Uncle Sam's Headquarters in Omaha
Pictures Made from Photos by a Staff Artist
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TnE OMAHA POSTOFFTCE EA ST AND NORTH FRONTS FKOM SIXTEENTH
AND CAI'JTOIj AVENUB.
I V T l I I.. In Iha I Tr.Kn.1 Clnlui
I and costing approximately $2,000,-
V.J I (Kill tin. f.i.Kli.llliK liiillillnir In
Omaha is mi ornament not alone
to t lie city, lint to the entire
west. It occupies tin; entire block bounded
liy Sixteenth street on t tie east, the main
front; Seventeenth street on the west.
Dodge Htreet on the Mouth ami Capitol
avenue, on the north. Its architecture Is
of the Renaissance period, and the inn In
Ktructiire Is built In the form of a quad
rangle, Kiirmmited on the i-nst front ly a
tower of ISO feet In height from the Htreet.
Tho basement Is Imllt of Minnesota man
lt and the main structure of gray Colo
rado granite, tho Inner walls being of
cream colored porcelnlned brick. It ha. a
frontage of 210 feet on sixteenth and Sev
enteenth streets and 200 feet on Dodge,
itreet and Capitol avenue. Tho building
In four stories In height, and Is absolutely
fireproof. It Is roofed with fl-ite und is
In all respects a complete and safe struc
ture. The public corridors of the first
floor are wainscoted with roso colored
tnarble. The wainscoting of the second,
hlrd and fourth floors in the older part of
the building are of hardwood and white
marble Is utilised In wainscoting- much of
the new or want wins on all the three
proprlated under the original appropria
tion limit. On March 8, 1 nh i, an act was
pusBcd Increasing the appropriation $75,000;
March 2, lX'jf., O'J.OOO additional was ap
propriated; June 11, 1KI;, $lno,ouo additional;
June 4, 1OT, $12.",000 additional, (in March
2, 1SW, nn act wa.s passed Increasing the
total cost of construc tion to $1,ftiO,0ut. The
following day !l.Vj,lJ0 was appropriated for
tho work, and on March 3, l;ml, J350,ono wn
appropriate! for a like purpose. On June
6, I!t02, an act was passed Increasing the
limit of the total cost of construction to
I.N4r,nt'0. June 2S. I!i2, 25,fK was appro
priated to continue the work, and by the
act of March 3. VM, the total limit for
construct Ion was Increased to S1,R.V,000. On
the same day $'.0,il was appropriated. The
total amount of tho appropriations up to
this time being Jl.&I.I.OHl, not including the
appropriation of March 3, 1!)03.
On the site and Incidental expenses
thereto tlOO.OOO was expended. On the
building up to June 30, 11)02, $1, 144.364.19 and
during the flscul year 190.1 $157,810.75, the
total expenditure up to the close of the
fiscal year of 1903 being $1,702,204.94. At
that time there was on deposit to the credit
of the building in the Treasury depart
ment $122,327.14; In the hands of the dis
bursing agent, $20,4C7.92; unexpended bal-
THR OMAHA POSTOFFirE-WEST AND SOUTH FRONTS FROM SEVENTEENTH
AND DODGE STREETS.
anee, $1 12,795.0; outstanding liabilities, $112,.
BX2.su, leaving an available balance of
$412.2ii. This money was disbursed through
the ofiiee of the custodian of the building,
who Is also the disbursing officer for the
government for this purpose.
The building was first occupied in the
fall of 1MIS by the I'ostofllce department,
and, the other federal otllcials moved In at
various Intervals shortly afterward, as
their quarters were made ready for them,
all these departments having been pre
viously quartered In the cramped quarters
of the old federal building nt Fifteenth and
Dodge r.treets, which is now occupied aa
headquarters for the Military Department
Of the Missouri.
A peculiar fact exists with reference to
the building In respect to Its occupancy,
and that Is that with all its immensity
there remains but two suites of rooms nt
present unassigned, which fact shows at a
glance the great federal Interests and de
partment now centered here in Omaha.
The basement of the building is occupied
by the stenm heating plant, elevator ma
chinery, ventilating machinery and electric
light motors. Charles Baxter is chief en
gineer and is assisted by an assistant en
gineer, three tlrcincn and two coal passers.
lilt-
jjn3 - ' s Visits
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CORNER OF ENGINE ItOOM SHOWINO
THE 1UMFS.
In addition to the steam and electric or
eratlng plants are storage rooms. In thes
are stored old mail sacks, canceled monef)
BEST ROOM FOIl THE MAIL CARRIERS
pppor floors.
The Interior frame work Is of stee4, includ
ing all the beams and rafters. All of the
floors are artistically luld Italian tiling, the
pieces being an Inch square, of varied
colors, In perfect harmony with the gen
eral elegance of the building, giving it an
ftrtlstic and quiet dignity.
Tha first appropriation for the building
was made by tho act of January 21, lssu,
Which limited the cost of site and building
to $1,200,000 (site not to exceed JtoO.Onj), the
Initial appropriation being 0,000. fnd.r
the act of August i, UAJ, JAM.OOJ was ap-
REST ROOM FOR TUB WOMEN CLERKS.