The Portland daily press., 1865-08-23
LRT1ER FRoM 4HE FnDERAb oAFaz
1TAL.
WAsHINaToN, Aug, 8, Iooo.

To The Editor Of the Press'
On the 18th Sept, 1898, Gen. Washington
laid the CORNERSTONE of the Capitol The edi-
A. lac nassed through various mutations
SINCE then. having been partially built, then
sacked and buried, SO far as it was combusti-
HE then rebuilt and finished, ana now in later
wears so enlarged and remodelled as to change
essentially its architectural character, and al
most obhterate the original design. Only now
at length, when our political institutions seem
grounding themselves more fully than ever be-
fore upon the everlasting and immovable prln,-
ciDles Of Justice and right, and SO approxlma-
ting assured stability and perrnanence, is the
Capitol at last approaching completion.
The dome, its grandest feature, is now fin
ished externally, and stands in its graceful
majesty against thesky, a monument of mod
ern architectural skill. SO symmetrical and
beautiful is it, that you hardly realize its mag
nitude, but when you climb its giddy height,
and Chamber among the network of iron bars
and beams betweenits outer and inner shells,
you are not surprised to learn that 5000 tons OF
iron, and one million dollars have been used in
its erections The great ffesco that's to orna-
ment the upper section of its interior surface,
forming the yaulted ceiling over the centre of
the Rotunda, 1856 feet above the floor, is now
progressing in the hands. tof Mr.. Constantine
Brumidi. -s
The eastern pofticoes of both extensions are
now completed, except few blocks yet to be
added to the one upon the southern or Repre-
sentatives' end of the building The tympan-
am Of this portico, moreover, has not yet re-
eeived any statuary like those groups which
form so pleasing a feature Of its fellows. Both
are supported by double rows of Corinthian
columns, and present, now that they are COM
pieted, front of rare magnifcence. Four
more porticoes, smaller than these and to be
supported by single colonades, yetremain to be.
built, viz: one on the northern and another on
the southern end or face of the Capitol, and
one on the western front of each extensicn.-s
The amount of marble already used in these
works is truly astonishing, and still the Capt.
tol is musical with the clink of hammer and
chisel, while huge blocks on every hand are
slowly assuming the forms of pedestal and
base, shaft and capital, frieze and corniees The
time necessary to complete the exterior of the
Capitol viii of course depend upon the force
employed. At past rates of progress two or
even three years viii be hardly more than suf-
ficient.
A sad accident occurred on Wednesday last
by which one workman lost his life, and anotl,-
er was severely injured. ,Hoe ft ent
A very extensive enlargement of the Con-,
gressional Library is now in progress. A
number of small rooms adjacent to the Libra
ry, formerly used for the meetings of commit
tees and for other purposes, are being demol-
ished, SO as to form two spacious halls, one on
the north and the other ON the south of the
Library Room, and connected with it SO as to
rmtwo Lsa The apartment at present oc-
cupied by the Library is "a feet in length by
30 in width, and the new rooms are of the
same width and nearly as long Since, how
ever, they viii contain three galleries, whereas
the old part has but two, they win each be
about equal to it in capacity. The new rooms
are to be finished in all respects like the other,
that is to say in rich and tasteful style, and
perfectly fire-proof The iron shelves and 9th
er casting, necessary to fitthese spacious halls
for their intended purpose are to be furnished
by the architectural Ironworls of New York.
The North room is to be finished according to
contract by the first of January and the South
by the first of July, 1856. The cost of the en-
largement Is estimated to be 100000. When
completed the Library win occupy the entire
central part of the western front of the Old
CapAol, win contain 10000 volumes, and will
be wertliyef our capital and nation The en-
largementis going forward upon plans made
by Mr.. 7, U. Walters, late Capitol Architect.
The work of removing from Ford's Theatre
the stages, boxes, &c, preparatory to- convert
ing it into a fire-proof place of deposit for the
rebel archives and other mementoes of the
war, is now in progress The door of the box
occupied by President Lincoln upon the fatal
night, and all the furniture then in it have
been placed where they are secure. There is
somewhat OF a rush Of relic-hunters to the
building but they are usually forced to content
themselves with very Indifferent mementoes
OF the place where the great crime was COM
mitted, seldom obtaining anything more salts
tory than chip, splinter, or bit of gliding
Since my last the Lincoln Hospital, a very
extensive one aboata mile east the city, has
been discontinued, and orders have been is
sued for breaking up the one in Armory SQUARE.
Only the Douglas and Stanton, situated near
each other in the northeastern suburb, are to
be continued in operation The number of
soldiers who have died in the hospitals of this
District between Aug. Sd, 1861, and June 80,
1865 is 20,727. The bodies of between two
and three thousand have been removed BY
friends The remains of the rest have been
inferred in the Soldiers Home,-in the I'm
ion Cemetery for colored soldiers, and in the
National Cemetery at Arlington.
The humberof Maine soldiers in hospital is
now reduced to about fifty, but as might be
expected some Of these are special cases. Mrs.
Sampson is expected to continue her labors
mere in connection with the State Agency
while any soldiers needing her attention re-
main. f;gssffr tf,.I.s r~5a
Quite little excitement was created here of
laSe' IN the absence of anything more impor-
tant, by the sale at auction of about 5000
packages left tncalIed for in the office of
Adams q Conipany's Express. The bidding
was of course entirely at venture. Many Of
the packages, having contained eatables sent
to soldiers, were utterly worthless. One gen
tleinan paid $3.50 for q box containing a hoop
skirt, ladies stays and pair OF long hose; an
other ambitious Spectator bid off for S275
dozen bottles, Of Perry & Davis Pain Killer;
another still gave $3.50 for "a box containing
bar Of soap and a feather pillow.
Some Of the packages however were valuable.
One lucky urchin became the delighted posses
Or of gold watch and chain at an outlay of
$3.50 and anothep still more fortunate for a