The Washington times., 1908-09-06
Beautiful NewMarble Build
ing Will Be Ready When
Congress Meets.
SENATORS TO HAVE
LUXURIOUS SUITES
Each Member of Upper House
Provided With Two Handsome
ly Appointed Rooms.


December.
The vast exterior. occupying an en-
tire square Immediately northeast Of
the Capitol, is practically completed
now, with only some minor details in
the court on 9 street remaining TO be
finished Work will be rushe1 on the
complicated interior equipment, such
as heating, lighting, and installation Of
fittings The elaborate interior deco
rations which have been planned hardly
viii be finished, however. by the time
the Senators begin TO arrive.
Much has been said on the subject of
whether the members Of the Senate
really welcome the opportunity 20 move
into new quarters, where they Will
have not only commodious space but
luxurious furnishings. II has been said
that those junior Senators who have
been buried in the Capitol cs!lar near
the engine rooms, will be glad to move:
that the senior Senators % whom the
good things Of the Senate fau automat-
ically by virtue of length of service
will look upon the change as an exceed
ing bore.
Equipped for Luxury.
An examinatio Of the building need
be only cUrsory to show the complete
plans for the comfort and convenience
OF the future occupants. And if the
splendid appointments win greatly sur
pass the best Of those now occupied by
the senior Senator's in the Capitol so
much the more Will they be an improve
ment on the quarters OF those now
doomed 10 the dungeon near the
boilers.
The new Offce Building is On square
Csc, which is bounded by B street, Della
ware avenue. First street. and c street
northeast. The building covers three
sides Of this square, the rear, on First
street. being an open court II is az
OF old-fashioned masonry construction,
as distinguished from the skeleton
type. The walls are faced with stone,
backed up with bCiCk, o. which about
100000 were required. The floors are
carried on steel beams which rest on
the heavy walls. The floors, between
these beams. are freprOof.
The building is Of granite up to the
first floor line. Above the first floor the
street fronts are faced with Vermont
marble, and the court Is faced with In
diana limestone.
Elliot Wood IN Charge.
An drawings required in the con-
struction OF the building were made in
the drafting room attached 10 the office
pf Elliott Wood. the superintendent of
the Capitol building and grounds, sub
tect. however, 10 the criticisms Of the
consulting architect, John NJ. Carrere,
OF the firm of Carrere & Hastings, Of
New York city.
The b street and Delaware avenue
fronts are set back from the cub a
trife more than fifty-five feet and the
space between the sidewalk and the
building win be terraced 10 give the
structure an adequate setting.
The three sides Of the court, which Is
294 feet wide. have a combined frontage
OF SS4 feet inches, and the total meas
urement around the building. including
the two pavilions facing on First street,
is 2,Sn feet, or nearly half mile.
The B street, OF PRINCIPAL, front SHOWS
three stories above thu ground. but the
Grade falls away so raridly on Delaware
avenue and First street that the c
street side Is f1ve stories above the
ground. the lowest story there being the
subbasement. At the corner Of B street
and Delaware avenue, the highest point
OF the building Ctop OF balustrade) Is
76 feet 10 inches above the curb and
from the subbasement floor the height
10 the top Of the balustrade Is e3 feet
4 inch.
The height Of the Senate Ohee Build
ing, as was the case with the House
once Building, has been restricted. so
that these structures should not over
shadow the Capitol They have been
kept simple in design, without pedi-
ments, domes, or other aCCentuated
points of architecture. any of which. it
was felt, would detrac. from the effect
Of the Capitol Building. This does not
mean that the buildings are uninterest-
ing in the least. The long eolonnades
and the pavilions are both interesting
and impressive, with sufficient ornament
and other detail so judiciously placed as
TO heightea the general effect
The exterior of the Senate Office Build
ing. viewed as a whole. is classic in
design. II suggests in its general di-
vision of parts the Garde Mauble on the
Place de 10 Concorde. Paris. and the
paviIions are modelled on those OF the
Colonnade du Louvre. Architecturaliy,
the front is divided into two parts, the
lower, corresponding 10 the first story
OF the building. constituting a "rusti-
the second and third stories, is the
coionnade. surmounted by its entabla-
ture and balustrade.
Thirty-four Columns in All.
The colonnade on b street, between
the two thanking pavilions, is 292 feet
~ inches long, and ia made IN of
seventeen bays" with sixteen pairs of
Doric columns and a single column al
each end, making thirty-four columns in
all. Elsewhere on the pavllions, there
are thirty-four columns. a total of six
ty-eight Each column Is % feet high.
feet inches IN diameter, and rests
on a base, or pedestal, 8 feet high.
On Delaware avenue, there are piIas-
ters Ninstead OF columns The c street
facade Is without columns or pilasters.
Zach OF the pavilions facing on First
street, aud also the conference room
pagilion. has short coIonnade OF eight
columns. Ths court facades are without
Eo1uulns or piiasrers.
me rotInda IS at the corner OF Della
/ SAs8 avenue and 3 street. and is en-
Ea1sz hsStEezksaz=a sort pf large