men.
Will be used by the Baltimore and Ohio
trains, and later by some Of the Penn
sylvania trains. The lower ones are for
trains going through TO Southern points.
and run into two tunnels. each 1000 feet
long, under the station and part o. the
city
a thousand feet 10 the left OF the
maze Of tracks stands the company's
large uOv-er ho71sa vrbara r,,or,star So