Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-15
PRESIDENT TOURS
us. BUILDING AREA
Progress of Huge Program
PIeaSeS ExeCutiVe-815
Working on Plans.
Continued From First Page.)

architect of the Capitol. There the
President saw the rising House Office
| Building and the site for the Supreme
| Court, where excavation is to start to-
| morrow morning. He viewed the great
| stretch of Capitol Plaza stretching away
! to Union Station, where many build
ings have been torn down to make way
| rejecting pool to mirror the Capitol
| dome. The President returned to the
| White House about 4 o'clock.
Many Changes Due.
Detailed study of the program for
Washington affords an idea of the
changes that will begin to take shape
within the next year.
Foundation in downtown Washington
will soon be laid for the Department of
Labor at Fourteenth street and Con-.
stitution avenue, the Government Audi
forum, adjoining the Department OF
Labor on the east facing Constitution
| avenue; the Interstate Commerce Com
mission at Twelfth and Constitution
avenue, the Post once Department at
Twelfth and Pennsylvania avenue, run
ming southwark to join the I. C.. c.
Building and the Department OF Justice
Building between Ninth and Tenth
streets, Pennsylvania and Constitution
avenues. Following these the founda-
ton for the new Archives structure,
! which is to go on the site of Center
Market probably will be laid late this
Summer or early Fall.
Demolition work is under way in the
square bounded by Constitution avenue,
Thirteenth and Thirteen
streets and Ohio avenue, where a pro-
cess new to the Federal building pro-
gram here is being employed. A huge
steel ball, weighing two-and-a-half
tons suspended on the end of heavy
chain, and operated by a large travelling
crane is being used to literally knock
the brick walls Of buildings to pieces.
This method was so speedy that it re-
ouired only so minutes to utterly de-
molish an entire building at the corner
of Thirteenth street and Ohio avenue.
The same method is to be used by the
Washington Iron & Metal Co. in de-
molishing the other brick buildings of
the entire sites for the Government
Auditorium.
Hard Task Encountered.
workmen of the same company are
hard at work also on one of the most
intricate jobs Of dismanteling yet pre-
sented in the Government program-in
the old substation of the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Co., at Fourteenth street and
Constitution avenue. The huge electric
motor generators in this place are being
taken down, and removed from the
building.
with $I5,0o0,ooO available for use
between now and July /, 1882, work
will go forward rapidly this Summer on
new buildings in the Capitol group
with an authorized cost of upward Of
SIS, 000, 900. These include:
The Supreme Court Building, the
new House ONCE Building, the Library
of Congress annex, the extension Of the
Capitol grounds to the Union Station,
the rebuilding of the north side of
the Senate once Building and the
erection Of a new wing along the east
side Of the building, putting In a sub
way garage at the Senate once Build
ing, removal of the Botanic Garden,
erection of an exhibition conservatory
and other structures: relocation of the
Rartholdi Fountain, cutting through the
new Louisiana" avenue from Union
Station to Pennsylvania avenue and
creation of Union Square, where the
Botanic Garden now is, widening B
street. which has been renamed Consti-
tuition avenue widening D street north
of the Capitol and First street east OF
the Capitol.
Supreme Court Building.
Work is to start tomorrow morning
on excavations for the Supreme Court
Building under an So, 900 contract with
the G.. B. Mullin Company for excava-
tons and foundations. The plans for
the superstructure are expected to be
ready by June /.
For acquisition of the new site for
the Botanic Garden, 81 ,004, 1908 has
been expended. The land has all been
purchased and is about one-half cleared.
Bids are to be opened May / for con-
struction Of the main conservatory, with
an appropriation of $875, 900 for this
purpose. The main conservatory Is to
be built on the site between Maryland
avenue and B, First and Second streets
now occupied by gasoline station and
an apartment house, a colored church
which has been demolished, and a
number of small houses which are being
torn down.
On the plot Of land directly south
Of that until recently occupied by q
stone yard and colored school, the ia
nous Bartholdi Fountain now in stor-
age will be placed. This fountain was
removed from the Botanic Garden two
years ago to make way for the APP
proaches to the Meade Memorial.
There Is special appropriation Of
$4,000 for placing this fountain. 1t
will probably be done this Summer.
For acquisition of the site for the
Library OF Congress Annex, just east of
the present structure and south of the
ShakespeariAn Building. 100000 has
been appropriated Such Of this prop
erty as could not be purchased through
private sale is now in condemnation
proceedings The architect Of the Cap
itol is having work started at once on
plans for the new library annex, with
81 ,000, 900 appropriated for starting the
structure and s6,50O,000 authorized.
House once Building.
The structural steel work is going up
rapidly on the new House once Build
ing, with all of the steel to be de-
livered by April IL and all the steel
work completed by May 9. The entire
building is to be completed, except for
some painting, in December, 1882.
just when the extension of the Cap
itol Grounds to the Union Station will
be completed and the cutting through
OF the new Louisiana avenue from the
station to Pennsylvania avenue, is de-
pendent upon how long it will take
through condemnation to acquire sew
eral parcels of land. These include two
squares on the north side of Pennsyl-
vanta avenue between First and Third
streets, a part of the old Census or
Emery Building between First and Sec
ond streets north Of B street, and q part
OF the property of the Acacia Life Co.
The Continental Hotel Corporation has
sent in deed for approximately eight
square feet, which must be taken from
their property. The architect of the
Capitol expects that work will start
this Summer on portion Of this new
avenue.
Other work on the extension of the
Capitol grounds is held up by the pre-
liminary work that must be done by
the street railway companies in re-
locating their tracks. The street car
tracks are to be confined to C street
and First street, east. Mr.. Lynn ex-
poets to be able to start on the subway