Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-06-22


which succeeded Mr..
FILLMORE, were scarcely warm in their |
seats before they commenced their
of the original plan of
construction adopted by Mr.. FILLMORE,
and upon which the work was being
done when he left Office. These modi-
fcations, it appears, even involved
+" changes in the foundation walls
though they were found sufficiently
strong for the superstructure.
In his next annual report, Deem
Der, 1854, Secretary DAVIS says:
at refer to the report of Captain MEIGs, of
the corps of engineers, the officer in charge
of the Capitol extension, for very satisfac-
tory account of the progress of that work.
The walls of the Senate Chamber
and Representatives Hall are finished, and
will be placed under roof during the present
winter. . The style of the work both
in finish and strength, has been Of higher STAN
aard than was contemplated when the esti-
mates under Mr.. FnLMoRE's administration
were made; but the administrative capacity
and professional skill of the officer [Captain
MEIGs1 have so Kept down the expenditures.
that it is believed [believed!l the cost viii
not exceed the estimates made for an inferior
building"
They set about making finer build
ing than Mr.. FILLMORE proposed-to
give it more finish"-to add to ats
architectural effect"-and they abe
Iieved" they could do all this without
increasing the costl
In his next annual report, December,
1856, Secretary DAVIS says:
THE work ION the Capitol is so far ad-
vanced, that the interior finish must now be
considered. The original plan and estimate
were for finish similar to that of the main
building, but the style would not be fair
sample of the present state of architectural
skill, and it is supposed would not fulfill the
wish of Congress 1t has, therefore, been
thought proper to have prepared Tor insprc c.
tiOn specimens of encaustic filing, instead of
brick and sandstone, for the floor; of painting,
instead OF white washing for the walls and
ceilings; these and other Contemplated Improve
nae'its not included in the original plan and est
mate. may be introduced to a greater or less
extent as Congress may provide Modifca
tons haze already been made, such as the intro
ductiOn of iron ceilings in the principal
rooms the substitution of iron for wood on
the frames of the roofs, and the doors and
windows of the basement story an increased
thickness of the marble of the walls, specially
provided for by law, and costly and extern
sive corridor required by the plan, but not
contained in the original estimate.
''At the last session. Congress adopted a
plan, and made an appropriation for new
dome to the Capitol. No estimate of the cost
of the work bad been submitted, nor has any
yet been prepared. 3 The study of
the details have since been entered into, and
| refer to the report of the officer in charge
for narrative of his operations. as well as
for full description of the contemplated
structure 1.-THE dome1 which promises to be an
Object Of rare architectural beauty. The resources
exhibited in the machinery designed TO raise
the enormous masses of iron composing the
dome. and to place them accurately in their
elevated positions, reflect the highest credit
upon the capacity and skill as an engineer of
the officer [Captain MEIGsl in charge of the
work"
Mr. FILMoRE's plan and estimate,
for an extension in the style of the
main building, and at cost of $2,675,,
600, did not suit the taste of his Dem
ocratic successors-it would not be "a
fair sample of the present state of ar.
chitectural skill" Brick and sand
stone, which had done very well foI
the floor of the main building, and
which were contemplated in the FILL
MORE plan and estimate for the extern
sion, would by no means do; "encaus
tic thing" was the thing-and so with
other contemplated alterations and i'm
provements, all of which were eventu
ally carried out. ....
A new dome, too, never proposed
or contemplated by Mr.. FILLMORE and
his Architect, We are told by the Sec
rotary. had been resolved upon, and al
appropriation made for it by the pre-
ceding Congress. In that Congress
the 33rd-parties stood in the House
of Representatives, Democrats, 159-
Wings, 71-Free-SoiIers, 4 Il; in the
Senate, Democrats, 36-Whigs, 90
Free-Soilers, q vacancies, 4. - Sc,
Cong. Globe, vol. %, part !, pages
and 2 ..-. .-a--
For that dome, ordered by thai
Democratic Congress, planned by Capt
MEIGs, acting under that Democratic
Secretary of War, Seren hundred M0nsaae
dollars have already been appropria
ted; and it is not yet completed. 1t.
whole cost will exceed one million o.
dollars. A good round sum; but ther
the people who pay the money have
! the comforting assurance of Demo
cratic Secretary of War that, whel
completed, it will be "an object of rar,
architectural beauty" and that til,
machinery designed to raise the enor
nous masses of iron composing it, anC
to place them accurately in their ele
waited positions, reflect the highes
credit upon the capacity and skill, al
an engineer" of his favorite, Captain
MEIGsl
In his report of December, 1856
Secretary DAVIS says:
"The construction of the Capitol extension
has advanced as rapidly as the supply of mar
| BILE would permit.
In my last annual report, and in eommu
nications since made in answer TO resolution
| or Congress, IL wac announced that specimen
| of painting and decoration, of encaustic tit
flooring, OF east iron window and door castings
had been proposed for the inspection of Con
gress and that other improvements on th
| original plan were contemplated
.'It was then stated that IL the higher styl
of finish was adopted. the cost OF the building
must be proportionally increased. And a