The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-26
CAPITOL So FAR
COST 100000.
Expense OF Undertaking To Date,
Every Item Included, Is One
Fifth OF Total Fund
YEARS TIME HAS BEEN SAVED
Preliminary Hustle, Material Al
Low Prices Mark Zeal On Part
OF Commission
YEARS TIME HAS BEEN SAVED

TN June 1 BIDS Tor the CONSTITUTION
Of the remaining portion Of the Okla
homa state capitol will be- opened ana
the contract awarded to the lowest
bidder within II few weeks from that
time work ON the uucomplctcd portion
OF the million aud Il hulf dollar struct'
ure will be begun, only one contract
for the entire building being let
Probably few oklahoma city people
rcnlize the amount Of the work which |
has already been done The compile |
tllu Of the frnme work and forms Uf
tine first four floors Of the capitol
finishing the actual construction du |
Ties uf the capitol commission, repre- |
sruts saving In time tu the stnte OF
twelve months, due only 10 the zeal
aud Interest uf the men actively inter |
ested In the erection or the building |
Under the old law, no single contract |
work ON any portion OF the building |
could be- begun until contracts for the |
entire structure had been awarded.
Realizing the dcluy which this would
involve, the members Of the capitOl
commission, composed uf the I. j
Gouldlng s. A. Douglas W. Il, An |
thony aud Governor Williams as eN
Officio chairman. Immediately began
work on the great sub-structure OF
the building, the completion Of the
four stories being accomplished In
record time. owing To the personal
Undertaking Of these men the state Is
cad Just one year In the construction
its new capitol
$4,000 Saved
The expense " the undertaking 50
far has been about $3OO,OOO, including
every Item connected with the com
missions work II is estimated that
$4,000 has been sated to the state on
account Of the preliminary work done
hy the commission, which would have
been impossible II the same work had
hccn done by contract In the forms
I'm the lower part Of the buildiHg alone
there are over 200 tons Of steel.
which was bought for 81 ton less
than was ever before paid for steel In
Oklahoma The million feet ~ luin.
ber In the forms was also bought at
prices which would have been lmpossl.
BILE under general contract. The
commission Is especially proud Of the
record made n cNcavntng the 2IWO
yards Of earth from the basement
which underles the entire building
This work cost the commission only
Onr-third az much as the excavation Of
the Muskugee pOtofficc building, and
was done for half what the Oklahoma
CITY pOstofficc basement cost
Every workman on the building n
an Oklahomnn. that being the only re-
qulrcment asked by members of the
commission A strict union wage Is
pnid, all the material so far used IN
the building being bought In Oklahoma
also The massyeness " the struct
urc as IL now stands gives some Idea
Of the substantial nature the finished
edificc will present The cement In
sight up to the top Of the basement
floor alone represents two and half
times the amount In the Lee. Huckins
hotel. over $50 car loads NJ material
have been used Ia date Nearly three
stories of the completed portion are
above the ground the sub basement
and half Of the basement being below
the ground level Around the entire
building runs court several yards
deep, sunk into the earth to give light
tO the lower floors
A Strictly Oklahoma Movement
The main entrance 10 the capitol
will he on the south, the steps begin.
ming 2iO feet from the building, and
leading up to the main floor hy easy
stages The Oklahoma capitol, when
completed will be- one Uf the finest
and most complete edifices Of liz kind
In America While there are other
state capitols which represent great.
er outlay Of money than the Oklahoma
building, none win equal II In the thor.
Oughncss Of lts modern Arrangement,
and as monument Of fireproOf con.
structiOn II will stand without peer.
Not n single piece OF wood will appear
in the finished building Even the
picture frames and window stills will
he OF steel, Oklahoma having the honor
of building the only absolutely fire
HINVl tulllVl NullultlHs
Many new features viii appenr, In
the structure, one OF which win be the
suspension OF the myriad pipe line
and conduit, systems from the sub.
basement ceiling. By this system the
Door need never he taken up Ia
case Of repairs. when standing be.
tween the gigantic cement columns I'm
the basement view through the en-.
tire length Of the building, 422 feet
may he had A novel feature OF the
basement viii he the parking place
which will be- maintained for nutomo.
hlles driveway extending from the
entrance 10 the elevators In thr cen.
ter Four elevators will he Installed
In the capitol, IN the form Of 10.
foot square about the rOtunda. O,er
10 tons NJ steel have been use I'm
building the footing NJ each shaft. no
chances " future settling being taken
by the builders
Ready Tor Next Legislature
The governors office viii I've ON the
main floor with the senate chamber
on the east and the house of represent
atlyes on the west. The supreme court
room, with smaller court rooms aud
assembly halls, win also he on this
hoor II ls the intention " the com
n,ssIon to hSyc The legislative rooms
tcontinnod on Last Page,