Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-02-18
Cost of BuiiaIng state Capl.ol..

II
, We notice that the subject rebuilding, g
enlarging and improving the State Hous
at Madison is now before the Legislature c
Wisconsin, the estimates of cost varyin
from 100000 to quarter of a million
Wisconsin is about as poverty stricken il
purse as State need be, and before enter
ing upon any new State House experimen
she might profit by Ohio's experience il
substituting new Capitol for an old one
From recent letter of Mr. ALLEN, membe
of the House from Ashtabula, to his paper
the Conneaut Reporter, we appended the
followingsextract. 1t shows the progress
still making in the great work of finishing
and perfecting the House that Jack built
The State House Commissioner, in an
sWer tc resolution of the House. affords Us
light as to the probable cost of the dome, OF
cuPola, which surmounts the capitol build
ing. The cost of erection above the main
walls of the building has been large-'to
figure it up says the Commissioner, will
be work requiring considerable time.'-
The cupola is I57 feet from the base of the
building, and still requires about s. 900 to
finish the outside, and will then be just SO
far completed as to suggest to Legislators
| tHS QIOpiltt1 vi an dpPEO " EeihONe
| from view the unseemiy structure; and to
this end a ro1U of sCorinthian columns to
surround the cupola is proposed by the archi-
tect, to avoid criticism; and the moderate
sum of fifty-oIe thousand four hundred and
seventy dollars is asked for! This is all
intended to complete the pola.--leaVing
the rotunda to be provided for by future ap-
preparations, which is estimated at 800, 900 +.
"a sum too moderate in comparison with
other expenditures oil the State House
When the State House was set in motion
two years ago the apparatus for warning the
building by heated air was permanently ar
ranged in the basement, where are located
powerful engines and boilers of extravagant
dimensions; but now it is proposed to remove
these, and for the purpose, large excava-
ton has been made the past summer on the
east side of the building, to which the boil
ers and engines are to be removed. Two
smoke stacks rise within the courts of the
main building, constructed of stone at no
small expense to the tax PAYERS of the State.
The removal of the heating apparatus from
beneath the building, creates a necessity to
remove also these stacks which the
chi;ect says can be done for forty thousand
dollars. But it will be asked why are these
to be removed? The answer is simply,
that the boilers beneath the building
regarded unsate,--that they might possibly
explode and make something of a stir with
the blocks of granite SO nicely fitted one
upon the other, to say nothing of the danger
which might beiall those who come here as
the peoples servants. Then the stacks
erected on The outer grounds will serve
double purPose--for the escape of smoke
and gate posts!
The Perilous Adventure of 8. HI. Packard
the Prairies.
The Fort Dodge correspondent of the
Dubuque Times sends to that paper an ac-
count of his visit to s. H. Packard, Esq, who
lost his feet Ia consequence of exposure to
cold the prairies of Iowa. The letter is
dated January Is, and reads as follows:
Since we have been in Fort Dodge, we
have paid visit to Mr.. S. H. Packard, who
was SO badly frozen recently in attempting
to come from Sioux Rapids to this place,
that he had to have one foot amrutated and
part of another. We give his narrative al
most word for word
He left Sioux Rapids, on the Little Sioux
River, (where he, in connection with others,
started a town) to go to Dubuque on busi-
ness, on the 2nd day of December. The
sloughs having been open few days before,
it was thought the safest way 10 60 to Fort
Dodge on horseback, and thence by stage
to Dubuque. About three hours after he
started heavy snow storm burst upon him,
accompanied by high wind from the moth
west. Knowing the danger of attempting
to cross those large prairieS in such storm,
he turned back and attempted to retrace his
steps, but soon found that it was impossible
for man or beast 70 face the Storm; he,
therefore, proceeded on his journey, cout
dent that he could ride to the next house
(forty miles,l by n;ght-falI; but. his horse
having broken through the ice several times,
became afraid TO 60 upon it, and he was de-
layed many times at sloughs until night
overlook him at one about half way across
the 2raire. Here he found it impossible to
indu~e the horse to go upon the ice, and
while searching for a better crossing the
ice broke with him and let him into the
water above his knees. He endeavored to
get to the shore, but the ice broke at every
step, and be struggled through the ice,
snow and water a distance of twenty or
thirty feet before he came to firm ice.
He at once attempted to remove his shoes
and stockings. but they were SO encased in
ice that it was impossible. Convinced that
he must remain where he was until morning,
and that his only safety was in keeping in
motion, he commenced running upon the
ice, and continued 10 do SO until daylight the
next morning, when, having succeeded III
getting his horse across the slough, he start
ed on foot, as he supposed, for Fort Dodge.
After walking about two miles and hall,
he found he had turned around and was go-
ing back. He Immediately retraced bis Steps,
and walked all day, dragging his frozen feet
through snow ankle-deep, and at times knee
! deep, his horse following him, aud was again
overtaken by night about three miles from a
| house. Here he left his horse, and started
on, hoping to reach the hose in an hour or
! two, but was so faint and weary that he fell
| frequently and was nine hours in walking
the last three miles. His sensations during
this time, as described by him, were peculiar
and strange; the road appeared to be em~
| broidered in most beautiful colors, and he
stopped and reached to pick up a specimen
several times. Satisfied that his mind was
WahueFing, pe ehuea'oted 10 ul"eIt IL hohl
the consideration of this subject, but in vain;
if he looked at the side of the road, it ap'
peared TO be walled up and to be covered
with hogs lying on their backs!
Raising himself, he proceeded, and a
length reached the house of Mr.. Welcf
about four clock in the morning. He was
taken in and cared for unit! the arrival o
his friends from Fort Dodge, when he was
removed to that place, and has received a
the hands of the people of Fort Dodge every
kindness that friendship could dictate. His
injuries were such that it became necessary
to amputate the right foot about midway