Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-28

great holiows which were caused by the
construction Of the Union station on
made land.
The tremendous supply of electricity
which will be used in light and power
will be furnished on contract by the gov
eminent printing office.
One unique feature Of the building II
the so-called Bridge of Sighs' which
connects the post office with the Union
station. This Is a part of the general
plan Of mail handling by which all con-
tract hauling will ultimately be done
away with. Eight electric trucks will
run across this bridge. which is sort
OF covered corridor. and into the station.
They Will run inside the fence which
separates passengers from the trains
and will unload their sacks OF mail d.
rectly into the cars. The corridor is
wide enough to enable two cars to pass
each other.
Of1cials In the post Office estimate that
these trucks will make five hundred trips
q day. keeping a continuous procession
across the Bridge of Signs" Mail in
tended for northern and western points
will be landed at the street level and
mail intended for southern points will be
lowered to the train tunnel level by
means of elevators.
Mail coming to the post office Will be
placed on huge belts. which are called
"conveyors." This conveyor system will
enable the mail handlers to separate
their letters for distribution in different
parts OF the city without leaving their
places. Practically all of the transporta-
ton of letters within the building will be
done by machinery. The largest belts
are thirty-six inches wide and the small
est are eighteen inches. Hook convey
ors," as they are called, will handle the
mail pouches.
The first floor and parts of the base
ment and subbasement will be used by
the city post Office The second and third
floors will be turned over to the Post Of
fee Department. Postmaster Praeger
will have offices in both the city post
office and the Post Office Department.
The building covers 10000 square feet.
or nearly an entire city block. And the
main workroom has already won for the
new building the nickname Palace OF
Magnificent Distances
Whenever one tries to be impressive
one speaks in terms of money. Hence:
The green pillars In the new post Of
fee cost 81 $50 apiece.
The plastering, exclusive of decorative
work, cost 100000.
The furniture will cost $4,000.
The daily expenses ranged between
$4,000 and $4,000 during the construction
of the building.
The bronze doors cost several thou
sand dollars
business two substations will go into re-
tirement. They are stations and g. both
of which are too near the post office to
be Of value. Station G, which is on G
street between 9Th and It'll streets north
west will be moved into the department
ctva nd
avenue. Station will be changed to
what the department calls contract
station. The latter station Is situated at
4th and East Capitol streets.
High above the main entrance of the
post office door will be found an inscrip-
ton which is unique in American annals.
It is rare that two of the most famous
educators of the nation-one the Presi-
dent of the United States-collaborate on
anything. There is no previous record
Of an inscription having been written in
collaboration.
However, that is the case in the new
post office. President Eliot of Harvard
and President Wilson are responsible for
the following lines. which will be craven
in stone:
Carrier Of Love and Sympathy 1
CONSIDER Of the Lonely NJ
Bond Of the Scattered Family
Enlarger Of the Common Life. -
Carrier OF News anu hnOWleuEe
Instrument Of Trade and Commerce
Promoter Of Mutual Acquaintance
Among Men and Nations and hence
Of Peace and Good VIII.
Below this inscription will be the Amer
lean eagle above a shield.
The basement and endorsement OF the
new building will be used mainly for
storing articles belonging to both the city
post office and the Post Office Depart
ment Also the machinery Of all sorts
needed in the work upstairs will be
located there, The first floor will be
given over to the city Office and the sec
ond and third floors will be used by
certain branches of the federal depart
ment-jusr what branches have not been
fully determined.