The Washington times., 1914-06-17

Not SO man years ago there ran.
by the site of the Union Station, a
stream called Tiher creek. a place
which was the delight of the small
nov and the haunt of frogs end
Crawfish
Tiber creek has disappeared. for
cutting down below its bed, to
surface depth of forty-five feet. the
foundations of the new city POST
office we're sunk There the maSni-
ficeut structure now stanGs. nearly
completed at a cost of s3,ooo,OO
To say the least. the building Is
in thorough keeping with the spirit
Of making the Nations Capital me
most beautiful in the world. me
new postoffice is Of Bethel granI.e,
with wonderfully soft finish. Tne
stone looks almost as though II were
marble. and the finish and decofa-
ton of the remainder OF the puilo-
ing is consistent with harmony.
Along the front there rise fourteen
monolithic columns OF the ioiilc
type, above fretted paius'raue vi
the same stone.
i, that of Rome at its best period
The building is enormous, but tne
general effect is so harmonious
that. to the casual observer, across
the open ground before 1t, It 1alls
TO give an undesired impression or
great size.
Lobby Is Notable
The most notable part OF the
building is the lobby. Greep granite
columns support the roof; prone
doors and windows guard the en-
frances. while the interior olerds
thoroughly the nues of floors, walls
and ceilings with the decorations.
There are writing desks Of Roman
type. bronze decorations here ana
there and everything supplied
which a broad sense might demand
for the neweat national structure.
The floors are completed in new
substance called compolite. which so
deadens sound that it gives the enect
of walking on rubber soles and heels.
The clerks and employees have many
a weary step to take each day, ana
there are. times when concentration
should not be distracted by the noise
of pounding feet, SO II is eSpedient
to eliminate as much as possloie
these Objectionable features.
There is a complete system OF tele-
phones connecting each room: there
is a general water cooling system
throughout. the building, pneumatic
tubes, electric sockets for every pos
sible contingency. automatic fire pro.
lection and alarms and some decided
innovations in structural work.
Connected With Station.
The postoffce is directly connected
TO the Union Station BY bridge, to
facilitate the handling OF mail mat
ter, coming and going. Trucks Will
pass each other constantly, bearing
the great mass of mail matter which
requires handling. II is estimated
that from 400 TO 500 truckloads per
day will be handled.
The main handling room of the
building is 300 feet long, and IS
spanned by little cross-bridges in
which the inspectors keep their eyes
on what is going on among the work
ers beneath. 1t removes temptation
to a considerable extent to know
this.
There are marble baths in the
building for the postmaster and his
assistants. and almost-marble baths
and showers for the lesser ones of
the employees, vet everything is ar
service to those who are compelled
to spend so much of their time in the
office. There are lunchroorns. amuse-
Tlent rooms. reading rooms. and
lounsing rooms for the rest hours,
even including billiard tables for the
men.
James c. Plant. of the Treasury
Department. has been in charge of
the Government supervision OF con-
struction. He knows the place from
top to bottom and some OF mis- fig
ures are interesting. He says that
there were used in the construction
IL. .Oo0 cubic feet of granite. for the
mere shell of the building: that the
steel structural work ran to 5000
tons. and that the plastering alone
cost s100,0oo.
Four hundred thousand dollars vas