Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-28
RICHMOND.
The Capitol BuiIding-Its History,
md Weakness.

The Capitol BuiIding-EtS History,
and Weakness.
The following interesting sketch
of the Capitol building at Rich
mond, from the New York Post, is
by Mr.. John z. Thompson, now
connected with that paper:
The appalling disaster which has
shrouded Richmond in gloom, and
sent thrill of pain throughout the
country, lends a vivid momentary
interest to sill that is connected with
the occurrence and the scene.
The State House, or, as it is call
ed, the Capitol, of Virginia, is an
|, old building, standing on the high
esq point of ground in the city, in
the centre of q park of thirteen a.
ores, known as the Capitol Square.
The grounds were some years ago
laid out with taste by hoffman, of
Philadelphia, and adorned with
some of the best statuary in Ameri-
ca. The great monument to Wash
ipgton, designed by Crawford, sur
mounted by his colossal equestrian
statue Of the Pater Patria, and
]anked by heroic statues Of Patrick
Henry, Marshall, Jefferson, and
other Virginia worthless, occupies
position but short distance from
the Capitol building, and in anoth-
er part of the grounds there is
marble statue of Henry Clay, from
the chisel of Hart, erected by the
women Of Virginia.
The Capitol was built Immediate
ly at the close of the Revolution.
The model chosen for it was the
welI-knoWn Mission Carree at Mis-
mes, miniature pattern of which
was sent over from France by Mr..
Jefferson, but the architect made
many deviations from the model,
whereby the effect of the building
was greatly impaired. 1t was al
ways an ugly, inconyenient, and i'll
arranged structure, though from a
distance it has an imposing appear
ance, and even looks like Panthe-
on. vzas q * E.r
Its historical associations are Of
the most interesting kind. In the
basement story, where the Chancery
Court was held in the old time,
Henry Clay begun life as deputy
clerk under Chancellor Wythe, the
George Wythe of the Declaration Of
Independence. In its halls sat the
memorable Constitutional Convens
ton of 1S29-30, which numbered
among its members John Randolph,
John Marshall, James Madison,
James Monroe, and many other
men scarcely less illustrious.
Twenty-three years before, the tri-
al OF Aaron Burr for treason had
been conducted there. From the
southern portico of the building it
was that Daniel Webster delivered,
in October, 1910, standing beneath
an October sum-" the political speech
which has been thought one Of the
finest popular expositions of the
Constitution.
In the war of the rebellion, upon
the removal of the Confederate
government from Montgomery to
Richmond, it became necessary to
fit up apartments in the building
for the accommodation of the Con-
federate Congress, and great chano
ges were made in consequence In
its interior arrangements. The
builing, which was original y strong,
was thereby greatly weakened by
the removal of supports and grid
ers. The court room which has
Just given way, entailing so fearful
a loss of human life, was made by
throwing two apartments into one,
and was occupied by the Confeder
ate Senate throughout the war. The
floor had swayed muck from the
true level, and settled from the
sides towards the centre to such an
extent that an examination was or
dered into its security, and it was
not until a report was made by
master carpenters that it was safe
that the Senate consented to occupy
the chamber. Had the examination
been moro thorough the alarming
insecurity of the floor would have
been detected, and this recent heart
rending disaster have been avoided.
The Superintendent of Public Build
ings in charge Of the Capitol It that
time died but few days ago.
Directly beneath the court room
was the hall of the Virginia House
of Delegates, and in the Rotunda
adjacent thereto is the marble statue
of Washington, by Houdon. Had
the court room given way an hour
later the Hall and Rotunda would
have been filled with people and the
consequences would have been yet
more terrible.
This calamity differs from the
well-remembered horror Of the
burning of the Richmond Theatre
in 1911, in the fact that all the vic
tins were of the male sex; where
as, in the destruction of the theatre
many Of the fsirest women Of Viz
GINA lost their lives. In viewing
the desolation that rigns in Rich-
mond at the present moment, all
other feelings will be merged in
sympathy for the sufferers and
sorrow for the dead.
LITERAL ANSWERS.
A lady noticed q boy sprinkling |