Evening star., 1937-01-31
NEW $13,0DO,0(0
INTERIOR BUILDING
READYFOR |CKES
Plans to Start Moving Sat.
urday Forwarded to
Secretary.
ROBOTS PLENTIFUL; e..
EVEN HELP GUARDS
Half Floor Devoted to Machines
Controlling Mechanical Serv.
ants in Structure.
BY NELSON M. SHEPHERD.

BY NELSON M. SHEPHERD.
The new south Interior Department
Building, first Federal ONCE structure
in Washington planned under the
New Deal and the only one with
electric escalators, is ready to be
turned over to Secretary Ickes, who
supplied the $l3,00O,000 cost from
Public Works funds.
While Ickes has not yet designated
moving day" 1t was learned last
night that officials in charge Of the
building have forwarded for his ap-
proval q schedule which contemplates
q start next Saturday. It will re-
quire 5000 truck trips to move the
ONCE supplies Of the 5000 oficials
and employees listed as future tenants.
The new building Is conspicuous by
Its gigantic size and the simple dignity
Of its exterior architecture. 1t covers
5z acres Of ground space, with
1,17s, ,769 square feet gross floor area.
For convenience, a tunnel extends
under Rawlins Square and New York
avenue, connecting with the old north
Interior building.
From Q mechanical viewpoint, the
new building is uniquely equipped.
Robots will do almost everything
for the convenience, comfort and
safety Of employees.
Has 20 Fast Elevators.
Employees will find four escalators,
two up and two down, in addition to
20 speed elevators and II stairways.
Because Of the ground slope, the en-.
trance from e street is floor higher
than the c street level. The escala.
tors between these two levels and the
basement, where one Of the largest
cafeterias in Washington is located,
are expected to relieve congestion ct
rush hours.
Employees will find their rooms
automatically conditioned, with
the sunny rooms cooler than the shady
ones, through the use of a zone sys.
TEN.
There are 36 r-conditioning zones,
each automatically controlled. 1t will
take $500 gallons Of water a minute
The central heating plant Is as
automatic as such units can be made.
The robot heat control devices are
designed to cut heating costs IS to
20 per cent. but even so, zero weather
Will f1nd the furnaces eating Id 3h
tons of coal an hour.
Guards to Have Robots.
Only 80 guards will be required to
patrol the huge floor space because
OF the mechanical assistants at their
elbow.
Some of these mechanical men will
nsuratively dash to any point of dis.
turbance in the building. and signal
back to the central guard room, start
an under-fioor sprinkler system, and
put the city fire department on the
alert. depending on the seriousness of
the trouble. There are 180 fire sta.
tons, with more than two and one.
half miles Of hose in the buildings.
The robot guards principally are
controlled by heat. although some are
connected with other intricate me-
| cnanical systems. In only one other
Government building are the mechani.
cal men finer built. That Is in the
Governments new Archives Build.
ing, which also uses electric eyes Ia
protect the Nations valuable records,
The new building has a half floor
between the fifth and sixth, set aside
Tor It's mechanical men" and the
place looks like a hospital operating
room. 1t is painted white, and the
units for heating, lighting, telephony,
are all inclosed in separate ducts.
Elaborate Telephone System.
The telephone system, perhaps the
largest private branch in Washington.
utilizes every automatic control vet
devised. 1t was installed slightly over
a week ago and is operating for both
buildings.
Wsddy Wood, fellow of the Amer.
1can Institute Of Architects, designed
the building in accordance with the
ideas Of Secretary Ickes. On his fire.
quent visits Of inspection Ickes of.
! Tered new suggestions and watched
construction work zealously. It is his
boast that it is lacking in ornamental
'dodads" and is planned with an eye
to utility first. Its interior architec.
ture was even modified, to make repair
and repainting jobs simpler and to ia.
cilitate cleaning. Each of the 1000
rooms has outside exposure, but de-
spite all these precautions employees
occupying some of the basement and
(See ICKES. Page B-20