The broad ax., 1907-06-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
ranecial cofresrOndence.l

nossesses much historical interest
from a national as we'll as local view
noint. With the library and the Office
buildings for the senate and house OF
representatives the area known as the
capitol grounds IS inclosed by marble
walls with the exception Of that por-
ton fronting on First street between
East Capitol and B streets, northeast
] Doubtless at no distant day the gov
eminent will take the squares first
named as the site Of a temple Of JUS
: flee for the accommodation of the SUI
{ preme court Of the United States.
Historic Ground.
Should a building be erected there
for the highest judicial body 1t would
. be peculiarly appropriate, for after the
burning Of the capitol in 1914 the head
Of the judicial system sat for number
OF years in the building ut First and A
streets. The quarters mentioned were
thus occupied from 1916 To 1870. The
old circuit court Of the District was
also I'm this building from 1916 60 1S2I.
when quarters were provided In the
CITY hall for the local court, together
with offices for the clerk, the marshal
and other officials
During the civil war II became. under
the name Of the old capitol prison.
noted place. and here not few execu-
tons. some by gallows, others by
shooting. occurred. Captain WirZ or
AndersOnvi!le was hanged there. All
traces of Il are now Obliterated, and
instead is a block Of fine residences.
in one Of which the late Justice Field
long resided.
The New Railway Station.
washington's new Union station.
erected Jointly by the Pennsylvania
and the Baltimore and Ohio under GER
tain concessions granted by the gov.
eminent. Is now more than three
fourths completed. and Baltimore and
Ohio trains will run into the new struc-
ture within short time. ARCHITECTURE
ally the building will be one Of the
most magnificent In the city. Its d.
mansions are truly stupendous. Alto
gether 1GO acres will be occupied by
the new terminal facilities. The north
approach includes n train yard Of thir-
ty-three tracks. power plant, express
building. coach yard having a capacity
for about 80 cars. engine and repair
yards, with engine house and shop IA
cIlities.
Finest Building Of Its Kind.
The tunnel under Capitol hill Is the
feature of the south approach. The
station site when the work began was
on ground less than twenty-five feet
above the tide Of the Potomac. More
than 100000 cubic yards OF material
were excavated and deposited to trans
form it into an eminence nearly sixty
feet above tide. with gently slipping APP
proaches II this material were depos-
tied on an average size city block 1t
would form a shaft higher than the
Washington monument. To move all
this material would require about Co.
coo standard gauge commercial cars,
which, II coupled together in a single
line, would extend COO miles, a greater
distance than from Washington to Co.
lumbus.
The general waiting room Of the new
depot will Of itself cover 100 by DO
feet, or twO-thirds Of an acre, a greater
area than is occupied by the average
city statioa. The rOundhOuse. shops
and engine yards will cover fifty-five
acres, the coach yard sixty acres, the
train yard thlrty-o one acres, the station
proper and a portion OF the plaza nine
acres.
Professional opinion has 1t that 1t
will be the most beautiful station
building in the world.
A-RemarkabIs Structure.
Within a few weeks the Connecticut
avenue bridge will be completed and
opened to the public. In fact, there re-
mains unfinished little more than the
decoration Of the bridge. The bridge
itself is a remarkable structure.
1t is 1921 feet long. 80 feet wide
and consists OF FIVE 1JO-fOot arches
and two S2-foot arches. It is built Of
unreenforced concrete throughout The
stone for the concrete work was taken
from a quarry about 400 feet from the
site Of the bridge. which saved a haul
Of $1,000 cubic yards Of stone.
Largest Concrete Bridge.
This Is the largest concrete bridge In
the world and is unique, In that II Is
not REINFORCED with steel. The bridge
is apparently trimmed with granite.
These trimmings are made Of concrete,
cast In blocks on the ground, and In
stead Of using sand for the mortar
stone dust was used, which, when
dressed down, gives an appearance Of
granite. The main false work Of the
structure, which consisted mostly Of
Georgia pine lumber, cost the District
$4,000. 1t required 100000 board
feet Of lumber for this work alone. 1t
Is probable that the entire amount Of
!, lumber required to complete the bridge
was In the nelghborhoOd Of 100000
board feet.