The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-10-08

BY I'D. "A. SELBY.s e 81
The UnitsA statss Capitol Extension-
Lissary ~ Cong sc.
The work, sof. removing the old
walls, &C., adjacent to the room of
the Library. Of Congress, preparatory
to entering npon the work of extern
sion, has been comn1snced, and al
ready the portion Of the North wing
has been cleared out, preparatory to
the reception of the materials. An
appropriation Of $169, 600 was made
at the last, session of Congress for
this work, and the contract was award
edto the Architectural Iron Works of
New York, at $149, 1854. Each wing
viii be nearly one hundred feet in
length, and twenty mine in width,
with four tiers of alcoves instead of
three, as in, the present library, and
with the old library will form an E.
It is expected that the North wing
will be: ready for use i'm December,
and the South wing in May next.
The work lin the wings will be in
keeping with tho old library, except,
as stated, there Will be one more tier.
of alcoves The ceiling will finish
with a. ceye spriaging frosn'the g upper
cornice G fhea alcoves, instead of the
consoles. The capacity of the present
library is for 3S, 900 volumes. The
proposed wings will accommodate
10000 and the attic story 10000
making the total capacity of the en-
larged room 134, COO. 1t is also pro-
posed to fit up two rooms on the lower
floor for reading rooms, while the
Office Of the library Will be in the.
second story. t:a &q! a53s u
The porticoes on the East front Of;
the Capitol are now completed, and
at present the monolithic columns
are being set on the North front, the
traverse crane used to set the East
portico of the Senate wing having
been moved around and heightened
for this work, it being about seventy.
five feet high, and probably the longest
crane of the kind in the world
By May, it is expected that the re-
naming portico ON the North wing
will be completed. tsf
The iron work upon the dome is
very nearly completed, and by the
meeting of Congress there will be no
reason why visitors cannot get as high
up in the world as possible The
iron stairway, which is of easy ascent,
has been mpleted to the tholus,
and the gas pipes have been put in
their places around the cornices in
side the dome. It is proposed that
the seven hundred burners in the
dome, which otherwise would require
much labor, shall be lighted and ex-
tinguished by means of electricity. A
fresco on grand scale, representing
the apotheosis of Washington, cover
ing an area of over 1000 square feet,
(some of the figures being over
eighteen feet in length, is being laid
on the interior OF the dome, $50 feet
above the floor of the rotunda.
Washington is in the centre, support
ed by Justice on one side, and Peace
on the other, encircled by halo of
female figures, representing the thir-
teen original States. This is sur
rounded by six groups, in the follow
ing order: War, with the Goddess of
Liberty prominent, sword in hand,
beneath whom is seen the ermine rep
resentlng royalty, with figures repre-
senting Fire, Famine, Pestilence, Dis
cord, &c. Science is represented by
the Goddess Minerva, with whom are
seen Franklin, Fulton and others.
Marine is represented by Neptune,
Commerce by Mercury, Mechanics
by Vulcan, surrounded by locomo-
tives, Parrot guns, mortars, &c. Ag-
riculture by the Goddess Ceres, who
appears seated on reaping machine.
This is being done by G. Brumidt.
Washington Stou.
DEATH OF AN AGED MERCHANT