Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-11-27
THE NEW CAPITOL
The Record Of Seven yeare-How
the Building looks-What II -
To ne.
etate Register.

6Ato Re8Ntef.
Seven years ago this week (Satur.
day. the corner stone Of the new cap.
itol Of Iowa was laid, with appropri.
ate ceremonies. There were the usu.
al number Of speeches, salvos of ar.
tillery, flags, cheers, and in due time
the foundation of the structure was
found to b. worthless. II was re.
moved aud better material put in Its
place. The total cost Of taking down
and rebuilding this wall was So, 1853.
70. The ACT under which the build
ing was commenced limited liz cost
to 81, $40 600, 80 that this loss occasion.
ed qute hole in the appropriation,
and the new board, constituted rs vi
present, found on their hands the
ground work for superstructure
hey ond their financial ability. The
plan was carefully reviewed b.,
Messrs. Cochrsne h Piqusnard, the
architects, who ascertained that the
building could be completed for the
million and . half appropriated, by
making aome radical, but BY no means
desirable changes-to change the Gu,
stone cornice to galvanized iron; the
cut stone capitals 10 cast iron the
grand staircase from marble to iron
10 put hard wood floors In the halls
and corridors instead Of marble; tC
leave out the committee rooms over
the library, aud In the upper story of
the east wing; to change the glass
from French plate to French cylinder
double THICK or English chrystal. All
this could be done, In the judgmen,
of the commissioners, but, to quote
the language Of Mr.. Fisher:
"They are made from necessity
not from choice. If the Legislature
would place another hundred thou.
sand dollars ut the disposal Of the
commissioners, they would be cheer.
fully abandoned. The conceptions Of
the great architects Ct ancient times
embodied in the orders of architect.
ure and displayed in the capital o.
the column, aud in the architrave, the
frieze and the cornice of the entabla
ture were designed to be executed in
stone; q cornice Of galvanized irol
or . capital of cast iron is an imitation
and q counterfeit. The rooms ovel
the library and in the upper story o
the east wing can be constructed at
more convenient season, hereafter
marble can be substituted at some fu
ture time, for iron in the grand stall
case, and in the halls and corridor
for wooden floors; and an inferio
kind Of glass can be exchanges 70
that of superior quality, but irol
cornice and iron capitals can never b
replaced with stone, but must remain
disigured by rust, TO mar forever tn
beauty Of the building and to exhibi
to future ages the depraved taste o
the present generation"
The first contract for stone wa
awarded to the Gibson Bros. at $l.3
per cubic foot. They failed to ente
iuto the contract awards and Davi
Armstrong; bid, for $l.47k was q,
copied. David furnished few ca
loads but his arm wasn't stron
enough, and when he laid down th
commission procured stone els,
| where.
. The next step was to find stone fl
the uperstructure, and after caref,
] examination of many kinds and e,
perimenting with various contractor
. the contract for stone for the supe
, structure contracts were awarded ,
! follows:
1880 II St, Geaevieve At 81 ls.......sl2o SIS
los 82u IT, arsoil county q IS cts....... 0S l54
BUS It Iows'City ~ $.sO-............... 6e87l