The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-10-29
WASHINGTON LETTER
ESPECIAL Correspondence

which were to have connected the sen
ate and house office buildings with the
capitol are not to be installed, at least
not for the present and perhaps not at
all The subways are to be finished
with a coat Of cement, hard ana WHITE
and giving an excellent rejecting sur
face but the travel in the subway$ Will
be in the good old way, on foot, ex-
cept that freight will be handled on
rubber tired electric trucks.
No Subway Trains.
The house building commission, con-
sisting Of Speaker Cannon and Repre-
sentatives Hepburn and Richardson, ma.
not been enthusiastic over plans for sub
way electric trains, moving platforms
or any other Of the various devices
submitted for handling traffic between
the capitol and the office buildings.
They and others among the older men,
bers have a strong tendency toward
practica bility and economy They even
insisted that there should be no osten-
nishing of the offices, and in conse-
quence whatever money has been spent
for such things has been spent chiefly
in the public rooms, where the people
and not members Of congress will get
the benefit of them
Cost Would Be Heavy.
To install an electric road over the
present routes from the capitol to the
house building and from the capitol to
the senate building would cost from
$780, 900 to 100000, it is estimated, and
to operate it would cost about Is per
cent Of that sum annually. perhaps
more.
Taking these arguments into consid-
Grafton, the house building commission
practically vetoed the railroad. but left
the matter in the hands of Superin-
tendent Woods, who has decided to
postpone the embarkation OF the gov
eminent into the railroad business. As
for the senate, it has also washed its
hands Of responsibility and more COM
pletely than the house has done, for It
gave to Mr. Woods absolute authorize
ton to follow his judgment
Hundreds Of cords Of wood are used
at the capitol every year, besides guam
titles of coal, wagon loads Of station
cry and sundry other items Of mer
chandise. In the future these probably
will be delivered by wagon On the G
street side OF the house building or on
the corresponding side Of the senate
building, unloaded right on to the cleo
trio pneumatic tired trucks and whisk
ed swiftly to their destination.
New Elevators In Capitol.
Probably the most important i'm
provement at the capitol this year,
from the standpoint Of the public, Ia
the work Of Installing two new pas
senger elevators at the main door Of
the house wing.
This will involve moving the postof
fee to the new house Office building,
where quarters have been provided for
it, and the space vacated will be given
to the sergeant at arms. The public
will then be able to go upstairs at the
door Of the capitol and leave the mem
bers' elevators entirely for their own
use
Another piece Of work at the capitol
Is the removal Of the partitions be-
tween the quarters Of the naval affairs
committee and the passageway along
the light well. This will throw the
wall Of the committee room out to the
light well and will give additional room
made on the floor above
To Condemn Land.
The United States has filed a peti-
ton in the District supreme court to
secure the condemnation OF the prop
erty in the five squares bounded by
Pennsylvania avenue and B street
and Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets
northwest, for the purpose OF which
congress appropriated $3.50. 900. The
squares are known on the plat books
as 226 to 23O. The land is to be used
as site for two or more public build
ings.
Plaza Characterization.
Plans showing details Of the orna-
mental work for the plaza in front Of
the Union station have been received
by the commissioners, and work will
soon begin. In the center will be the
memorial statue Of Columbus, some
distance in front Of which will be a
large fagpole. On each side the Co
lumbus memorial, slightly to the rear,
will be two artistic fountains. at close
Intervals along the roadway will be
placed tall bronze columns and lamp
standards. Details of the Columbus
memorial have not been worked out,
but rough sketches have been pre-
pared. The front will show a prov
OF caravel, with Columbus standing
at the front. The boat and water eff
feet will be in stone and the figure Of
Columbus in bronze.
Small Naval Class.
The complete list Of the new fourth
class at the Naval academy, compiled
at the navy department, shows the
class to be composed of 2O8 members.