The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1880-09-30
TIE NA1YoNAL or J \ y, ToI
Ono orMo Grandess lsustdts0s ~ sSs 1vo,.,.,

80 i
ana gaze upon the great white temple of
hbertyon Capitol hill without feeling the
heart beat high withpride and patriot
ism. Critics may tell us that it will not
bea perfect building while the central
'front.' recedes; that is, until that igbuiIt
out beyond the fronts of the wings, aud
until the main dome is supportedsby les
ser domes that are visible. Bnt nobody
cares for critics when gazing at the
marble pile rising over the velvet turf
and Lifting it's snowy dome like 3 cloud
itself among the clouds. .' ..s
81 Wherever you en. ;-t Wasl-.--e,sv.r vr
| its neie'esSisnood, turn Gbout, and there
,Aa the dome looking over your shoulder.
You see it as you approach the city, you
see it when yon are far down the river,
you see it from Arlington heights, from
the Maryland hills, and out at the Sol
diers' Home, rot::only through the famous
Vista, where it rises out of the surround
ing b'anches all by itself, like phantom
of old Rome, but as you look over o
charming landscape where the Potomac
CLEANS like silver thread out of the
deep blue of the haze on the horizon,
and the dim classic outlines of the other
plendid public buildings, made almosts
dreamlike by distance, give you doubt
if you are on this Western continent.
The Capitol stands almost in the CEN
tor of the plan of the city. The corner
stone was laid in 1893 by Washington.
The building was of freestone from Acquia
creek, painted white, and was origin
ally much smallefA and more SYM
snetfisal! ItAwas burned by the Brit
ish inthe war Of 1912, aid WAS only
rebuilt after q stormy debate in Con
gress, which was assembled somewhere
else. But with the growth of the cotun-
Try it was found muck too small the e2-
tensions we're ordered, their corner tone
was laid with Daniel Webster as the
orator of the day, and they were com
pleted in 1868. The structure has cost.
In all, about $13, 100000.
One would gather little idea Of the
size of this building by being told that
1T is 700 feet long by 325 broad one
might better comprehend it, perhaps.
on learning That it's ground-plan occu-
pies three and q half acres.
AS you stand before it, you sec that it
consists Of the old building in the CEN
ter, @ beautiful thing in itself, of classic
style, connected, on each side, by q cor
ridor of fiuted columns with the vast
wings, which are built of white marble
from Massachusetts,, and are each
temple in itself. The one on the south
side is the Senate wing the other is
used by the House OF Representative.
The whole stands upon q =" rustic base
ment" of granite, and beneath that is
sub-basement, hidden by the green turf
of the terraces.
Each of the wings has three porticos
of futed Corinthian columns, every col
umn cut from a single piece Of marble.
"A carriage-way runs under the eastern
porticos, by which one enters the base
ment, the midd1e entrance opening into
the Crypt; and on the fronts are the
most superb staircases Of white marble
that can DO imagined, supported by inn
nlense blocks or butSresses, and so broad
and lofty that when one looks at either
of them one only rerpembers the motto:
SIC Stsss- ad astrd. Sid 30 it is, indeed.
AS you mount the central one of these
flights, you Observe on the pediment
that is, the gable like portion above the
columns and entablature, Q group carved
II high relief representing the Genius of
155inexica eplying to fiattering Hope by
pointing to Justice holding the constitu-
sioR 4 corresponding gronp, by Craw-
fcEd occupies the same position ON the
frsont 81 ths Senate wing.
On the flat top OF the upper puttress
o5 tIe main atarway are two groups of
statuary, one representing Columbus
holding d globe, with an Indian girl at
his feet and tho other representing
civilization. or the sett tlement of America,
by means of q hunter with his dog saving
q woman and her boy from the tona-
naWk OF the Indian.
The portico itself hers Is 100 feet long,
and carries "a columns; each 80 feet
high. In inches AZ either side of the
great doors are colossal fflgOres Of Peace
and War, and over the doors is another
bas-reIief representating Fame and Peace
crowning Washington.
AS You pause now and look back, you
have the Capitol surrounded on every side
byanample space of green sward; directly