The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-12-10

v
Of citizens and Strangers This.Statue
tn'neteen feet six inches high, and weighs
nearly fifteen thousand pounds. tits COM
posed entirely of bronze, and is constructed
in five sections, the weight of the heaviest
of which is 4,74o pounds. The statue has
been washed with an acid which causes
slight oxidation, thhsk Fdducing aarich and
uniform bronze tint, which will never change.
The . Statue q. Freedom was modelfed
in p,a stsr BY Crawford, the lamented, en-
inent sculptor, for r which model the price, Of
three thousand dollars was paid, and was
cast at the foundry of Clark 7Millsp Esq at
Bladepsburgh. The entire, cost of this great
work ofart is.f,pm twenty FIVE toathirty
thousand dollars. During the past two
weeks three sections of the static have been
elevated to- the thelus afa tbei dome; the
fourth one, embracing the chest. ofthetigure
was placed il. position yesterday, sothat to,
day httle remaipsto be done other than that
Of setting the head Of the statue. The height
of the; iron work, above the basement floor
Of the capitol, including the crowning statue
is 2S7 feet. . 9''i
A word or two in reference TO the dome OF
the Capitol may not Be pn,nt eresting to our
readers. The Old dome was built Of wood.
The outer and inner shells were not con- con-.
centric, and While the inner, was, in proper
tons, . copy Of that Of the Pantheon Of
Agrippa at Rome, though, much inferior IL,
size, the outer dome was higher in proportidoin,
than that Of the Pantheon. Its inaamabie
nature, and its narrow. escape at the time the
library was Blu Mt in 1851. called the alter
ton Of Congress to it, and i. was finally re.
solved to replace it by dome Of iron, en-.
tirely fire7proof " : - -
The new dome ip its. proportions ,resem.
bles the modern rather than the, antique
structures ofthis character. Instead Of the
low and fat outlines Of the Pantheon Of
1 Rome, and the st. Sophia of Constantinople
the design lisa light structure decorated
| with columns and ipilasters, rich cornices
and entablatures spfingihg up towards the
sky, and supporting. at the height Of nearly
three hundred feet above the ground Of the
eastern square and three hundred and seven
1 ty-two feet above the western gate, THE col.
lossal statue of which We have spokeh.s Z
ds-a The.ipteriord diameter of the dome il nine
ity-six feet. The galleries afford a fane view
of the interior and of the exterior, the views
stretching many miles down the Potomac.
The structure is double, and bet weenlthe
1 exterior and the interior shells staircase,
winding spirally around the whole, will az
ford access to the very summit dose rs. ?
The general outline Of this structure re-
seTnbies that Of the dome Of St. Peters oil
Rome; ST 'Paul's, Of London; and ST. G en-
eyieee and of the Invalides, Of Paris and o.
! the last great work of the kind erected in
modern times, that of the Russian National
Church, the Cathedral of StnTsaacs at st
Petersburg, which is also partly built ofiron,
The exterior diameter the perisbytian cir,
cularl colonnaie iss,l24 feet, 9 inches. The
columns ofthe peristyle are 81 feet in height
and weigh IL 900 pounds each.io 81 lads s
As we have before said, the statue will be
placed in position at noon to-day. AT that
hour artisan hands will 'snatch away from
The colossal figure the shreds that now con
zeal il from view, and the haStatde Of Free
dom will be uncovered Is the people, sym
bolizing forth as it does the aven ord aimed
blessings of liberty and equality. Following
this act a flag VIII be displayed from staff
On the top Of the soaFolang, and at the same
time a .saldte, Of tlirtysGye guns viii be
fired from battery stationed in, the East
I park which wifi be answered by ssautes
from the different fortiicationss around the
city. ~
long viii the eyes Of patriots u4
this noble STATUE. on the, morrow but the
effulgence Of its golden splendors shall daz
zlethe eyes Of traitorfs, aud its d,iested sight
strike q blow of terror to their hearts; and
far across the waters Of the Potomac. where
war has scourged the land. and where ruiz
and famine have. worked their pro Tess, the
statue Of Freedom shall disseminate its
bright scintillatiohs, proudly smiling as ii
were over the downfall 81 these 'plotters Of
treason and murder Washinggton C,1r,p,jn-
icLe. E ~ gSE13ti3s .7ts vs. ~